banana ripening process

8/20/2019 Banana Ripening Process

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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. !uring 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. "hese fruits

are harvested hard and green, but fully mature and are ripened near consumption areas. #malldose of ethylene is used to induce ripening process under controlled conditions of temperature

and humidity.

!uring ripening, bananas release small amounts of ethylene, volatile esters and carbon

dioxide. $t is important that these gases be confined to the ripening room particularly during

the early stages of the process. "he amount of gases present has a direct bearing on the rate of

ripening at a given temperature. "o best control the speed of ripening, it is essential to apply

ethylene artificially.

"he ripening process for bananas is typically as follows%

&' (reen bananas in cartons or open crates are loaded into the ripening room )fruit pulp

temperature should not be lower than &* + as lower temperatures can damage the fruit'.

' "he room is closed and thermally controlled until the pulp temperature reaches &- &/ o.

"his temperature is controlled and maintained by a thermostat. !uring 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.

0' 1thylene is supplied into the room at a concentration of around &22-*22ppm )2.2& -

2.2*3'. "he room is then 4ept closed for * hours. "he ethylene acts as a catalyst initiating

the hormonal process of ripening.

*' 5t 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.



' "he room temperature is controlled between &/o to &o over three or four days. "he

fruit pulp may reach a temperature of 0o during this process and gases, including carbon

dioxide, are evolved in substantial quantities. 6ost of these gases would normally be vented

off by ripening room operators to maintain the carbon dioxide level below &3, as carbon

dioxide levels above /3 inhibits further ripening.

7' "he room is finally ventilated and the ripe fruit removed. 5 common way of ventilating

involves opening the doors for at least five, and usually fifteen, minutes before entry is made.

1xtractor fans may also be used.

"he 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 ta4e up 03 of the room si8e, the

amount of ethylene required is calculated for the remaining 73 free air space.

6ethod of introducing ethylene gas % 1thylene 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'. "he solution

)sometimes 4nown as 9ripening fluid9' 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 tothe catalytic converter. 1ach litre of solution produces about 2.00-2.* m0 of ethylene gas.

!uring the process of ripening, banana would change it colour, texture , and smell which is

indicates the change of their characeristic. :almer )&;/&' 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. "he main changes is a change in water content , respiration rate ,

acidity , carbohydrates content, pectin content , protopectin content, and tannin content .

<urther explanation as follows %

a. The changes of flesh and peel condition

"he ripening process of banana is signed with the soft flesh of the fruit . $t is caused by an

overhaul protopectin which is insoluble by becoming soluble pectin. "his 4ind of substance

are derivative of poligalacturonate acid and contained in protopectin , pectin , pectinate acid

and other concentrated acid ) =ertea8 , &;&' . >hen fruit becomes ripe , the content

ofsoluble pectat and pectinate is gradually increased , while the pectant content is entirely



decreased . "hese trends are also found in bananas ) ?on @oeseo4e , &;2' ,the changes of

pectin content reduced the hardness of the fruit , so the fruit will be soft eventually.

b. The changes of peels colour

"he first colour changes that happened is the loss of green colour. 5pparently the green

colour turns into yellow as time goes by. Aellowing bananas occurs due to the loss of

chlorophyl without or ust little formation of pure carotenoid subtance. #ome scientist

reported that the chlorophylase en8yme is responsible for the decomposition of the

chlorophyl. "he hydrolytic chlorophylase action could brea4down chlorophyl into part of

phytol chlorophyl and porphyrin core . 1specially,when chlorophyl is under acidic conditions

may also form 6gC ion that existed at the center of porfirine functional group and turned

into feofitin , then the peels colour changes gradually. <urther 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 .

"he changes of fatty acids during ripening process has been investigated by Deda et al in&;/2. "he results showed that the fruit contains acetic acid, propyonate , isobutyrate , and

isovalerate either in the form of free or bound. "he 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%

Degree of

Ripeness

Appereance of Peel Characteristiccs

1 (reen olor at time of loading )freshly pic4ed'

2 (reen with faint hint

of yellow

olor at time of unloading amd when the maturing

process has begun, however there is still some time before they are ready to eat

4

5 76

32

1

1

Figure 1. Banana ripening Process

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3 6ore green than

yellow

"he ripening has begun in earnest and the fruit is

now increasing its natural sugar content, the flesh is

changing from the chal4y hardness of under ripe

fruit.

