Chilling injury investigation by non-destructive measuring methods during banana cold storage

Abstract

Banana is a really chilling injury sensitive product. Its sensitivity to cold temperatures generates serious practical, economical and commercial problems. Chilling injury related physiological responses of Cavendish type green banana samples stored at 2.5, 5, 10 °C and near optimal (15 °C) cold storage temperature were investigated by nondestructive optical methods (surface color and chlorophyll fluorescence measurement, DA-index® evaluation) and by the determination of the physiological reactions (respiration, ethylene production, symptom manifestation) during cold storage and the 8-day long subsequent shelf-life. The positive effects of low temperature storage were proven on mass loss, respiration and ethylene production. In case of bananas stored at 2.5–10 °C, the chilling injury related changes in chlorophyll content related DA-index®, IR-values; F m and F v chlorophyll fluorescence values, the L*, a*, b*, C* and hue angle color characteristics suggested clearly from day 3 the onset of chilling injury several days before the visible signs of chilling injury appeared.