1.

Banana Ripening Process

Ripening is the process by which fruits attain their desirable flavour, quality,colour, palatable
nature and other textural properties. Ripening is associated with changein composition i.e
conversion of starch to sugar. On the basis of ripening behavior, fruitsare classified as
climacteric and non-climacteric fruits. Banana is one of the climacteric type which is defined
as fruits that enter climacteric phase after harvest they continue to ripen. During the ripening
process the fruits emit ethylene along with increased rate of respiration. Ripe fruits are soft and
delicate and generally cannot withstand rigours of transport and repeated handling. These fruits
are harvested hard and green, but fully mature and are ripened near consumption areas. Small
dose of ethylene is used to induce ripening process under controlled conditions of temperature
and humidity.

During ripening, bananas release small amounts of ethylene, volatile esters and carbon
dioxide. It is important that these gases be confined to the ripening room particularly during
the early stages of the process. The amount of gases present has a direct bearing on the rate of
ripening at a given temperature. To best control the speed of ripening, it is essential to apply
ethylene artificially.
The ripening process for bananas is typically as follows:
1) Green bananas in cartons or open crates are loaded into the ripening room (fruit pulp
temperature should not be lower than 14 C as lower temperatures can damage the fruit).
2) The room is closed and thermally controlled until the pulp temperature reaches 15- 17 oC.
This temperature is controlled and maintained by a thermostat. During summer conditions or
for direct field produce, a refrigeration system will cool the room to maintain the set
temperature and remove the heat of respiration.
3) Ethylene is supplied into the room at a concentration of around 100-400ppm (0.01 0.04%). The room is then kept closed for 24 hours. The ethylene acts as a catalyst initiating
the hormonal process of ripening.
4) At the end of this time the room is ventilated to clear the ethylene gas and the carbon
dioxide released due to increased respiration during the initial ripening phase.

5) The room temperature is controlled between 17oC to 15oC over three or four days. The
fruit pulp may reach a temperature of 32oC during this process and gases, including carbon
dioxide, are evolved in substantial quantities. Most of these gases would normally be vented
off by ripening room operators to maintain the carbon dioxide level below 1%, as carbon
dioxide levels above 7% inhibits further ripening.
6) The room is finally ventilated and the ripe fruit removed. A common way of ventilating
involves opening the doors for at least five, and usually fifteen, minutes before entry is made.
Extractor fans may also be used.
The amount of ethylene gas required for a ripening room is normally calculated on the free
air space after the bananas have been loaded (i.e. if bananas take up 35% of the room size, the
amount of ethylene required is calculated for the remaining 65% free air space.

Method of introducing ethylene gas : Ethylene generators which use a catalytic process to
produce pure ethylene gas from a solution containing mainly ethyl alcohol (ethanol) but
which may have trace quantities of other ingredients (e.g. methanol). The solution
(sometimes known as 'ripening fluid') is poured into a reservoir on the ethylene generator
where it is slowly fed to an internal heater which vaporises the ethanol which then passes to
the catalytic converter. Each litre of solution produces about 0.33-0.4 m3 of ethylene gas.
During the process of ripening, banana would change it colour, texture , and smell which is
indicates the change of their characeristic. Palmer (1971) said that the maturity indicator of
banana is the change of peel colour, from green then turn into yellow and begin to increase
the amount ethylene gas. The main changes is a change in water content , respiration rate ,
acidity , carbohydrates content, pectin content , protopectin content, and tannin content .
Further explanation as follows :
a. The changes of flesh and peel condition
The ripening process of banana is signed with the soft flesh of the fruit . It is caused by an
overhaul protopectin which is insoluble by becoming soluble pectin. This kind of substance
are derivative of poligalacturonate acid and contained in protopectin , pectin , pectinate acid
and other concentrated acid ( Kerteaz , 1951) . When fruit becomes ripe , the content
ofsoluble pectat and pectinate is gradually increased , while the pectant content is entirely

decreased . These trends are also found in bananas ( Von Loeseoke , 1950) ,the changes of
pectin content reduced the hardness of the fruit , so the fruit will be soft eventually.
b. The changes of peels colour
The first colour changes that happened is the loss of green colour. Apparently the green
colour turns into yellow as time goes by. Yellowing bananas occurs due to the loss of
chlorophyl without or just little formation of pure carotenoid subtance.
reported that the chlorophylase enzyme is

