1. “CONTROLLED FRUIT
RIPENING WITH EMPHASIS
ON BANANA RIPENING”
ANUSHA BABOOA

2. 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

3. 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

4. Some examples of climacteric
fruits
 Banana
 Plum
 Mango
 Fig
 Passion fruit
 Papaya
 Guava
 Pear
Climacteric fruits

5. 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

6. 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.

7. THE 4 MAJOR FACTORS OF
COMMERCIAL RIPENING
4 major
factors
Adequate
Ethylene Air
gas circulation
Temperature RH
control control

8. 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.

9. 2. TEMPERATURE CONTROL (PULP T C)
 Inadequate T C
control can decrease
the shelf life of
bananas (good for 4
days only at T C >
23).
Actual temperature
used depends on
when you want the
fruit ready.

10. Too high-
High- irregular
rapid ripening of
Optimum- ripening, fruits, poor
15 C - 18 C difficult to keeping
Low- control; poor quality
slow appearance (>18 C )
ripening/ (dull grey-
possibly green) &
Too low- slight taste flavor
chilling degradation
injury (<
12 C )

11. 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%

12. 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

13.  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

14. RIPENING PROCEDURE taking
BANANA as an example

15. Ethylene(catalyst)
Green bananas in Room is closed & discharged at a
cartons are loaded refrigerated for 12-16 concentration of 0.1%-
into ripening rooms hrs until pulp temp 0.04% (100-400ppm)
Fruit pulp temp: reaches 15-17 C RH: 90%
≈14 C RH: 90% Room is kept close
for 24hrs
Room is closed again,
atmosphere is controlled At the end of this
Room is
at a temp of 15-17 C for time, room is
ventilated & ripe
3-4 days ventilated to clear
fruit removed
RH: 75% ethylene & co2 gas
Extractor fans
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)

16. Ethylene gas from
compressed gas
cylinders:2 methods
Single shot of gas, Continuous slow trickle of
given at one time. gas into the room for 24 hrs.
A method to monitor ethylene concentration should be
available.

17. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BANANA
RIPENING ROOMS.
 Insulation.
 Refrigeration.
 Heat.
 Air tight.
 Controllable vents for
ventilation.
 Humidifiers.
 Sanitary.
Humidifiers.

18. 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.

19. Ripening systems
Primitive
Traditional
(standard cold rooms with
openly stacking of boxes)
Modern
( so-called pressure-ripening)

20. METHODS OF INTRODUCING
ETHYLENE GAS
•a liquid
concentrate
Catalytic Generators
'Ethy-Gen' is
decomposed in
an electrically •Each ethylene •The explosion
powered cartridge risk from
Ethylene/Nitrogen
Ethylene and
Cylinders
Ethylene Cartridges
catalytic contains ethylene can
generator, to be eliminated
approximately
produce
51g of pure by the use of a
ethylene gas.
ethyl mixture of gas
•The 'Ethy--Gen' a consisting of
concentrate is •Ethylene is
released by 5% ethylene in
supplied in
containers which piercing the nitrogen.
produces about cartridge with
12 ft3 (0.33 m3 ) a tool which is
of ethylene gas. supplied.

21. 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.

22. 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

23. Banana colour chart
evenly green; common trace of
light green/ yellow-flecked with brown ;
yellow; colour of greenmore yellow than yellow-fully fungus effected
colour after more than
green tip- ideal all over ripe ripe
colour
yellow; ready for green;
bananas treated by
harvesting for sale bananas ready for
banana
gas wholesale supply
recommended for consumption
retail outlets

24. 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.

25. Fire/Explosion by
spillage/
uncontrolled use
of ripening gasses
HAZARDS
Toxicity &
Asphyxiation by o2
deficiency& co2
accumulation

26. CONCLUSION
D eat-ripe& senescence
phase
C ripening phase
Climacteric
Preclimacteric B
A phase
phase
Preclimacteric
phase
Days after harvest

27. 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

28. Thank you for your kind attention…