Extending Banana Shelf Life with Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) is an advanced technique widely adopted to extend the shelf life of bananas by manipulating the atmospheric conditions surrounding the fruit. This method involves adjusting the gas composition within the packaging—specifically, reducing oxygen levels while increasing carbon dioxide levels. This controlled environment slows down the ripening process and mitigates spoilage, making it a crucial tool in the post-harvest management of bananas.

Bananas are highly perishable due to their climacteric nature, characterized by a rapid increase in respiration and ethylene production during ripening. This natural process leads to quick deterioration, posing a challenge for long-distance transportation and storage. By implementing MAP, the respiration rate of bananas can be effectively controlled, delaying the climacteric peak. This postponement is achieved by creating an optimal gas composition within the packaging, typically around 2-5% oxygen and 2-5% carbon dioxide.

The choice of packaging materials is integral to the success of MAP. Polyethylene (PE) films are commonly used due to their appropriate permeability to gases, which is essential for maintaining the desired atmospheric conditions. These films facilitate a slow exchange of gases, ensuring the modified atmosphere remains stable. Furthermore, the incorporation of ethylene absorbents within the packaging can enhance the efficacy of MAP by removing ethylene—a hormone that accelerates the ripening process.

Recent research underscores the effectiveness of MAP in prolonging the shelf life of bananas. For example, studies have demonstrated that bananas stored in MAP at 14°C can have their shelf life extended by up to 30 days. This extension not only benefits the supply chain by reducing losses but also ensures that consumers receive fresher fruit. The potential to prolong shelf life is especially crucial given the global nature of banana trade, where long transit times are common.

Overall, Modified Atmosphere Packaging stands as a valuable innovation in the banana industry, contributing significantly to maintaining fruit quality, reducing waste, and improving the efficiency of supply chains. As the demand for fresh produce grows, the importance of MAP in sustaining the quality of bananas from farm to table will only continue to rise.
Extending Banana Shelf Life with Modified Atmosphere Packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging

Modified atmosphere packaging is for long distance transport of bananas, a system was developed and patented by the United Fruit Company.

In modified atmosphere packaging is to provide a low oxygen atmosphere in individual boxes of bananas to prevent ripening during transit.

It involves the sealing of commodities in plastic films so that the composition of gases of respiration and transpiration in and around the banana is altered.

Modified atmosphere packaging works by slowing down the deterioration of the banana or minimally processed fruits.

The storage life of banana can be increased five times when they are stored in plastic film where the gas content stabilized at about 2% O2 and 5% CO2 with an ethylene absorber compared with fruit sites without wraps.

There are plastics that have different behaviors to protect and preserve products in storage and distribution. They provide different diffusion action of gases, vapors and other low molecular weight
ecies through the materials.

There are special applications such as packaging bananas where an ethylene gas remain in a package is used to artificially ripen the bananas.

The amount of gas required to initiate bananas to ripen depends on their stage of maturity at harvest, the pulp temperature of the fruit and the time of exposure of the fruit to the gas.

Generally, very low concentration of ethylene are sufficient to mature fruit at 14-19 degree Celsius. These are in the range of 1 – 10 ppm.
 Modified atmosphere packaging