A special place in the activities of the Everest Technology company is given to the design, equipment and construction of banana aeration chambers.
To obtain a better product, to create conditions for uniform ripening of bananas, fourth-generation cameras are used today. Their design includes efficient air coolers with reverse air flow pressure fans located in the center of the chamber under the ceiling.
A special “false ceiling” device determines the direction of the air flow to the pallets installed on the floor and floors of the chamber. Each air cooler fan blows its row of pallets. Curtains and side seals that fit snugly against product boxes help create air pressure differences. Concrete baffles prevent air from passing through the tray under the banana boxes. Due to the application of all these measures, a minimum difference in banana temperature is achieved along the entire length of the chamber, which affects the evenness of the color of the product. The price of the banana aeration chamber also depends on the configuration.
Fruit ripening system control and automation
The banana ripening process control and monitoring system is fully automated. Special controller VDH PROBA 5 (Holland) manages all processes:
- cooling;
- heat;
- ethylene supply;
- turning on and off the ventilation of the chambers;
- moisturizing;
- control of temperature, oxygen level;
- control of carbon dioxide level, ethylene concentration level.
The controller transmits data using the VASP monitoring and control system to the operator's computer of the banana ripening room.
Special sensors allow you to control such processes:
- sensor SM 8500 - measures the temperature of banana pulp;
- sensor SM 8300 - measures the air temperature;
- sensor SX 912 - measures the concentration of ethylene;
- sensor RH 980 - measures air humidity;
A complete set of devices for gassing
Ethylene is supplied to the working volume to start the process of simultaneous ripening of the entire batch of fruits using a special EG3 generator developed by Everest Technology.
The air humidity in the banana ripening chamber must be at least 95%. To increase humidity, special humidifiers with a water treatment system are installed. This is necessary due to the alternating cooling and heating of the product, as well as dehumidification of the air in the refrigerator compartment when the fans are running.
The ventilation system consists of air heaters, supply and exhaust fans, electric shutters, and filters.
Banana chambers use special doors from BG Door (Holland). The door panels have a certain profile, which, together with an elastic rubber seal around the entire perimeter of the opening, makes the door airtight.
When assembling the gas chamber for bananas, all seams, technological holes are treated with silicone and glued with a sealing tape, after which the joints are checked for tightness by supplying smoke to the refrigerating chamber.
Design and construction of equipment
An important role in the design process is played by the correct calculation of the refrigeration machine complete with electrical panels.
The capacity of the machine must be sufficient for the cooling process so as not to lose product, but not excessive so as not to increase operating costs.
The construction of aeration chambers is carried out by Everest Technology on a turnkey basis. Call managers for details.
Project work
Subject:Bananas. Benefits of bananas. What is banana carbonation and how does it affect human health?
Municipal budgetary educational institution "General education lyceum No. 12"
4 "B" class
Scientific adviser: , primary school teacher
INTRODUCTION
Gone are the days when bananas in Russia were considered an overseas delicacy, which not everyone could get. Today, bananas are a familiar and inexpensive food for any of us. What could be easier than taking a ripe, golden fruit, peeling and enjoying the sweet pulp of a banana. At the same time, you spend a minimum of effort. A banana does not need to be washed, it is peeled with three or four learned hand movements, and the fruit is ready to eat. It's easier than fiddling with an apple or an orange. Is not it?
font-size: 14.0pt;line-height:150%">What do you know about a banana? What is the use or, perhaps, harm of this overseas berry? Yes, yes, don't be surprised, a banana is a berry. But because bananas grow on a palm tree, and berries grow on the ground, you say.Let's get to know the banana better and find out some interesting facts about this delicacy.
Banana, from a botanical point of view, is a perennial herbaceous plant with a powerful root system. The banana tree is considered a grass because it does not have a trunk or branches. Immediately from the rhizome, leaf stalks grow tightly pressed against each other. Outwardly, it looks like a tree trunk. At the end of the "trunk" "palm" leaves grow from the stems. Since a banana is a herb, therefore, the fruit of the plant is a berry.
