Ripening of Ethylene-pretreated Bananas Is Retarded Using Modified Atmosphere and Vacuum Packaging

Abstract

Bananas have a short shelf life after ethylene treatment and there is a high commercial demand to increase the storage life of individual clusters at the retail stage. To extend the shelf life of ethylene-pretreated banana, two different forms of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were used. In the first, individual clusters of ethylene-pretreated bananas were stored in a range of microperforated polyethylene (PE) bags (25 μm) creating various MAPs. Storage in PE bags with low microperforation (PE8) that created an atmosphere with 11% CO2 and 12% O2 was the most effective treatment for delaying banana ripening. The banana clusters kept firmer with nice peel color after 1 week at 20 °C, but the humidity inside the bags caused some decay development on the crown cut. In the second type of MAP individual clusters of ethylene-pretreated bananas were stored in air-evacuated PE bags (80 μm) under light vacuum (550 mm Hg) for short periods of 24 to 48 hours followed by storage in the same PE bags after releasing the vacuum. Storing bananas in air-evacuated bags for 24 to 48 hours reduced O2 levels to 1% and increased the production of CO2 up to 30%, but perforating the bags dramatically reduced the CO2 level to around 9% and increased the O2 level to 12%. Storing ethylene-pretreated banana clusters under vacuum for a limited time (24 to 48 hours), did not cause any damage, although the levels of acetaldehyde (AA) and ethanol increased dramatically. The AA and ethanol levels of 150 and 300 μL·L–1, respectively, that accumulated in the PE bags did not cause any off-flavors; on the contrary, the taste panelists preferred these bananas. Adding ethylene absorbents (EAs) to the air-evacuated PE bags reduced the ethylene levels as well as the AA and ethanol levels in the bags, which indicate that EAs also absorbed the AA and ethanol volatiles. Storing ethylene-pretreated banana clusters under vacuum for 24 to 48 hours was the most effective treatment for delaying ripening and senescence in yellow bananas (stage 3 to 4).