Banana - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 135

2009). After 24 hours of exposure to ethylene gas (500-
1000 ppm azethyl solution), the room is ventilated to hasten
the ripening process. Low-temperature storage conditions
will induce chilling injury detrimental to fruit quality and
lead to consumer rejection. High storing conditions may
induce heterogeneous ripening of bunches and undesirable
crown rot development (Lassoudiere, 2007). Since ethy-
lene helps to initiate ripening, it is now common to use
storage rooms equipped with ethylene generators for con-
trolling the commercial banana ripening process. Banana is
the fruit that makes the most use of controlled temperature
during shipping, with about 36% of the total demand for
refrigerated shipping, mostly using reefers.
To control banana ripening, stakeholder storage prac-
tices generally involve harvesting the fruits at fully matured
stage or hanging the brunches in shaded and cool place,
which favors flavor development 7-14 days after the harvest
(Arvanitoyannis and Mavromatis, 2009). After storing and
natural ripening, bananas are then shipped to local market
at their optimal ripening stage or at full mature green stage,
depending on variety and final use.

being stored under low relative humidity will favor ethy-
lene production and respiration prior to climacteric stage.
Fungicidal coating process using polyvinylidene chloride
with surfactant or organic acids favors partial anaerobic
conditions with acetaldehyde metabolite production, which
induces astringency removal in banana.
The use of irradiation at low dose was shown to affect
the ripening process positively through retardation of color
change, fruit softening, and microbial load reduction. The
sensory evaluation showed that the irradiated bananas had
better flavor than the control (Ferguson et al., 1996).

FRESH-CUT OR MINIMALLY
PROCESSED BANANA
Minimally processed fruits and vegetables are ready-to-eat,
raw fruits and vegetables that have been peeled, sliced,
chopped, or shredded prior to being packaged for sale
(Varoquaux, 1993). A wide assortment of minimally pro-
cessed vegetables and fruits has been developed to meet
needs of the consumers for “quick” and convenient prod-
ucts and to take benefits from the health image of fruits
and vegetables. In Western Europe, minimally processed
vegetables account for an increasing part of the total fresh
product market, with an estimated growth of 10-25% per
annum since 1990. Consumer investigations related to con-
sumer perception or purchasing motives toward minimally
processed vegetables and packaged fruits are rather scarce
(Cardoso et al., 2010). Very few studies exist on the effects
of minimal processing on their nutritional properties and
antioxidant potential; the latter is related to bioactive com-
pounds such as vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and phenolic
compounds, which are strongly associated with the pre-
vention of certain chronic-degenerative diseases (Robles-
Sanchez et al., 2007).
Banana fruit in the fresh-cut form has not been researched
and developed to a scale similar to that of melons or some
other fruits marketed in this form. Most applications of
fresh-cut bananas are in the food service sector, mostly in
selected fruit salads or as a garnish on desserts.

Shelf life extension and quality
Most of these chemical treatments for modified atmo-
spheres (MA) storage are tested without considering the
maturity stage of fruit, which could affect the ripening
process (banana ethylene sensitivity rising with maturity).
Some alternatives such as controlling storage environmen-
tal conditions, fungicidal coating, and irradiation affect the
banana quality attributes as well as fruit green life.
These postharvest practices and treatments were re-
viewed with emphasis on the positive or negative end effects
on banana physicochemical properties and overall quality
(Mohapatra et al., 2010b). Modified/controlled atmospheric
storage or active packaging can negatively affect the peel
skin browning, banana aroma or promote peel spotting,
using nitrogen during post-ripening storage or using high
oxygen concentrations in packaging. Modified atmospheric
packaging (MAP) using silicon membrane or a combination
of carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen at 3-8%, 2-5%,
and 87-95%, respectively, is claimed to be suitable without
major modification of banana appearance, color, or texture,
while improving its shelf life.
While low-temperature storage is one of the most impor-
tant criteria controlling the respiration rate, it also induces
chilling injury leading to brown peel spots. At a ripen-
ing temperature of 20 ◦ C using ethylene, a better flavor
was claimed with less astringency and sweetness (Mohap-
atra et al., 2010b). High relative humidity (95%) prevents
browning spots but induces fingers dropping off; banana

Physiology of banana tissue
The minimally processed fruits are living products whose
metabolic activity is being continuously disturbed by pro-
cessing. One demonstration of this activity is the respi-
ration rate, which results in an O 2 uptake CO 2 production
and release. With semi-permeable packaging, gaseous outer
exchange is established, but the composition of the atmo-
sphere remains different from that of the air. It is advisable
to choose a film allowing an optimization of the modified
atmosphere according to the physiological characteristics