Impact of polyethylene packaging materials on the physical quality characteristics of Williams’s banana cultivar after different storage periods

Abstract

This investigation was conducted to study the impact of materials 1, 2, and 3 perforated polyethylene bags and no packaging as a control to determine the changes in the physical characteristics of Williams's banana fruits and shelf life after various storage times (one, two, and three weeks) at 14 ± 2 ºC. The experiment was conducted in a randomized completely block design in a factorial combination with four replications. Beginning at the green maturity stage, the banana skin color changed to yellow, and this procedure was found to be rapid for T2-treated fruits, while the colors of ripe yellow bananas packed using one, two, and three polythene bags and fruits kept in the control developed an excellent type of color without S.D. between them. Fruit length in T2 at the mature green stage after 14 days and in T3 at the ripe yellow stage after 7 days was significantly better under storage conditions. Bananas have been marketable for more than two weeks in the T2 bags and for 14 days when packed with one or two servings. Fruit unpackaged lost weight by 100%, while fruits packed in one or two polyethylene packages became unmarketable. Thus, it can be concluded that packaging banana fruits in two polyethylene bags prolonged shelf life and preserved the physical qualities of bananas, followed by packing in one and three bags.