Posts Tagged “bananas shelf life”
Depending on ripeness, bananas range in color from shades of almost hunter green flecked with whispers of yellow, all the way to deep canary yellow speckled with pinpricks of brown. Where a banana falls on this green-to-yellow range holds the key to where this banana will travel next on its circuitous journey from farm to produce aisle.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes a numbered color index that conveys quick-glance standardization to help produce buyers make decisions. Depending on whether the case of bananas in question looks like a No. 2 or a No. 5 will determine the exact amount of time the bananas will spend in a ripening room, benefiting from specific temperature controls and piped-in ethylene gas that helps ripening progress smoothly.
After close monitoring in the ripening room confirms that the fruit is the perfect golden yellow color, the fruit is transported to the store. At the store, the bananas are tucked into merchandising displays. Only now can the produce team sit back and wait to discover if the bananas pass the final, most difficult desirability test: Will the ripe fruit catch a shopper’s eye?
Emerson has introduced a real-time tracker designed to curb thefts, with an emphasis on security of imported goods.
The GO Real-Time Secure Tracker uses GPS tracking technology and security measures that are compliant with the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program that expedites certain loads through customs. A steel locking bolt guards against theft while shipments are on the road or being shipped on the water, according to a news release.
The GO Real-Time Secure Tracker will alert users if a container door has been opened or if shipments diverge from a programmed course.
“This latest innovation from Emerson was developed to enhance supply chain security, reduce the financial loss from stolen cargo, and assist law enforcement in the recovery of high-value items,” Frank Landwehr, vice president and general manager, said in the release.
Bananas Shelf Life
Big benefits to the banana supply chain are being provided by the RipeLock system, according to company officials at AgroFresh of Philadelphia.
The proprietary system couples 1-MCP technology with unique micro-perforated bag packaging to slow ripening and reduce spoilage. The net result is better shelf appeal and ripeness, providing 4 to 6 days extension in banana yellow life.
The RipeLock system was developed in the past five years and has been commercially deployed for about two years. It is a post-harvest solution slowing the ripening process for bananas and keeps the bananas from turning brown too quickly.
The modified atmosphere bag is packaged at the source and continues through the supply chain.
The bag can easily be used at shipping point, since bananas are typically packed in a liner anyway. The modified atmosphere packaging has to be securely sealed with a knot and a rubber band to make sure the exchange of gas will work as planned.
The bag also keeps the right level of oxygen and carbon dioxide so the bananas are fresh and healthy all the way through the supply chain.
When RipeLock boxes arrive at a distribution center, the active ingredient is applied to the fruit, which acts to extend the yellow shelf life of the bananas up to 6 days.
The systems also reduce fruit weight loss.
The modified atmosphere packaging prevents the bananas from dehydrating during the supply chain.