Some scientist

responsible for the decomposition of the

chlorophyl. The hydrolytic chlorophylase action could breakdown chlorophyl into part of
phytol chlorophyl and porphyrin core . Especially,when chlorophyl is under acidic conditions
may also form Mg+ ion that existed at the center of porfirine functional group and turned
into feofitin , then the peels colour changes

gradually. Further information about this

condition would be explain on the next part.

3. The changes of Aroma
Ripening process usually increase the amount of simple sugars that gives a sweet taste (due to
starch is converted into simple sugar), decreased organic acids and phenolic compounds that
reduce sour taste , and the increase of atsiri substances gives a distincitve flavor to banana .
The changes of fatty acids during ripening process has been investigated by Ueda et al in
1970. The results showed that the fruit contains acetic acid, propyonate , isobutyrate , and
isovalerate either in the form of free or bound. The acidic content of isobutyrate , butyric
and free isovalerate increasing rapidly and the increase in time coincided with the onset of
fruit aroma

1.1. Physical Appearance of Banana during Ripening

Bananas may be divided into seven different degrees of ripeness in accordance with their
external color:

Figure 1. Banana ripening Process

Source :http://www.slideshare.net/pxkohli/ripening-procedure?qid=91bf066f-eaa2-4db09adc-9337654cdc19&v=&b=&from_search=4

Degree of

Appereance of Peel

Ripeness
1

Green

Characteristiccs
Color at time of loading (freshly picked)

Green with faint hint Color at time of unloading amd when the maturing
of yellow

process has begun, however there is still some time

before they are ready to eat

More green than

The ripening has begun in earnest and the fruit is

yellow

now increasing its natural sugar content, the flesh is

changing from the chalky hardness of under ripe
fruit.

More yellow than

That familiar creamy texture is developing now, and

green

as the natural sugar content rises the fruit is getting

ready for eating.
Correct degree of ripeness for ordering by
wholesalers and retailers and delivery from ripening
warehouse

Yellow with green

tip

All yellow with green tip on crown.The fruit is

sweet, creamy and on the firmer side. Even though it
is delicious it still does not have its complete full
sweet flavor. Best condition for retail sale, as the
fruit can still be kept for several days

Completely yellow

Fruit appears at its best and is very tasty. When the

fruit is this ripe, the skin is very sensitive to
mechanical influences. The fruit also starting to
soften as it ages heading towards its top sugar
content

Yellow with brown

spots

Small brown spots indicate that the fruit is fully ripe.

Its aroma and flavor are at their best. The sugar
content is now at its peak, the flesh is perfect and has
softened for easy mashing and blending

Ripening indicator that commonly used is Iodine.Iodine can be used to determine whether the
fruit is ripening or rotting by showing whether starch in the fruit has turned into sugar. For
example, a drop of iodine on a slightly rotten part (not skin) of a banana will turn a dark-blue
or black color, since starch is present. If it stays yellow, then most of the starch had converted
to sugar

1.2. Chemical Changes in Banana during Ripening

(i) Carbohydrate
Sugar is a major carbohydrate in mature unripe banana. During ripening, the starch is
hydrolysed, only 1-2% remaining in a fully ripe fruit. Sugar normally 1-2% in the pulp of
green fruits, increases to 15-20% in ripe pulp. Sucrose, Glucose and fructose are major
sugars in banana pulp. These sugars increases during ripening, maintaining a constant
proportion of 66% sucrose, 14% fructose and 20% glucose.Insoluble protopectin decreases
from 0.5 to 0.3% and soluble pectin a corresponding increase during ripening. Cellulose
decreases slightly during ripening. The hemicellulose makes up 8-10% of fresh banana pulp
in green fruit, decreasing to about 1% in the ripe fruit.

