CBD extends the shelf life of fresh fruit

A thin, invisible, edible film of cannabidiol (CBD) could help preserve food longer, according to a study published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

CBD is best known for its medical and wellness uses, in particular and its ability to reduce anxiety, pain and other ailments.

Recent studies have also shown that has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, CBD limits the growth of certain pathogenic bacteria and fungi which cause fresh fruit and vegetables to rot. On this basis, scientists from Thammasat University and the Chulabhorn Research Institute in Thailand wanted to investigate whether CBD could be used as a natural solution to help preserve fresh fruit for longer.

The team combined a CBD isolate with biodegradable polymers used for drug delivery to produce nanoparticles 400 nanometers wide. These nanoparticles were then mixed with water and a food additive, sodium alginate. The researchers immersed the strawberries in the resulting solution, then in a second bath of ascorbic acid and calcium chloride, which transformed the coating into a gel.

To test the coating's preservative capabilities, the team placed treated and untreated strawberries in open plastic containers and stored them at refrigerator temperature for several weeks. Within 15 days, the CBD-treated strawberries had decomposed significantly less than those that had not been coated, retaining their color and weight for longer. Higher levels of CBD also appeared to give better results than lower levels. during testing.

Previous research in this field has also produced positive results. A 2021 study published in Postharvest Biology and Technology examined the potential of CBD oil as a treatment to be used by home consumers to reduce microbial growth and extend the shelf life of strawberries.

The study showed that’CBD oil applied directly to the fruit after harvest, helped maintain the visual appearance of strawberries above the minimum threshold of 3, compared with untreated fruit. The study also showed that CBD oil reduced the microbial load on treated strawberries compared with untreated fruit.