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
Ethylene Air
gas circulation

Temperature RH
control 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 high-
High- irregular
rapid ripening of
Optimum ripening,
- 15C - fruits, poor
difficult to keeping
Low- 18C control; quality
slow
poor (>18C )
ripening/
appearanc
possibly
e (dull
slight
grey-green)
Too low- taste
& flavor
chilling degradati
injury (< on
12C )
 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
 Ethylene(catalyst)
Green bananas in Room is closed & discharged at a
cartons are refrigerated for 12- concentration of
loaded into 16 hrs until pulp 0.1%-0.04%
ripening rooms temp reaches 15- (100-400ppm)
Fruit pulp temp: 17 C RH: 90%
14C RH: 90% Room is kept
close for 24hrs

Room is closed
At the end of this
Room is again, atmosphere is
time, room is
ventilated & controlled at a temp
ventilated to
ripe fruit of 15-17 C for 3-4
clear ethylene &
removed days
co2 gas
Extractor fans RH: 75%
may be used Fruit pulp may reach
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 Continuous slow trickle of

gas, gas into the room for 24
given at one time. 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 pressure-
ripening)
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
commontrace
colourof yellow;
more green
morethan
yellowall
than brown ; ripe
yellow-fully over ripe
after colouryellow;
of green tip- ideal fungus effected
ready for
green;bananas ready for
harvesting bananas colour for sale 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 eat-ripe&
senescence
phase

ripening
C
phase
Climacteric
Preclimacteri B
A phase
c phase
Preclimacteric
phase

Days after harvest

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