Objective of the project:to find out if the carbonation of bananas affects people's health and how bananas are useful? Carrying out gassing at home.
Tasks:
1. Learn about bananas from literary sources.
2. Find out if gas affects a person.
3. Learn what carbonation and banana gas are.
4. Carry out an experiment of gassing at home.
Relevance of the main idea:
I chose this topic because I am interested in the benefits of bananas and what banana gas is. In our modern world, most products are modified and grown with the help of harmful, toxic impurities, as a result of which people's health worsens and the number of patients with oncology, tuberculosis, obesity and other diseases that destroy humanity increases.
font-size: 14.0pt;line-height:150%">In nature, there are a fairly large number of different varieties of bananas, red, green, yellow, sweet and not very, large and small, with and without seeds. All bananas can be divided into two groups - dessert ones, which are sold in our stores, and plantains, which must be fried, boiled or baked before use. And it is plantains that are the main food in the countries where they grow. For example, in Ecuador per capita there are 79 kilograms of eaten bananas, in Burundi - 180, and in Russia only 7.
All varieties of bananas that are currently grown are artificially bred by man. In total, there are 500 varieties of this fruit. But only 100 varieties are grown for import to Europe, the USA and Russia.
MAIN PART
BENEFITS OF BANANA
How useful or harmful is a banana? There is an opinion that bananas brought from distant countries, after a long transportation, no longer contain useful substances and do nothing but harm. This is wrong. This myth is most likely based on the fact that bananas come to Russia still green, not ripe. And for quick ripening, bananas are placed in a special gassing chamber, where a special gas is supplied - ethylene. Under the influence of this gas, several irreversible chemical processes occur: the starch contained in the fruit turns into sugar, the chlorophyll in the peel is destroyed and the bananas turn yellow. During such rapid ripening, bananas retain all their beneficial properties and become ready to eat.
And what is so useful contained in a banana
The chemical composition of ripe bananas is as follows: water content - 75%, sugar - 20%, starch - 1.6%, nitrogenous substances - 1.2%, pectin substances - 0.5%, organic acids - 0.4%, fiber - 0.6%.
Fruits contain a large amount of vitamins E, C, B1, B2, B6, provitamins A and PP.
Banana also contains valuable minerals: potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese and copper. One banana covers the daily requirement of the human body for potassium and magnesium.
Bananas are high in calories. The average energy value is 90 kcal per 100 g of banana pulp.
WHO IS USEFUL BANANAS
Bananas are quite high in calories and are able to quickly restore the energy expended during prolonged physical exertion. Many athletes, especially tennis players, eat a banana before and during training or competition.
Due to the high content of potassium, bananas are able to restore the heart rhythm, help people suffering from profuse sweating, prevent the development of varicose veins and leg cramps. In addition, potassium is involved in the water-salt metabolism of our body and helps to remove excess fluid. Therefore, bananas are useful for all diseases associated with edema. In addition, potassium helps fight high blood pressure, helps restore the heart muscle.
Bananas are quickly absorbed by the body, so they are recommended for patients during periods of radiation therapy and chemotherapy, as well as after surgery.
Bananas are useful for people suffering from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), as their pulp contains a lot of sucrose.
And who can be harmful banana? Banana should not be consumed by people with diabetes, as it contains a large amount of sucrose. Banana contains a lot of carbohydrates, so it is not recommended for obese people to eat it. Do not use bananas for dyspepsia and flatulence. But for everyone else - bananas are very useful.
USE OF BANANA IN MEDICINE AND COSMETOLOGY
In addition, bananas are used in medicine and cosmetology. They perfectly help with high blood pressure, depression, heartburn, dysentery, and are also recommended for diseases of the bronchopulmonary system. In addition, an ointment is made from the leaves of young plants, which perfectly heals burns. It doesn't hurt to eat bananas. And the peel of bananas will help get rid of warts.
font-size:14.0pt;line-height:150%">BANANA GASTING
Unripe bananas are high in starch, and for a banana to turn yellow and be eatable, the starch must be converted to sugar.
