Quality Assessment of Banana Ripening Stages by Combining Analytical Methods and Image Analysis

Abstract

Currently, the evaluation of fruit ripening progress in relation to physicochemical and texture-quality parameters has become an increasingly important issue, particularly when considering consumer acceptance. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was the application of rapid, nondestructive, and conventional methods to assess the quality of banana peels and flesh in terms of ripening and during storage in controlled temperatures and humidity. For this purpose, we implemented various analytical techniques, such as attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy for texture, colorimetrics, and physicochemical features, along with image-analysis methods and discriminant as well as statistical analysis. Image-analysis outcomes showed that storage provoked significant degradation of banana peels based on the increased image-texture dissimilarity and the loss of the structural order of the texture. In addition, the computed features were sufficient to discriminate four ripening stages with high accuracy. Moreover, the results revealed that storage led to significant changes in the color parameters and dramatic decreases in the texture attributes of banana flesh. The combination of image and chemical analyses pinpointed that storage caused water migration to the flesh and significant starch decomposition, which was then converted into soluble sugars. The redness and yellowness of the peel; the flesh moisture content; the texture attributes; Brix; and the storage time were all strongly interrelated. The combination of these techniques, coupled with statistical tools, to monitor the physicochemical and organoleptic quality of bananas during storage could be further applied for assessing the quality of other fruits and vegetables under similar conditions.