Cleaning refers to chlorine washing of the banana fruit for the removal of undesirable material including latex, chemicals, adhering soil particles along with the microorganisms carried by the soil. Sorting in banana would refer to removal of overripe, injured, bruised, rotten, diseased, infected and cut fruits. Grading in banana fruit would refer to categorization of fruits based on number & size of fingers in each hand.

1. Welcome to my Presentation
Postharvest Management of
Banana 1Samar Biswas
Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

2. Introduction
Cleaning
Sorting
Grading
Cleaning refers to chlorine washing of the
banana fruit for the removal of undesirable
material including latex, chemicals, adhering
soil particles along with the microorganisms
carried by the soil.
Sorting in banana would refer to removal of
overripe, injured, bruised, rotten, diseased,
infected and cut fruits.
Grading in banana fruit would refer to
categorization of fruits based on number &
size of fingers in each hand.
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3. Sequence of postharvest operations in
banana
Harvesting Cleaning with
Chlorine water
Rinsing in water &
trimming of crowns
Grading Fungicides & Alum
treatment
Marketing &
Consumer
Delatexing of
hands
Packaging Storage &
Ripening
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4. Harvesting of Banana fruit
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5. Source: http://arbolatrading.com/IRS%20-%20BANANAS.pdf
Colour Guide for Post harvest Handling of Banana fruit
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6. Source: http://arbolatrading.com/IRS%20-%20BANANAS.pdf
Harvesting Stage Characteristics
1. All green Very firm fruit with very low sugar content. Immediately upon arrival at warehouse,
fruit should be placed into ripening room at appropriate temperature. Appropriate
stage for long distance transportation.
2. Light Green Fruit becomes less firm as starch begins to convert into sugar. Ripening process has
begun and fruit generates heat which must be removed to control ripening.
3. More Green
than Yellow
Fruit softens as starch convert s into sugar. Ripening process generates considerable
amounts of heat which must be removed. Retail delivery recommended.
4. More Yellow
than Green
Proper colour for retail display provides good consumer acceptance and product
life. Fruit requires careful handling.
5. Yellow with
green tips
Fruit must be stored with box tops removed and cartons stacked for ventilation.
Fruit not on display should be stored at 580
F.
6. Full Yellow Soft fruit with good flavour. Fruit should be on display and not in storage.
7. Yellow with
brown flecks
Brown flecks indicate high sugar. Consumer can refrigerate fruit to maintain flavour
or can be peeled and frozen. Fruits should be separated from less ripe fruit.
Color Guide for Post harvest Handling of
Banana fruit
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7. http://www.caminantecuatoriana.files.wordpress.com201107p1050966.jpghttp://www.voltariver.com/images/organic/organic-land-.jp
Cleaning and delatexing of banana
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8. Banana fruits are immersed in a huge tank of fresh
water for about 30 min (Sodium hypochlorate is an
effective solvent) and ‘delatexed’ - in other words
the latex on them is washed away. In order to
protect fruit against fungal attack (especially during
rainy season) which causes crown rot during
shipment, the crowns are treated with fungicide
involving spraying the banana fruit.
Banana fruits are immersed in a huge tank of fresh
water for about 30 min (Sodium hypochlorate is an
effective solvent) and ‘delatexed’ - in other words
the latex on them is washed away. In order to
protect fruit against fungal attack (especially during
rainy season) which causes crown rot during
shipment, the crowns are treated with fungicide
involving spraying the banana fruit.
Cleaning, Delatexting & Fungicide treatment
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9. Permissible (i.e. not prohibited) for use on the crop after
harvest; effective in controlling the post-harvest diseases;
used in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions
and at their recommended concentrations (excessive
residues on produce may lead to its rejection); agitated
continuously during use to prevent its settling out. Care
must be taken that employees using fungicides observe all
the precautions applicable to their use and that they wear
the necessary protective clothing.
Permissible (i.e. not prohibited) for use on the crop after
harvest; effective in controlling the post-harvest diseases;
used in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions
and at their recommended concentrations (excessive
residues on produce may lead to its rejection); agitated
continuously during use to prevent its settling out. Care
must be taken that employees using fungicides observe all
the precautions applicable to their use and that they wear
the necessary protective clothing.
Care taken during fungicide spray
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10. Sorting and Grading of banana
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11. www.josefpolleross.com/23_Ecuadr,%20Bananas.jpg
Diseased damaged and undesirable fruits are separated from the lot.
Generally fruits are categorized based on their size and colour and stage
of maturity.
Sorting and Grading of banana
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12. • Mainly based on size, colour and maturity of the
fruits.