4 6ore yellow than

green

"hat familiar creamy texture is developing now, and

as the natural sugar content rises the fruit is getting

ready for eating.

orrect degree of ripeness for ordering by

wholesalers and retailers and delivery from ripening

warehouse

5 Aellow with green

tip

5ll yellow with green tip on crown."he fruit is

sweet, creamy and on the firmer side. 1ven 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 4ept for several days

ompletely yellow <ruit appears at its best and is very tasty. >hen the

fruit is this ripe, the s4in is very sensitive to

mechanical influences. "he fruit also starting to

soften as it ages heading towards its top sugar

content

/ Aellow with brown

spots

#mall brown spots indicate that the fruit is fully ripe.

$ts aroma and flavor are at their best. "he sugar

content is now at its pea4, the flesh is perfect and has

softened for easy mashing and blending

Ripening indicator that commonly used is $odine.$odine can be used to determine whether the

fruit is ripening or rotting by showing whether starch in the fruit has turned into sugar. <or

example, a drop of iodine on a slightly rotten part )not s4in' of a banana will turn a dar4-blue

or blac4 color, since starch is present. $f it stays yellow, then most of the starch had converted

to sugar



1.2. Che!ical Changes in Banana during Ripening

"i# Carbohydrate

#ugar is a maor carbohydrate in mature unripe banana. !uring ripening, the starch is

hydrolysed, only &-3 remaining in a fully ripe fruit. #ugar normally &-3 in the pulp of

green fruits, increases to &-23 in ripe pulp. #ucrose, (lucose and fructose are maor

sugars in banana pulp. "hese sugars increases during ripening, maintaining a constant

proportion of 773 sucrose, &*3 fructose and 23 glucose.$nsoluble protopectin decreases

from 2. to 2.03 and soluble pectin a corresponding increase during ripening. ellulose

decreases slightly during ripening. "he hemicellulose ma4es up E-&23 of fresh banana pulp

in green fruit, decreasing to about &3 in the ripe fruit.

"ii# Phenolic Compounds

!opamine was reported to occur in high concentration )/22 FgGg fresh weight' in bananas

peel and to be present in pulp )E FgGg fresh weight'. $t is the primary substrate in en8ymatic

browning. $t is further confirmed that !opamine is the only maor phenolic constituent in

banana peel.@oss of astringency during ripening of banana results from increased

polymeri8ation of the tannins.

a'lel 1. ar'oh0drate content o( 'anana pulp at dierent stages o( ripeness

Source : http://www.slideshare.net/inPi0usha/13"(et1)12"'anana



"iii# Flavor Constituents

#everal volatile compounds have been isolated and identified in banana. 5 banana li4e

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 2 saturated acetates, propionates and

butyrates together with n-hexane.

"i$# Organic Acids

6alic acid has been identified as the main acid in banana with substantial quantities of oxalic

and citric acid in the pulp. "he malic acid increases substantially upon ripening, whereas the

oxalic acid is metaboli8ed and decreased."he en8ymatic decarboxylation of oxalate may

account for the disappearance of astringent taste during ripening.

"$# Pigments

"he change in colour of fruit from green to yellow is the most obvious change during

ripening."he green banana peel contains about 2-&22 FgGg fresh weight of chlorophyll, -/

FgGg fresh weight of xanthophyll and &.-0. FgGg fresh weight of carotene. !uring ripening,

chlorophyll is lost and total yellow pigment remains approximately constant. hlorophyllase

activity in banana peels increases sharply at the onset of the climacteric rises to a pea4 which

coincides with the climacteric pea4 and then falls to near 8ero in the post climacteric period.

"$i ) Enzymes

Banana fruits contain several hydrolytic and oxidative en8ymes. "he relative activities of

alpha-amylase, starch phosphorylase, acid phosphatase, peroxidase and catalase increased

considerably in three cultivars of banana fruits stored for wee4s at 2 2 . 5 rise in the

activities of all the en8ymes, having a maximum about &.-&;.& times their initial level, was

observed during ripening at 22.



1.3. %actors &n$ol$ed during Ripening process

1.3.1. Biologocal %actors

"i# espiration

"he process of respiration involves combining O in the air with organic molecules in the

tissue to form O and >ater. 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 &2-2 mg O 4gH-&

hH-& at I.

"ii# Ethylene Production

1thylene )J*' is a gaseous plant hormone which determines the time between harvest and

senescence. 1thylene shortens the preclimacteric periodK at high concentrations, ethylene

causes rapid initiation of the climacteric respiratory response and accelerates ripening.

!uring ripening, banana produces larger amounts of ethylene than nonclimacteric fruits.

