The Variation of Surface Roughness of Banana During Ripening

Introduction

Due to the fast ripening time frame for bananas, there is much interest in determining the optimum time for the harvesting, packaging, shipping, and consuming of the fruit. Much work has been done on the ripening process. The majority of this work has been performed on the fruit pulp: moisture content, taste , odor , sugar content, and other chemicals. When the analysis focuses on the banana peel, the measurement is usually based on color and gloss, although some work has been done with hardness and puncture strength, as well as the overall size of the banana.

The objective of the project is to find a relation between the surface roughness of banana peels and the ripening of the fruit. Previous studies have measured the surface roughness of apples and pumpkins , among others. The results from this study will be used, in conjunction with previous work, to find correlations between the surface roughness and other properties of the fruit.

As a banana ripens, various chemical reactions are occurring between the peel, the pulp and the atmosphere. The two most noticeable changes are the firmness and the color of the peel. The peel changes from green to yellow to brown, as the levels of chlorophyll in the peel decrease. The softening observed during the ripening process is due to some of the starch in the peel converting into sugar in the pulp.

This latter process is of particular interest in terms of the roughness of the peel; the starch content is believed to have an effect on the fibers in the peel, which will in turn affect the surface roughness.

Plant fibers have long been used to make thread, cloth, and other textiles. Banana fibers are generally softer and more lustrous than other members of the bast ...

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