Bananas are transported by sea in special containers - refrigerators, the temperature in which is kept at 13 - 15 degrees above zero. This temperature does not affect the ripeness of bananas. Yes, and it is simply impossible to control the process of gassing on the way, and besides, it is not economically profitable.
After the bananas have arrived at the warehouse, they are transferred in standard ventilated boxes to a special gas chamber, which, in addition, is thermally insulated from the environment. Here, bananas are first heated at a temperature of 18-20 degrees above zero, and then the chamber is filled with a special gas, which is called "banana gas". This gas consists of nitrogen (95%) and ethylene (5%). It is ethylene in the complete absence of oxygen that starts the process of fruit ripening.
“Banana gas” bananas are processed for a day, then they are aired for 3-4 days and, finally, already ripe fruits are sent for sale.
IMPACT OF GASING ON PEOPLE'S HEALTH: despite the statement about the safety of this method and the assurance that the fetus, after gassing, begins to ripen correctly, as in nature, it is hard to believe in 100%.
HOW TO CHOOSE BANANAS
avoid bananas covered with moisture, this will indicate a violation of the gas technology.
avoid bananas with a characteristic smell of "medicine", there is no question of harmless technology here.
avoid bananas with an unnatural color and covered with incomprehensible spots.
do not buy bananas in the market, do not take rotten bananas.
avoid eating green fruits, if you buy them, then let them ripen.
BANANA STORAGE
EXPERIMENTAL AND RESEARCH PART
Everyone eats bananas, but we decided to find out if grade 4 students know about the benefits of a banana, what is carbonation and banana gas?
To solve this problem, a survey was conducted. We got the following results:
ANALYSIS OF STUDENTS' AWARENESS OF THE BENEFIT OF BANANAS, GASING AND BANANA GAS
a) Do you know that bananas are very healthy?
22 people know about the benefits of bananas, 2 people do not know
 |
B) DO YOU EAT BANANAS OFTEN?
font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 150%"> 7 people use less than 2 times a week, 17 people use more than 2 times a week.
Q) Do you know what carbonation and banana gas are?
font-size:14.0pt;line-height: 150%">None of the students interviewed could explain what carbonation and banana gas are.
YES 0%
NO 100%
For greater awareness of children and their parents about carbonation and the benefits of bananas, we distributed brochures to 4th grade students of Lyceum No. 12 .
CARRYING OUT GASING IN HOME CONDITIONS
1) for the experiment we take green bananas and ripe apples.
font-size:14.0pt; line-height:150%"> 
2) put in a plastic bag and tie.
3) after 2 days we open and see almost ripened fruits, but the banana is considered ripe when small brown dots begin to appear on it and it is completely yellow, and we have it partially green, close the bag again and wait for ripening.
font-size:14.0pt;line-height:150%"> After another 1 day, we open the package and see that our bananas are fully ripe.
CONCLUSION OF OUR EXPERIENCE: Apples release a large amount of natural ethylene, which leads to the ripening of bananas.
ADVICE:Bananas are not recommended to be kept together with other fruits, because they release the gas they have accumulated, which contributes to the rapid ripening and then rotting of other fruits.
CONCLUSION
I have learned a lot about the benefits of bananas, banana gassing and the effect of gassing on people. He conducted the experience of gassing at home with the help of apples. I learned that bananas must be washed before eating because they are treated with chemical gas and how bananas are used in medicine. I think that in our 21st century it is necessary to be very careful about your health and try to use healthy and natural products as much as possible, and as little harmful as possible, and then we and our future children will be healthy.
LITERATURE
1. Banana - an article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
2.M. Rüdiger. "Beauty Recipes"
3.N. Nikiforov "Treatise on Bananas"
Internet -
Banana carbonation is a special technology for controlled ripening before the fruit enters the retail market. Since ripe bananas have a very short shelf life, they are harvested and transported in their unripe state. Due to the high starch content in them, the process of natural ripening, that is, the conversion of starch into sugar, is impossible, therefore, carbonation of bananas is the only way to bring them to technical maturity without compromising quality. During transportation, they are kept at a storage temperature of about 13-15C, and after they arrive at the warehouse, they are sent for maturation to the aeration chambers.
