Abstract

Banana is one of the most important fruit crops in the world and is considered by millions of people as their main energy source. Post harvest shelf life extension has been a problem for years due to its climacteric respiration pattern and sensitivity to low temperature. Extensive research has been done in this area for many decades. Among various existing technologies, Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) which extends shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables by reducing their respiration rate is gaining popularity. Active packaging is a kind of MAP where different scrubbing/releasing materials are used. This review summarises important aspects behind the ripening physiology of banana, controlling factors and recent advance technologies of MAP and active packaging.

Key words: Banana, ripening, biochemical changes, modified atmosphere packaging, active packaging.