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CONTROLLED FRUIT

RIPENING WITH EMPHASIS


ON BANANA RIPENING
ANUSHA BABOOA

What is Fruit Ripening?


A process where the fruits become edible. They become sweeter, less
green & soft.
One of the most accepted definitions describe the fruit
ripening as a physiological process involving the induction/
acceleration of a variety of metabolic processes most or
all enzymatically regulated and catalyzed.
Starch
Sugar

Depending on their ripening behaviour, fruits are classified into:

CLIMACTERIC FRUITS
NON-CLIMACTERIC FRUITS

CLIMACTERIC FRUITS
They enter climacteric phase after
harvest, that is they continue to
ripen although off tree.
Most ripened climacteric fruits are
too soft and delicate to withstand
transportation & handling.
The ripening process is
considered irreversible in
climacteric fruits

Some examples of climacteric


fruits

Banana
Plum
Mango
Fig
Passion fruit
Papaya
Guava
Pear

Climacteric fruits

NON-CLIMACTERIC FRUITS
Once harvested, these fruits do not
ripen further.
In order to attain full ripeness and
flavor, these fruits are often
harvested once they have fully
ripened.
Thus have a short shelf life if
harvested when they are ripe

Some examples
Oranges
Cherry
Grapes
Strawberry

WHY CONTROLLED FRUIT RIPENING IS


BEING FAVOURED NOWADAYS ?
Assures good shelf life.

Assures good shelf life.

Provides excellent fruit appearance.

Provides excellent fruit appearance.


Provides optimum eating quality.

Provides optimum eating quality.


Fruit is available when and where
required.

Fruit is available when and where required.

THE 4 MAJOR FACTORS OF


COMMERCIAL RIPENING
4 major
factors
Adequate
Air
circulation

Ethylene
gas

Temperature
control

RH
control

1. ETHYLENE GAS
Colorless gas, slightly sweet
Odor & soluble in water.
Normally produced during banana
ripening.
Governs senescence & ripening
processes.
1 ppm is sufficient for ripening but
1000 ppm is frequently used.

concentration of ethylene gas higher


than 2.7% (27,000 ppm) ) can be
explosive.

2. TEMPERATURE CONTROL (PULP TC)


Inadequate TC

control can decrease


the shelf life of
bananas (good for 4
days only at TC >
23).
Actual temperature
used depends on
when you want the
fruit ready.

Too lowchilling
injury (<
12C )

Lowslow
ripening/
possibly
slight
taste
degradati
on

Optimum
- 15C 18C

Highrapid
ripening,
difficult to
control;
poor
appearanc
e (dull
grey-green)
& flavor

Too highirregular
ripening of
fruits, poor
keeping
quality
(>18C )

3. RELATIVE HUMIDITY (RH) CONTROL


Deficiency:
skin color, freshness may be
affected and may cause splitting,
weak necks, breaking, weight
loss and may cause existing
blemishes to become enhanced.
Begin ripening:
90% RH (use automatic
humidifiers with humistats
control)
Color break:
Reduce RH to 75%

4. ADEQUATE AIR CIRCULATION


Assures uniformity of ripening
and prevents buildup of CO2.
Air circulation fans operate
continuously while ripening
fruit.
Air circulation fans

Fruit boxes are stacked to allow


air circulation.
Boxes

Many stacking patterns

are available, but a 4-inch


air channel is ideal.
Rule of thumb
The discharge from the
centrifugal blower in cubic
feet per minute should
equal the cubic capacity of
the ripening room.

centrifugal blower

RIPENING PROCEDURE
taking BANANA as an
example

Green bananas in
cartons are
loaded into
ripening rooms
Fruit pulp temp:
14C

Room is closed &


refrigerated for 1216 hrs until pulp
temp reaches 1517 C
RH: 90%

Ethylene(catalyst)
discharged at a
concentration of
0.1%-0.04%
(100-400ppm)
RH: 90%
Room is kept
close for 24hrs

Room is closed
At the end of this
again, atmosphere is
Room is
time, room is
controlled at a temp
ventilated &
ventilated to
of 15-17 C for 3-4
ripe fruit
clear ethylene &
days
removed
co2 gas
RH: 75%
Extractor fans
Fruit pulp may reach
may be used
a temp of 32 C
during this process
Amount of ethylene gas required for ripening room is
normally calculated on the free air space after the
bananas have been loaded (i.e., if bananas take up to
35% of the room size, calculate the amount of ethylene
required for remaining 65% free air space)

Ethylene gas from


compressed gas
cylinders:2 methods

Single shot of
gas,
given at one time.

Continuous slow trickle of


gas into the room for 24
hrs.

A method to monitor ethylene concentration should


be available.

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BANANA


RIPENING ROOMS.
Insulation.
Refrigeration.
Heat.
Air tight.
Controllable vents for
ventilation.
Humidifiers.
Sanitary.

Humidifiers.

Simple banana ripening


room
Plywood walls and roof ;insulated
Compressor (air conditioner) on top
Cement floor
Temperature, ventilation and humidity
controls
Note: it is best to have at least three :
ripening rooms, instead of just one.
It is also possible to convert existing
rooms or structures into banana
ripening rooms, depending on scale.

Ripening systems
Primitive
Traditional
(standard cold rooms
with openly stacking of
boxes)
Modern
( so-called pressureripening)

METHODS OF INTRODUCING
ETHYLENE GAS

Ripening indicator
Iodine (I) 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.

Alternate ripening method


Calcium carbide
chemical used for the production of
acetylene gas during gas welding.
Ethrel (brand name)
phosphonic acid that produces ethylene gas
and is known to trigger the process of fruit
ripening.
Ethepthon (2-chloroethylphosphonic acid)
a plant growth regulator known to penetrate
into the fruit and decompose to ethylene.

These ripening agents have been banned in many countries due to


their harmful effects. The most effective and widely used ripening
agent nowadays is ethylene

Banana colour chart

light green/
evenly green;
yellow-flecked with
of yellow;
commontrace
colour
brown ; ripe
over ripe
more green
than
more
yellowall
than
yellow-fully
green tip- ideal fungus effected
of
after colouryellow;
ready for
green;bananas ready for
colour
for sale
bananas
harvesting
banana
wholesale
supply
recommended
for
consumption
treated by gas
retail outlets

A RIPENING SCHEDULE FOR BANANAS

Ripening time is from hard green to Color Stage 4


( Green-yellow with dark green tips)

Bananas are ripened to color stage 3 or 4 depending on mode of


retailing for dispatch to market.
Depending on cultivar and market requirements, ripening cycle
maybe spread from 4 to 8 days.

CONCLUSION
D

C
B
Preclimacteri
A
c phase
Preclimacteric

ripening
phase
Climacteric
phase

phase

Days after harvest

eat-ripe&
senescence
phase

REFERENCE
Controlled Ripening of Some Fruits,FoodRecap
Ripening - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Banana ripening, ISOPAN INSULATION PVT LTD/PDF
AIC ripening protocol/PDF
Fruit ripening by Prof S.N. Naik 2T Delhi/PDF
Ripening bunch management, Dr Scot Nelso, plant
pathologist, University of hawaii/ PDF
The ripening of bananas, Interko B.V/PDF

Thank you for your kind


attention

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