Banana gassing - technology
From storage warehouses, bananas are transferred to a special heat-insulated sealed chamber. Standard ventilated boxes are used for placement. First, the bananas are heated to 18-20C, then the internal space is filled with a gas consisting of 95% nitrogen and 5% ethylene. It is in the absence of oxygen and ethylene content that starch processing processes are launched. Humidity is maintained at around 90%. Adjustment of concentration, gas flow and temperature values is carried out from the microprocessor stand. Bananas are kept in a gaseous environment for about a day, after which they are moved to a storage room. If the technology is followed, bananas will be ready for retail delivery in 3-7 days.5 reasons to buy banana aeration systems from AquilonStroyMontazh
- Development and implementation of universal control units for banana gassing chambers
- Experience in installing industrial cameras of the 4th generation
- Optimization of the banana gasification process
- Execution of the project on time
- Experiences in the installation of banana ripening chambers in a container version
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Bringing to ripeness is impossible without ethylene - this gas is emitted naturally by ripe fruits. As a result of its impact, all starchy substances are converted into fruit sugars, and the banana itself acquires a characteristic uniform yellow color. There are 7 stages of banana ripeness. On the first - they are completely green, on the last - yellow with small black dots on the peel. For wholesale purposes, they try to achieve 3-4 stages of ripening, characterized by sufficient sugar content and a fairly long shelf life. In a warehouse at 13-15C, bananas are stored for up to 10 days. Gassing of bananas is impossible without special equipment, which is a sealed heat-insulated structure with installations for heating, cooling air, humidifying it and creating a certain gaseous environment. Forced ventilation systems must be provided so that the products ripen evenly. Bananas must not be allowed to overcool. There is a risk that they will “catch a cold” and lose the ability to ripen, so at different times of the year they adhere to different temperature ranges. When supercooled, brown longitudinal veins appear under the top layer of the peel. Such bananas, as they ripen, become not yellow, but grayish. There are several modes of ripening. Their duration can vary from 3 to 7 days. Depending on this, accelerated, normal and slow modes are distinguished. The best quality product can be obtained using a slow gassing process at low temperatures. In this case, the load must be at least 50% of the design capacity of the structure.
Banana carbonation - price
Special cameras can vary significantly in cost depending on the brand and power of the installed equipment, the size of the thermally insulated structure and some other technical issues. You can order a design or purchase ready-made models from AkvilonStroyMontazh. For effective aeration, we use new developments, high-quality materials and reliable refrigeration equipment from leading manufacturers that have been proven over the years.Bananas came to us from Ecuador. They are delivered to the nearest port by sea and they sail to us for a little less than a month. These bananas are very different from those that we are all used to seeing on our shelves. They are loaded and sent to us unripe and green as cucumbers. Because if they were shipped to us ripe and yellow, they would have deteriorated in the first week of transportation. And green bananas can sail to us by sea for quite a long time, provided that the temperature in the container is maintained at 13-15 ° C.
The degree of ripeness of bananas that are loaded onto a ship in Ecuador is called the removable degree of maturity. As I have already said, such a banana fruit has a green peel color, but at the same time it is fully developed and formed, having reached the size, shape and mass characteristic of this variety.
In these bananas, the accumulation of nutrients and flavoring substances has already been basically completed. But although they have accumulated the necessary substances, these substances are not in the state that we need. For example, carbohydrates are now found in bananas in the form of starch. And already in a marketable, ripe, yellow banana, carbohydrates are sugar.
The green banana has pronounced longitudinal edges. Peeling it by hand is as difficult as removing the peel from a cucumber. By the way, green bananas, when cut, also crunch like a ripe and fresh cucumber. And even their smell is very similar to cucumber. A green banana tastes like a raw potato, but is tart and astringent like a green persimmon. Probably many have heard that green bananas can be fried like potatoes are fried. And a fried banana also tastes like fried potatoes. This is due to the high starch content.