>hen ethylene is applied to bananas, at a concentration as low as 2.&-&.2 mlGl, for & day,

ripening starts. Once ripening starts, bananas ripen within &- days.

raph1. espiration rate acti+it0

Source : htt ://www.slideshare.net/inPi usha/13"



>hen nonclimacteric fruits are exposed to ethylene, fruits show an increased rate of

respiration. Jowever, respiration rate falls when ethylene is removed. 5 rise in respiration

rate may occur more than once in nonclimacteric fruits. Jowever, for bananas, the

climacteric is autocatalytic, that is, once started, the process cannot be stopped until the fruit

is ripe.

:oor storage methods allow a build up of ethylene, stimulate the climacteric response, and

increase the ripening period.<or example, plastic sheets placed over stac4s of fruit for shade

increase the level of ethylene within the plantain stac4 and increase the rate of ripening.

"herefore, store plantain in thatched or ventilated areas to prevent the build up of ethylene.

5lso, do not store unripe fruits with ripe fruits. !uring the preclimacteric period, fruits are

less susceptible to physical damage and pathological attac4. "his is the best time for

handling, transportation, and mar4eting.

"iii# Transpiration and elative humidity

>here banana fruit is sold on a weight basis, loss of water means economic loss.

5dditionally, water loss reduces visual quality. >ater loss causes plantain to lose its firmness,

the peel becomes soft and shriveled, and ripening period reduces. <or a 3 change from 3

to *3 weight loss per day, ripening period reduced by ; days or 23. Jowever, for the same

3 change from E3 to &23 per day, only a & day or 3 reduction in the ripening period

occurred. "herefore, at a high rate of weight loss, a small increase in weight loss has a critical

effect on ripening.

"he rate of water loss depends on the ambient relative humidity )RJ'. RJ 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 &223 RJ. >hen 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."he water equilibrium

principle applies when fruit is stored. "he rate of water loss depends on the ambient RJ. 5t

an ambient RJ of ;-&223, fruit loses little or no moisture, and ripening period is



unaffected. Jowever, as humidity decreases, the rate of water loss increases, and ripening

period reduces.

"i$# Physiological and Physical !isorders

Chilling in"ury# #ymptoms include surface discoloration, dull or smo4ey

color, subepidermal tissues reveal dar4-brown strea4s, failure to ripen, and, in severe

cases, flesh browning. hilling inury results from exposing bananas to temperatures

below &0I )7I<' for a few hours to a few days, depending on cultivar, maturity, and

temperature. <or example, moderate chilling inury will result from exposing mature-

green bananas to one hour at &2I )2I<', hours at &&./I )0I<', * hours at

&.I )*I<', or / hours at &.EI )I<'. hilled fruits are more sensitive to

mechanical inury.

$%in abrasions# 5brasions result from s4in scuffing against other fruits or surfaces of

handling equipment or shipping boxes. >hen exposed to low )L;23' relative

humidity conditions, water loss from scuffed areas is accelerated and their color turns

brown to blac4.

&mpact bruising# !ropping of bananas may induce browning of the flesh without

damage to the s4in.

"$# Pathological !isorders

Cro'n rot# "his disease is caused by one or more of the following

fungi% Thielaviopsis paradoxa, Lasiodiplodia theobromae, Colletotrichum musae,

Deightoniella torulosa, and Fusarium roseum--which attac4 the cut surface of the

hands. <rom the rotting hand tissue the fungi grow into the finger nec4 and with time,

down into the fruit.

Anthracnose# aused by Colletrichum musae, becomes evident as the bananas ripen,

especially in wounds and s4in splits.



$tem(end rot# aused by Lasiodiplodia theobromae andGor Thielaviopsis paradoxa,

which enter through the cut stem or hand. "he invaded flesh becomes soft and water-

soa4ed.

Cigar(end rot# aused by Verticillium theobromae andGor Trachysphaera fructigena."he 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. 'n$iron!ental %actors

"i# Temperature

:hysiological studies on bananas show that storage life decreases as external temperature

increases over the range &-0+. 5 &+ reduction increases storage period by &-

days.Jowever, at temperatures below &&+, fruits suffer chilling inury. "herefore, optimum

storage temperature for plantain and banana fruits is &0-&*+. "his temperature will maintain

fully mature, ripe and unripe fruits for &- wee4s. #torage period can extend to * wee4s when

plantain and banana are harvested up to * wee4s before full maturity.