Tablel 1. Carbohydrate content of banana pulp at different stages of ripeness

Source : http://www.slideshare.net/MinPiyusha/13-fet1012-banana

(ii) Phenolic Compounds

Dopamine was reported to occur in high concentration (700 g/g fresh weight) in bananas
peel and to be present in pulp (8 g/g fresh weight). It is the primary substrate in enzymatic
browning. It is further confirmed that Dopamine is the only major phenolic constituent in
banana peel.Loss of astringency during ripening of banana results from increased
polymerization of the tannins.

(iii) Flavor Constituents

Several volatile compounds have been isolated and identified in banana. A banana like
flavour was assigned to the amyl and isoamyl esters of acetic, propionic and butyric acids
whereas alcohols and carbonyls gave odours described as green, woody or musty.
Ripe banana aroma was due to a mixture of some 20 saturated acetates, propionates and
butyrates together with n-hexane.
(iv) Organic Acids
Malic acid has been identified as the main acid in banana with substantial quantities of oxalic
and citric acid in the pulp. The malic acid increases substantially upon ripening, whereas the
oxalic acid is metabolized and decreased.The enzymatic decarboxylation of oxalate may
account for the disappearance of astringent taste during ripening.
(v) Pigments
The change in colour of fruit from green to yellow is the most obvious change during
ripening.The green banana peel contains about 50-100 g/g fresh weight of chlorophyll, 5-7
g/g fresh weight of xanthophyll and 1.5-3.5 g/g fresh weight of carotene. During ripening,
chlorophyll is lost and total yellow pigment remains approximately constant. Chlorophyllase
activity in banana peels increases sharply at the onset of the climacteric rises to a peak which
coincides with the climacteric peak and then falls to near zero in the post climacteric period.
(vi) Enzymes
Banana fruits contain several hydrolytic and oxidative enzymes. The relative activities of
alpha-amylase, starch phosphorylase, acid phosphatase, peroxidase and catalase increased
considerably in three cultivars of banana fruits stored for 5 weeks at 20 0 C. A rise in the
activities of all the enzymes, having a maximum about 1.2-19.1 times their initial level, was
observed during ripening at 200C.

1.3. Factors Involved during Ripening process

1.3.1. Biologocal Factors
(i) Respiration
The process of respiration involves combining O2 in the air with organic molecules in the
tissue to form CO2 and Water. Bananas, having higher rates of respiration tend to have
shorter storage life than those with lower rates of respiration.Once the respiration ends,
senescence of the banana fruit starts thereby contaminating it with microorganisms and
decaying of the fruit. Banana has moderate rate of respiration of around 10-20 mg CO2 kg^-1
h^-1 at 5C.

Graph1. Respiration rate activity

Source : http://www.slideshare.net/MinPiyusha/13-

(ii) Ethylene Production

Ethylene (C2H4) is a gaseous plant hormone which determines the time between harvest and
senescence. Ethylene shortens the preclimacteric period; at high concentrations, ethylene
causes rapid initiation of the climacteric respiratory response and accelerates ripening.
During ripening, banana produces larger amounts of ethylene than nonclimacteric fruits.
When ethylene is applied to bananas, at a concentration as low as 0.1-1.0 ml/l, for 1 day,
ripening starts. Once ripening starts, bananas ripen within 1-2 days.

When nonclimacteric fruits are exposed to ethylene, fruits show an increased rate of
respiration. However, respiration rate falls when ethylene is removed. A rise in respiration
rate may occur more than once in nonclimacteric fruits. However, for bananas, the
climacteric is autocatalytic, that is, once started, the process cannot be stopped until the fruit
is ripe.
Poor storage methods allow a build up of ethylene, stimulate the climacteric response, and
increase the ripening period.For example, plastic sheets placed over stacks of fruit for shade
increase the level of ethylene within the plantain stack and increase the rate of ripening.
Therefore, store plantain in thatched or ventilated areas to prevent the build up of ethylene.
Also, do not store unripe fruits with ripe fruits. During the preclimacteric period, fruits are
less susceptible to physical damage and pathological attack. This is the best time for
handling, transportation, and marketing.