In order for the starch to turn into sugar and the banana to turn yellow, it is placed in a gassing / ripening chamber. Where it artificially matures. It is in this chamber that bananas are treated with gas with phytohormones. Although it sounds scary and repulsive, this is a common procedure and does not bring any harm to the end consumer.
Phytoharmones, in this case ethylene, regulate various functions in plants. It is with ethylene that we process bananas. It may seem to some that this is some kind of chemistry and poison, but it is not. Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that is responsible for the fall of leaves on trees when autumn comes. And in our case, ethylene starts the metabolism and in bananas, the transformation of tasteless starch into sugar begins. The color changes from green to yellow and pronounced longitudinal ribs disappear.
The gassing chamber is a thermally insulated chamber, on the sides of which pallets of bananas are placed, leaving a small gap between the wall and the boxes.
The top of the boxes is covered with an airtight sheet.
The chamber is closed and programmed either for storage (temperature 12-15 °C) or for ripening.
In the second case, the temperature from 12°C begins to gradually rise by 0.5 degrees per hour to 18-20°C. After that, fans that blow air from above which contains 5% ethylene into the chamber. Fans that are under the canvas, pull this air with ethylene through the boxes with bananas. This starts the ripening process of the banana. Also, the chamber maintains humidity at the level of 85-95%, so that the banana does not dry out and at the same time does not lose weight.
Humidity, temperature, concentration and gas flow are controlled by a microprocessor. Banana gassing lasts for 24 hours, after which the chamber is automatically ventilated. The ripening process has already begun. Depending on the time of year and the quality of the banana, ripening will last another two to five days at a temperature of 18-20°C. After that, the temperature is again reduced to 12-15°C and the banana is ready for sale.
Banana ripeness table
Although the number six banana is the perfect color to sell, it is rarely and unwillingly picked up by wholesalers. Because it needs to be sold quickly. He doesn't lie down for long. In the summer, wholesalers appreciate banana number three or four, because it lasts longer in a marketable condition. It is hot in summer and the banana trades poorly due to the wide selection of other fruits, and everyone is tired of bananas during the winter.
In winter, the ideal banana is the "five" - yellow, beautiful, fragrant and appetizing. But the banana at number seven in the wholesale warehouse is an emergency. Wholesalers will not take this at a regular price, because in a day or two it will begin to flow and turn into a mess. At home, such quick spoilage does not occur, because at home, usually more than one branch of a banana is rarely kept. And the more bananas, the more they themselves emit their natural ethylene and the stronger and faster they ripen, up to rotting.
Although the photo above shows the most delicious banana under the number seven, in fact, the sweetest banana is the one that ripened itself on the way from Ecuador. Such bananas are not very common, but it happens that out of 1200 boxes (exactly how many fit in a sea container) a couple of self-ripening boxes come across. In spring and summer, due to climatic nuances in Ecuador, there can be half a container of such boxes and this is also an emergency.
A self-ripened banana is a banana from the fourth to the seventh degree of maturity according to the table in the photo. And it trades at a significant discount for wholesalers. This banana is distinguished by a more yellow color, up to orange and a more pronounced smell. As I said, this is the most delicious banana. If you come across one - be sure to buy a try. You will be pleasantly surprised at how different it is from a regular banana.
The ability to meet the constant demand for bananas is associated with the need for long-distance and long-distance transportation, which, given the characteristics of banana ripening, requires special measures to be taken when harvesting and processing them before transportation.
Therefore, in the process of growing bananas, the condition of the plants, the nature of the development of the clusters and the degree of ripeness of the fruits are carefully controlled. Particular attention is paid to the prevention of the possibility of mechanical damage associated with wind exposure and the use of mechanization, as well as pest control.
The period of harvesting bananas as they ripen takes place in most producing countries for 8-9 months, and in some countries - all year round.
The required degree of ripeness of bananas before harvesting is determined according to the required length of the period between harvesting and sale in a mature marketable form.
