The technology used to ripen bananas is affected by a wide range of
factors, including the cultivar, growing conditions, harvesting method,
and maturity at which the fruit are harvested and handled. Various post
harvest treatments applied to fruit can also impact ripening. While many
textbooks have been dedicated to Musa (bananas and plantains), none
have focused exclusively on the ripening process.
The commercial ripening of bananas and the chemical changes that occur
thereby are considered here in detail. In developed, temperate countries
where bananas are imported, successful ripening technologies have
evolved. Most bananas, however, are marketed locally in the country
where they are grown, and often the ripening technologies used have
economic and health implications. This brief offers an in-depth
discussion of not only the implications of these technologies, but also
of alternative ripening methods and their commercial applications. For
an understanding of both the chemical basis by which bananas ripen and
the technologies used to control the process, look no further than this
essential text.