• Smaller fruits are separated from the larger ones to
achieve uniform ripening.
• Immature, overripe, damaged and diseased fruits are
discarded.
• The fruits are generally harvested early in the season
at a pre-mature stage to capture early market.
• Ethylene application is the best method to hasten
ripening without loss in fruit quality and flavour.
• Mature fruits are ripened with lower doses of ethrel
for uniform colour development (slow ripening under
controlled condition at 150
-180
C).
Grading in banana
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13. 1. Bananas shall be obtained from Varieties (cultivars)
of Musa. spp. of the Musaceae family.
2. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
(i) Bananas shall be :
(a) whole (taking the finger as the reference),
(b) firm,
(c) sound,
(d) clean, free of any visible foreign matter,
(e) free of bruisings,
(f) free of pests affecting the general appearance of
produce,
(g) with the stalk intact, without bending, fungal
damage or dessication,
AGMARK Standards for grading of banana
fruit(Cont…)
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14. (h) with pistils removed,
(i) free of malformation or abnormal curvature of the
fingers,
(j) free of damage caused by low temperature,
(k) free of abnormal external moisture excluding
condensation following removal from cold storage and
bananas packed under modified atmosphere condition,
(l) free of any foreign smell and/or taste.
(ii) In addition, hands and clusters must include:
- a sufficient portion of the crown of normal
colouring, sound and free of fungal contamination,
- a cleanly cut crown, not bevelled or torn, with
no stalk fragments.
(iii) Bananas shall comply with the residue levels of
heavy metals, Pesticides and other food safety parameters
AGMARK Standards for grading of banana fruit
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15. Grade
designation
Grade Requirements Grade tolerances
Extra class Bananas shall be of superior quality. They must be
characteristics of the variety and/or commercial type. The
fingers must be free of defects, with the exception of very
slight superficial defects, provided these do not affect the
general appearance of the produce, quality, the keeping
quality and presentation in the package.
5% by number or weight of bananas
not satisfying the requirements of the
grade, but meeting those of for Class I
grade or, exceptionally, coming within
the tolerances for that class.
Class I Bananas shall be of good quality. They must be
characteristics of the variety and/or commercial type. The
following slight defects of the fingers, however, may be
allowed, provided these do not affect the general
appearance of the produce, quality, the keeping quality
and presentation in the package.
-slight defects in shape and colour;
-slight defects due to rubbing and other superficial defects
not exceeding 2 sq.cm. of the total surface area.
The defects must not affect the flesh of the fruit.
10% number or weight of bananas
not satisfying the requirements of the
grade
class, but meeting those of Class II
or, exceptionally, coming within the
tolerances of that grade.
3. CRITERIA FOR GRADE DESIGNATION:
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16. Grade
designation
Grade Requirements Grade tolerances
Class II This includes bananas which do not qualify for
inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfy the minimum
requirements. The following defects may be there,
provided the bananas retain their essential
characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping
quality and presentation.
-defects in shape and colour provided the product
remains the normal characteristics of bananas;
-skin defects due to scrapping, scabs, rubbing,
blemishes or other causes not exceeding 4 sq.cm. of the
total surface area;
The defects must not affect the flesh of the fruit.
10% by number or weight
of bananas not satisfying
the requirements of the
grade, but meeting the
minimum requirements.
3. CRITERIA FOR GRADE DESIGNATION --cont.--
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17. (i) The development and condition of the
bananas must be such as to enable them:
- to reach the appropriate stage of
physiological maturity corresponding to the
particular characteristics of the variety,
- to withstand transport and handling, and
- to arrive in satisfactory condition at the
place of destination in order to ripen satisfactorily.
4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS(Cont..)
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18. (ii) Bananas must be presented in hands and
clusters (parts of hands) of atleast four fingers.
Bananas may also be presented as single finger.
- Clusters with no more than two missing
fingers are allowed, provided the stalk is not torn
but clearly cut, without damage to the
neighboring fingers.
- Not more than one cluster of three fingers
with the same characteristics as the other fruit in
the package may be present per row.
4. OTHER REQUIREMENTS
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19. Let us sum up(Cont…)
• Banana is one of the most is the most
important fruit crops of India. It is available
through out the year in the country.
• Drying, curing, sorting and grading are
important operations in potato after harvesting
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20. Let us sum up
• Cleaning of potato refers to removal of undesirable
material i.e. adhering soil alongwith the
microorganisms carried by the soil while, Sorting in
potato would refer to removal of rotten, diseased,
infected and cut fruits.
• Grading in potato would refer to categorization of
fruits based mostly on their size / weight into 4 to 6
categories through rectangular seives.
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21. Thank You
Any Query?
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