The correct determination of the timing of the removal of fruits from the plant has a decisive influence on their ability for normal ripening, preservation in the processes of transportation and storage, and the level of final quality.
Despite the importance of correctly determining the degree of maturity, there are still no instrumental absolute methods of assessment and only relative methods are used. The general valid criteria for assessing the degree of maturity are the fullness of the fruit, the color of the flesh, the firmness and smell of the still green fruit.
Bananas are harvested on plantations when the fruits reach a certain ripeness, but not yet ripe, have a dark green skin and inedible hard, starchy flesh. Individual clusters are cut off when the fruits reach the required size, color and firmness.
Underdeveloped fruits ripen poorly and are of poor quality when mature. Ripe fruits are generally not subject to transportation. Cleaning should be done carefully so that the "fingers" of the brushes are not damaged.
Usually, the first and second upper tiers of the clusters have a higher maturity than the lower ones, which often leads to non-simultaneous ripening of fruits in a bunch. Therefore, the degree of ripeness of bananas on individual bunches should be as uniform as possible and be at a stage that allows the fruits to enter the ripening chambers in green form. In addition, mature bananas do not tolerate commodity processing (manipulation) well and therefore should only be harvested and transported in green form.
The fruits must be clean, must not have any signs of mechanical damage or squeezing, the surface of the peel must not be burned by the sun.
For the commercial processing of bananas in most producing countries, banana processing stations or sorting yards are built directly on the plantations. At these stations, the bunches are cleaned, and if necessary, depending on the type of packaging, they are divided into separate “roses”, “brushes”, or bunches. If necessary, the clusters or brushes are washed and disinfected with a benziinidazol-based fungicide.
To assess the commercial potential of bananas at any stage of their journey to the consumer, it is necessary to have a fairly accurate knowledge of previous operations. There are various schemes for post-harvest operations, and the choice of option largely determines the qualitative changes in bananas on the way to the consumer.
If bananas are intended for long-distance and sufficiently long transportation, then, in accordance with the recommendations of the IIR, they should be refrigerated no later than 24 hours after harvest.
However, in most cases, bananas are grown on the lands of farms located in the mouths and valleys of tropical rivers far enough from the ports of shipment, and after harvesting, their transportation by land or river is carried out uncooled for a long time (Vietnam, India, Brazil, etc.). ).
In addition, there are no banana pre-cooling devices at sorting stations and sites, with rare exceptions. There is not enough land and river refrigerated transport to deliver chilled bananas to shipping ports after pre-cooling.
And most importantly, in the ports of shipment, when chilled bananas arrive, the process of reloading into ship holds is carried out at elevated ambient temperatures.
That is, practically nowhere has a continuous refrigeration chain been implemented when delivering bananas from the field to the refrigerated ship, and attempts to introduce it in certain intermediate sections of the route can only worsen the final result of transportation, since in humid conditions of the tropics, the cooling of fruits to + 14-16 ° C enough for dew to fall on their surface at an outside air temperature of +32 - +35 ° С. This situation in many cases led to the fact that bananas from India and Vietnam were delivered to Vladivostok (Russia) at the final stage of maturity, and their further transportation into the continent turned out to be impossible.
Based on experience, ASHRAE and Dole estimate the lifespan of bananas under normal conditions to be about 3 weeks, and recommends that bunches be harvested no more than 2-5 days before loading into ship holds. Clusters with fruits are cut off from plants and transported to the nearest packing (sorting) station.
In some countries, there is still the practice of transporting bananas in bunches. However, sea transportation of grapes without packaging is practically not used now and is considered undesirable due to the desire to avoid mechanical damage to the fruit.
Therefore, when transporting bananas in bunches, packaging in kraft paper with gaskets and packaging in sleeves made of light-transparent polyethylene film with a thickness of 0.1-0.15 mm are used.
