The Extension of Banana Shelf Life Using Hot Water Treatment

Abstract

Banana fruit was relatively susceptible to post harvest deteriorations mainly because it was a highly perishable commodity. Hot water treatment (HWT) had been proven effective in terms of extending commodities' shelf life without causing significant adverse effects towards the quality attributes of treated commodities. Fingers of banana samples were immersed in water baths at different possible combinations of three water temperatures (30, 45 and 60°C) and three exposure times (1, 3 and 5 minutes). Samples of treatment temperature 45°C regardless of time of dipping had longer shelf life compared to all other treatments. Exposure of fruit sample to water temperature of 45°C for 5 minutes resulted in a slower degreening of peel, reduced rate of pulp softening and increased pulp sweetness. HWT significantly affected the firmness of banana pulp, causing a less rapid softening for treated samples. On another note, samples immersed in water temperature 60°C irrespective of exposure time had a much shorter shelf life compared to other treatments, whereby various adverse effects like peel browning, very low rate of softening as well as low total soluble solid (TSS) content were observed. Different combinations of exposure temperature and time could lead to differing effects on the fruit quality, thus it is essential to know the optimum range of temperature and time of dipping for the banana fruit in order to effectively preserve its quality and longevity. HWT show great potential in extension of banana's post harvest life, but it should be cautiously applied so as to prevent negative effects on the fruit quality.