Banana odor affected by post-harvest treatment, Brazilian study finds - FreshFruitPortal.com

Banana odor affected by post-harvest treatment, Brazilian study finds

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Banana odor affected by post-harvest treatment, Brazilian study finds

A Brazilian study has found the post-harvest use of low temperatures or chemicals to affect banana maturity can change the smell or color of the fruit when it ripens. bananas small 11

In a laboratory, University of Sao Paulo scientist Helena Pontes ChiebĆ”o studied how NanicĆ£o variety bananas responded to 15 days of storage at a temperature of 13Ā°C (55.4Ā°F).

Once the bananas were taken out of cold storage and ripened at room temperature, it was found that the low temperature had altered compounds responsible for fruit smell, such as isoamyl acetate.

"At the temperature of 13Ā°C that people use to store the fruit, this is not appropriate for this attribute [smell] in the NanicĆ£o," Pontes ChiebĆ”o said.

The researcher also took her study to the United States to conduct the same tests with Cavendish bananas from Panama, and found that while cold conditions also affected volatile compounds, the effect was not as significant.

"The fruits that we export to other countries arrive with an aroma that is not characteristic of the banana, and they lose their quality," she said.

The other two substances tested were ethylene and 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) . The former is commonly used in the market as it is a natural hormone that regulates fruit ripening.

The study showed ethylene use did not interfere with the smell of bananas when ripe, but Pontes ChiebĆ”o found the use of 1-MCPĀ  meant it took longer for volatile compounds responsible for aroma to be produced. However, they did eventually occur in the same proportion as with ethylene usage.

Additionally, the scientist also found the use of 1-MCP prevented the development of natural yellow coloring in bananas.

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