In the first case, a sheet of kraft paper is first spread on the packing table, on which pads of dry grass, rice straw or corrugated paper are laid. Another sheet of kraft paper is laid on top, and the bunch selected and treated with fungicides is already placed on it. To avoid mechanical damage between the stem and fruits, corrugated paper or dry grass wrapped in paper are also placed.
After that, the bunch is wrapped in a double sheet of kraft paper and tied with twine. The average diameter of a packed bunch is 0.3-0.5 m, and the average length is 0.5-0.9 m. Gross weight of the bunch is 15-17 kg.
Such packaging very well protects the fruits from mechanical damage, but makes it difficult to control the condition of the fruits. An important advantage of such packaging is the possibility of protection from the effects of cold air during transshipment operations in winter in the conditions of northern and temperate climates.
When packing bunches in polyethylene sleeves, laying of straw pads in plastic bags between the brushes and the stem is also provided. To ensure gas exchange with the environment (“breathing”), the film has round holes occupying from 2 to 4% of the film area. Such packaging also provides protection against mechanical damage, while allowing visual control over the condition of the fruit.
However, the heat-insulating properties of this package do not provide reliable protection of fruits from the effects of low temperatures when unloading the ship in the ports of destination in winter.
Currently, these methods of packaging are used very rarely, and the main volume of banana shipments is carried out in cardboard boxes filled with brushes or, much less often, individual fruits.
In Ecuador and Colombia, bananas are packed in cardboard boxes measuring 0.59 × 0.30 × 0.21 m (gross - 14.5 kg, net - 13.8 kg) and 0.50 × 0.40 × 0.25 m ( gross - 21 kg, net - 19.4 kg).
To ventilate the fruits in the side and end parts of the boxes, holes are provided with an area of 4-5% of the total surface area of the package.
Bananas of the Cavendish group are placed in two layers in boxes 0.4 m high. When laying thin-skinned bananas of this group of varieties, the boxes are lined with a thin perforated polyethylene film, and the bananas are laid, pre-wrapping the brushes in a film with holes to avoid mechanical damage.
This method of packaging protects the fruits from mechanical damage during transportation and handling.
When packing banana varieties with larger fruits, they are placed in one row in a box 0.3 m high.
In a number of countries in South America, bananas are transported in boxes with dimensions of 0.60 × 0.30 × 0.20 m and a capacity of 20 kg. In African countries (Guinea, etc.), cardboard boxes with a capacity of 10 and 18 kg are used. In India and Vietnam, bamboo baskets with a capacity of up to 25-30 kg are used for transporting bananas, depending on the variety of bananas.
The use of standardized boxes, boxes and baskets with a capacity of 10 to 30 kg, in contrast to the transport of whole, packed or unpacked bunches, allows mechanization and shortening of the loading and unloading operations with less risk of mechanical damage and better use of the cargo volume of vehicles.
But the most important thing is that when transporting individual brushes or “fingers” in standard packages, unlike transporting whole bunches, it becomes possible to stack fruits of closer maturity, as well as stack fruits cut from bunches weighing up to 7 kg, the transportation of which not allowed.
At the same time, when transporting boxes, crates and baskets with clusters of fruits or individual fruits, the risk of microbial infection increases due to the increase in the number of open sections. Therefore, to prevent decay, sections of the stems of the brushes and the tips of the “fingers” are treated with fungicides before laying.
Another significant drawback of cardboard, wooden and bamboo packages of a dimensional shape is the rather high thermal insulation properties of the materials from which they are made.
In the process of transportation with dense stacking, due to poor air infiltration, uneven temperature and humidity conditions arise in the volumes of packages, which leads to heterogeneous fruit ripening and, in turn, necessitates fruit re-sorting before sale.
Packing tightly together allows better use of the vehicles, and therefore carriers try to fill the cargo space as tightly as possible, regardless of possible negative consequences. For example, until now, almost no attention has been paid to the mechanical impact exerted on the fruits during transportation during braking and shaking on bad road sections.
Studies carried out at the Regional State Academy of Arts have shown that the most negative effect is exerted by compression during braking, which, under the same conditions, is the greater, the higher the packing density of the transported cargo.
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