Effect of different packaging materials on shelf life of banana (cv. Cavendish)
Author(s): Goldie Konthoujam, Vijaya Rawat, AB Waheed Wani and Sanjeev Kumar
Abstract: This present investigation entitled “Effect of different packaging materials on shelf life of banana (cv. Cavendish)” was designed at the School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with eight treatments with three replications. The experimental treatments were different packaging materials (Control, Plastic container with cover, Brown Paper Bag, CFB (Newspaper), CFB (Straw), Wooden crates, Low Density Polyethylene Bag (LDPE), High Density Polyethylene Bag (HDPE). The data was collected between 3 days interval from each of the packaging materials and the banana samples in each treatment were taken to analyze the shelf life, decay percentage, reducing sugar, non- reducing sugar, vitamin C, total phenol content, total flavonoids content, mineral K content. The banana fruits that have been packaged in different packaging materials were kept at room temperature for 12 days. The findings indicated that banana fruits packaged in high density polyethylene bag exhibited the lowest physiological weight also indicated that longest shelf, highest total soluble solids, titratable acidity, total sugar. Conversely, unpackaged (Control) banana fruits displayed the highest fruit loss as well as lowest values for all the mentioned parameters. The results demonstrated that the packaging of banana fruits using high density polyethylene bag could potentially decrease the postharvest losses of banana and detrimental health risk. The resistant accessions identified here can be suggested as novel approach so as to improve their marketing shelf life and quality and also decrease the chemical usage in postharvest treatments. Finally, it is recommended that high density polyethylene bag increases the shelf life and quality.