(iii) Transpiration and Relative humidity

Where banana fruit is sold on a weight basis, loss of water means economic loss.
Additionally, water loss reduces visual quality. Water loss causes plantain to lose its firmness,
the peel becomes soft and shriveled, and ripening period reduces. For a 2% change from 2%
to 4% weight loss per day, ripening period reduced by 9 days or 50%. However, for the same
2% change from 8% to 10% per day, only a 1 day or 5% reduction in the ripening period
occurred. Therefore, at a high rate of weight loss, a small increase in weight loss has a critical
effect on ripening.
The rate of water loss depends on the ambient relative humidity (RH). RH is the amount of
water vapor present in the air, relative to the maximum amount of water vapor that can be
held
in the air, at a given temperature, saturated air being 100% RH. When banana is placed in an
enclosed space, for example, a sealed container, the water content of the air within the
container increases or decreases until it is in equilibrium with the fruit.The water equilibrium
principle applies when fruit is stored. The rate of water loss depends on the ambient RH. At
an ambient RH of 95-100%, fruit loses little or no moisture, and ripening period is

unaffected. However, as humidity decreases, the rate of water loss increases, and ripening
period reduces.

(iv) Physiological and Physical Disorders

Chilling injury: Symptoms include surface discoloration, dull or smokey
color, subepidermal tissues reveal dark-brown streaks, failure to ripen, and, in severe
cases, flesh browning. Chilling injury results from exposing bananas to temperatures
below 13C (56F) for a few hours to a few days, depending on cultivar, maturity, and
temperature. For example, moderate chilling injury will result from exposing maturegreen bananas to one hour at 10C (50F), 5 hours at 11.7C (53F), 24 hours at
12.2C (54F), or 72 hours at 12.8C (55F). Chilled fruits are more sensitive to
mechanical injury.
Skin abrasions: Abrasions result from skin scuffing against other fruits or surfaces of
handling equipment or shipping boxes. When exposed to low (<90%) relative
humidity conditions, water loss from scuffed areas is accelerated and their color turns
brown to black.
Impact bruising: Dropping of bananas may induce browning of the flesh without
damage to the skin.
(v)Pathological Disorders
Crown rot: This disease is caused by one or more of the following
fungi: Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum musae,
Deightoniella torulosa, and Fusarium roseum--which attack the cut surface of the
hands. From the rotting hand tissue the fungi grow into the finger neck and with time,
down into the fruit.
Anthracnose: Caused by Colletrichum musae, becomes evident as the bananas ripen,
especially in wounds and skin splits.

 Stem-end rot: Caused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae and/or Thielaviopsis paradoxa,

which enter through the cut stem or hand. The invaded flesh becomes soft and watersoaked.
Cigar-end rot: Caused by Verticillium theobromae and/or Trachysphaera fructigena.
The rotted portion of the banana finger is dry and tends to adhere to fruits (appears
similar to the ash of a cigar).

1.3.2. Environmental Factors

(i) Temperature
Physiological studies on bananas show that storage life decreases as external temperature
increases over the range 15-35C. A 1C reduction increases storage period by 1-2
days.However, at temperatures below 11C, fruits suffer chilling injury. Therefore, optimum
storage temperature for plantain and banana fruits is 13-14C. This temperature will maintain
fully mature, ripe and unripe fruits for 1-2 weeks. Storage period can extend to 4 weeks when
plantain and banana are harvested up to 4 weeks before full maturity.
The relationship between ripening period and temperature is due to fruit respiration. Fruit
respiration depends on many enzymatic reactions, and the rate of these reactions increases
exponentially with increase in temperature. Studies show that ripe fruits respire at
approximately 4 times the rate of unripe fruits. Consequently, ripe fruits lose sugar resources
at a higher rate than unripe fruits. This explains why ripe fruits deteriorate quickly.
(ii) Air Composition
The atmospheric gases present can be desirable and undesirable. More CO2, lesser O2 is not
good and very high concentrations of O2 ripens the banana rapidly.
(iii) Relative Humidity
RH governs the water losses occurring in the fruit. More the water loss, lesser is the ripening
period.
(iv) Ethylene
At high concentration of Ethylene, it causes rapid initiation of the climacteric respiratory
response and accelerates ripening. Its effect on harvested fruit desirable (degreening &
ripening) or undesirable (abbreviated storage, softening).

