AEffect of packaging materials on the quality of banana cultivars)

Four packaging materials namely, micro-perforated low density polyethylene bag, micro-perforated high density polyethylene bag, dried banana leaf, teff straw and no packaging materials (control) were used with three banana cultivars (Musa spp.), locally known as, Poyo, Giant Cavendish and Williams I. Randomized Complete Block Design in a factorial combination with three replications was used in the study. Chemical attributes including total soluble solid, pH value, titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid (AA), reducing sugar and total sugar were determined and finally percent of marketability was assessed for every three days. Banana fruits remained marketable for over 4 weeks in the flexible bags and for 18 days when packaged using dry banana leaf and teff straw. Unpackaged fruit remained marketable for only 15 days. Fruits that were not packaged at all lost their weight by 24.0% whereas fruits packaged in banana leaf and teff straw became unmarketable. Packaging maintained the TA, AA, reducing sugar and total sugar at higher level while TSS was kept lower. Poyo had higher total soluble solid, total sugar, reducing sugar but all these quality attributes were lower in Williams, which was, however, found to have the highest content of AA and TA. It can, thus, be concluded that packaging of banana fruit in polyethylene bags resulted in longer shelf life and maintained the chemical qualities of the banana which was followed by packaging in dried banana leaf and teff straw.