"he relationship between ripening period and temperature is due to fruit respiration. <ruit

respiration depends on many en8ymatic reactions, and the rate of these reactions increasesexponentially with increase in temperature. #tudies show that ripe fruits respire at

approximately * times the rate of unripe fruits. onsequently, ripe fruits lose sugar resources

at a higher rate than unripe fruits. "his explains why ripe fruits deteriorate quic4ly.

"ii# Air Composition

"he atmospheric gases present can be desirable and undesirable. 6ore O, lesser O is not

good and very high concentrations of O ripens the banana rapidly.

"iii# elative umidity

RJ governs the water losses occurring in the fruit. 6ore the water loss, lesser is the ripening

period.

"i$# 'thylene

5t high concentration of 1thylene, it causes rapid initiation of the climacteric respiratory

response and accelerates ripening. $ts effect on harvested fruit desirable )degreening Mripening' or undesirable )abbreviated storage, softening'.



2. Banana (torage

2.1.Co!!on )o!e*scale +ethods for (toring Banana

#elect green firm fruit without dar4 spots or abrasions on the peel.

5void bananas that have a gray tint and loo4 dull in color.

Never store bananas in plastic bags, which hold too much moisture and could cause

the fruit to rot.

#tore green bananas at room temperature.

:ut green bananas into a brown paper bag to speed up the ripening process.

5dd an apple or a tomato to the bag to ripen the bananas in less than & day.

5nother way to speed up the ripening process is to place the bananas near other ripe

fruit in a bowl, such as other ripe bananas.

@eave yellow-green ripening bananas exposed to air at room temperature for a few

days.

Jang the bananas on a banana tree. Banana trees and hangers allow air to circulate

and avoidresting bruises on the fruit.

=eep ripe bananas at room temperature if it is to be consumed within a few days. 1at

or

refrigerate the bananas as spots develop on the s4in and before they are overripe.

=eep sliced bananas fresh. over the slices in a bit of lemon uice, pineapple uice, or

vinegar,all of which will 4eep it fresher for longer.

2.2.)o, to (toring Ripe Banana -

:ull the bananas apart from the bunch. $f bananas are already pretty ripe, then 4eep

them fresh and yellow for longer by pulling each banana away from the bunch. "his

will 4eep each banana fresher for longer.



#tore the ripe bananas with unripe fruit. "a4e 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.

>rap the stems of the bananas in plastic wrap. "his will prevent ethylene gas, which

is produced naturally during the ripening process, from reaching other parts of the

fruit and ma4ing it ripen too fast. :lace some tape over the plastic wrap for some extra

security. Rewrap it carefully every time after removing a banana from the bunch,.

5lternately, separate the bananas from the bunch and then wrap the step of each one

individually.

:ut 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. "he peel

willcontinue to turn brown, but the fruit will stay fresh and firm for & to wee4s.

Figure 2. o,'ination o( (resh (ruits

Source : htt ://www.slideshare.net/inPi usha/13"

Figure 3. Banana ste, wrap with plasticog

Source : https://www.google.co.id/#gws-rd%crssl*ei%r)'uar89agugS+26aoBg



5ccordingly,storing ripe bananas in the refrigerator will preserve their delicious taste

for longer, eventhough their peels may turn blac4,such as %

#tore bananas in the free8er for several months. :eel bananas and cut them into

chun4s ormash them before free8ing. :ortion the banana into the amounts you need to

ma4e a recipe. :ut portioned bananas into 8ipper free8er bags or plastic containers and

store them in the free8er.

2.3.Banana Container

"i# Banana Buner

"he Banana Bun4er is a flexible, plastic device specifically designed to protect bananas from

a messy, squishy fate.$t also had design features open ends and a flexible and detachable mid-

section. "hese allow you to adust the bun4er to fit nearly any si8e and shape of banana. But

this type of container is ust able to protect banana from physical contact, it only able to store

single banana and also disable to 4eep banana fresh longer.

Figure 4. ppreance o( rippen 'anana

Source : https://www.google.co.id/#gws-rd%crssl*ei%r)'uar89agugS+dd26aoBg



"ii# Banana /uard

"he Banana (uard is quite same as the banana bun4er but it doesnt had a flexibe feature.

5ccording to their website, this device fits over ;23 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

ust able to protect banana from physical contact, its only able to store single banana and also

disable to 4eep banana fresh longer.

!5<":D#

http%GGwww.bananaguard.comG

Figure 5. Banana 'un!er

Source : http://'anana'un!er.co,/

Figure 6. Banana guard

Source : http://'ananaguard.co,/

http://www.bananaguard.com/

http://www.bananaguard.com/



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