2. Banana Storage
2.1.Common Home-scale Methods for Storing Banana
Select green firm fruit without dark spots or abrasions on the peel.
Avoid bananas that have a gray tint and look dull in color.
Never store bananas in plastic bags, which hold too much moisture and could cause

the fruit to rot.

Store green bananas at room temperature.
Put green bananas into a brown paper bag to speed up the ripening process.
Add an apple or a tomato to the bag to ripen the bananas in less than 1 day.
Another way to speed up the ripening process is to place the bananas near other ripe

fruit in a bowl, such as other ripe bananas.

Leave yellow-green ripening bananas exposed to air at room temperature for a few
days.
Hang the bananas on a banana tree. Banana trees and hangers allow air to circulate
and avoid"resting bruises" on the fruit.
Keep ripe bananas at room temperature if it is to be consumed within a few days. Eat
or
refrigerate the bananas as spots develop on the skin and before they are overripe.
Keep sliced bananas fresh. Cover the slices in a bit of lemon juice, pineapple juice, or
vinegar,all of which will keep it fresher for longer.

2.2.How to Storing Ripe Banana ?

Pull the bananas apart from the bunch. If bananas are already pretty ripe, then keep
them fresh and yellow for longer by pulling each banana away from the bunch. This
will keep each banana fresher for longer.

 Store the ripe bananas with unripe fruit. Take an unripe pear or avocado and place it
near the bananas, and it will slow down the ripening process of the bananas, while
ripening faster itself.

Figure 2. Combination of fresh fruits

Source : http://www.slideshare.net/MinPiyusha/13-

Wrap the stems of the bananas in plastic wrap. This will prevent ethylene gas, which
is produced naturally during the ripening process, from reaching other parts of the
fruit and making it ripen too fast. Place some tape over the plastic wrap for some extra
security. Rewrap it carefully every time after removing a banana from the bunch,.
Alternately, separate the bananas from the bunch and then wrap the step of each one
individually.

Figure 3. Banana stem wrap with plasticog

Source : https://www.google.co.id/?gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=r0bHVuarOIagugSv26aoBg

Put the bananas in the produce drawer of your refrigerator after they are fully ripe.
Refrigeration slows the ripening process considerably, but does not stop it. The peel
willcontinue to turn brown, but the fruit will stay fresh and firm for 1 to 2 weeks.

Accordingly,storing ripe bananas in the refrigerator will preserve their delicious taste
for longer, eventhough their peels may turn black,such as :

Figure 4. Appreance of rippen banana

Source : https://www.google.co.id/?gws_rd=cr,ssl&ei=r0bHVuarOIagugSvdd26aoBg

Store bananas in the freezer for several months. Peel bananas and cut them into
chunks ormash them before freezing. Portion the banana into the amounts you need to
make a recipe. Put portioned bananas into zipper freezer bags or plastic containers and
store them in the freezer.

2.3.Banana Container
(i) Banana Bunker
The Banana Bunker is a flexible, plastic device specifically designed to protect bananas from
a messy, squishy fate.It also had design features open ends and a flexible and detachable midsection. These allow you to adjust the bunker to fit nearly any size and shape of banana. But
this type of container is just able to protect banana from physical contact, it only able to store
single banana and also disable to keep banana fresh longer.

Figure 5. Banana bunker

Source : http://bananabunker.com/

(ii) Banana Guard

The Banana Guard is quite same as the banana bunker but it doesnt had a flexibe feature.
According to their website, this device fits over 90% of commercially available bananas.
Because,highly curved bananas can be straightened slightly to fit into upper curve and very
straight bananas can be bent ever so slightly to fit into the mold. But this type of container is
just able to protect banana from physical contact, its only able to store single banana and also
disable to keep banana fresh longer.

Figure 6. Banana guard

Source : http://bananaguard.com/

DAFTPUS
http://www.bananaguard.com/

http://bananabunker.com/
https://pitt.spoonuniversity.com/how-to/5-genius-ways-to-quickly-ripen-bananas/
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https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/bananas/harvesting-packing-and-storing-bananas-oria
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