Cleaning, sorting and grading of

banana

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Introduction
Cleaning
Cleaning refers to chlorine washing of the banana fruit for the
removal of undesirable material including latex, chemicals, adhering
soil particles along with the microorganisms carried by the soil.

Sorting
Sorting in banana would refer to removal of overripe, injured,
bruised, rotten, diseased, infected and cut fruits.

Grading
Grading in banana fruit would refer to categorization of fruits based
on number & size of fingers in each hand.

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Sequence of postharvest operations in banana

Harvesting Cleaning with Rinsing in water &

Chlorine water trimming of crowns

Grading Fungicides & Delatexing of

Alum treatment hands

Storage & Marketing &

Packaging Consumer
Ripening

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Harvesting of Banana fruit

www.offbeatenough.com

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Colour Guide for Post harvest Handling of Banana fruit

Source: http://arbolatrading.com/IRS%20-%20BANANAS.pdf

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Colour Guide for Post harvest Handling of Banana fruit

Harvesting Stage Characteristics
1. All green Very firm fruit with very low sugar content. Immediately upon arrival at warehouse,
fruit should be placed into ripening room at appropriate temperature. Appropriate
stage for long distance transportation.
2. Light Green Fruit becomes less firm as starch begins to convert into sugar. Ripening process has
begun and fruit generates heat which must be removed to control ripening.
3. More Green than Fruit softens as starch convert s into sugar. Ripening process generates considerable
Yellow amounts of heat which must be removed. Retail delivery recommended.
4. More Yellow than Proper colour for retail display provides good consumer acceptance and product life.
Green Fruit requires careful handling.
5. Yellow with Fruit must be stored with box tops removed and cartons stacked for ventilation. Fruit
green tips not on display should be stored at 580F.
6. Full Yellow Soft fruit with good flavour. Fruit should be on display and not in storage.
7. Yellow with Brown flecks indicate high sugar. Consumer can refrigerate fruit to maintain flavour
brown flecks or can be peeled and frozen. Fruits should be separated from less ripe fruit.
Source: http://arbolatrading.com/IRS%20-%20BANANAS.pdf

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Cleaning and delatexing of banana

http://www.voltariver.com/images/organic/organic-land-.jp http://www.caminantecuatoriana.files.wordpress.com201107p1050966.jpg

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Cleaning, Delatexting & Fungicide treatment

Banana fruits are immersed in a huge tank of fresh water for about 30 min (Sodium hypochlorate is an effective
solvent) and ‘delatexed’ - in other words the latex on them is washed away. In order to protect fruit against fungal
attack (especially during rainy season) which causes crown rot during shipment, the crowns are treated with fungicide
involving spraying the banana fruit.

Care taken during fungicide spray:

Permissible (i.e. not prohibited) for use on the crop after harvest; effective in controlling the post-harvest diseases; used
in accordance with the manufacturers' instructions and at their recommended concentrations (excessive residues on
produce may lead to its rejection); agitated continuously during use to prevent its settling out. Care must be taken that
employees using fungicides observe all the precautions applicable to their use and that they wear the necessary
protective clothing.

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Sorting and Grading of banana

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Sorting and Grading of banana

www.josefpolleross.com/23_Ecuadr,%20Bananas.jpg
Diseased damaged and undesirable fruits are separated from the lot. Generally fruits are categorized based on
their size and colour and stage of maturity.

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Grading in banana

• Mainly based on size, colour and maturity of the fruits.

• Smaller fruits are separated from the larger ones to achieve uniform ripening.
• Immature, overripe, damaged and diseased fruits are discarded.
• The fruits are generally harvested early in the season at a pre-mature stage to capture early
market.
• Ethylene application is the best method to hasten ripening without loss in fruit quality and
flavour.
• Mature fruits are ripened with lower doses of ethrel for uniform colour development (slow
ripening under controlled condition at 150-180 C).

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

AGMARK Standards for grading of banana fruit

1. BananasshallbeobtainedfromVarieties(cultivars)ofMusa.spp.oftheMusaceaefamily.
2. MINIMUMREQUIREMENTS
(i) Bananasshallbe:
(a) whole(takingthefingerasthereference),
(b) firm,
(c) sound,
(d) clean, freeofanyvisibleforeignmatter,
(e) freeofbruisings,
(f) freeofpestsaffectingthegeneralappearanceofproduce,
(g) withthestalkintact,withoutbending, fungaldamageordessication,
(h) withpistilsremoved,
(i) freeofmalformationorabnormal curvatureofthefingers,
(j) freeofdamagecausedbylowtemperature,
(k) freeofabnormalexternalmoistureexcludingcondensationfollowingremoval fromcoldstorageandbananaspackedundermodifiedatmosphere
condition,
(l) freeofanyforeignsmelland/ortaste.
(ii) Inaddition,handsandclustersmustinclude:
- asufficientportionofthecrownofnormal colouring,soundandfreeof fungal contamination,
- acleanlycutcrown,notbevelledortorn,withnostalkfragments.
(iii) Bananasshall complywiththeresiduelevelsofheavymetals, Pesticidesandotherfoodsafetyparametersaslaid downbytheCodex Alimentarius
Commissionforexports

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

3. CRITERIA FOR GRADE DESIGNATION:

Grade Grade Requirements Grade tolerances
designation
Extra class Bananas shall be of superior quality. They must be 5% by number or weight of
characteristics of the variety and/or commercial type. bananas not satisfying the
The fingers must be free of defects, with the exception requirements of the grade, but
of very slight superficial defects, provided these do not meeting those of for Class I grade
affect the general appearance of the produce, quality, or, exceptionally, coming within the
the keeping quality and presentation in the package. tolerances for that class.
Class I Bananas shall be of good quality. They must be 10% number or weight of bananas
characteristics of the variety and/or commercial type. not satisfying the requirements of
The following slight defects of the fingers, however, the grade
may be allowed, provided these do not affect the class, but meeting those of
general appearance of the produce, quality, the Class II or, exceptionally, coming
keeping quality and presentation in the package. within the tolerances of that grade.
- slight defects in shape and colour;
- slight defects due to rubbing and other superficial
defects not exceeding 2 sq.cm. of the total
surface area.
The defects must not affect the flesh of the fruit.

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

3. CRITERIA FOR GRADE DESIGNATION --cont.--

Grade Grade Requirements Grade tolerances

designation
Class II This includes bananas which do not qualify for 10% by number or weight
inclusion in the higher classes, but satisfy the of bananas not
minimum requirements. The following defects may satisfying the
be there, provided the bananas retain their essential requirements of the
characteristics as regards the quality, the keeping grade, but meeting the
quality and presentation. minimum requirements.
- defects in shape and colour provided the product
remains the normal characteristics of bananas;
- skin defects due to scrapping, scabs, rubbing,
blemishes or other causes not exceeding 4
sq.cm. of the total surface area;
The defects must not affect the flesh of the fruit.

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

4. OTHER R EQ U IR EMEN TS

(i) The development and condition of the bananas must be such as to enable them:
- to reach the appropriate stage of physiological maturity corresponding to the particular characteristics of the variety,
- to withstand transport and handling, and
- to arrive in satisfactory condition at the place of destination in order to ripen satisfactorily.
(ii) B ananas must be presented in hands and clusters (parts of hands) of atleast four fingers. B ananas may also be presented as
single finger.
- Clusters with no more than two missing fingers are allowed, provided the stalk is not torn but clearly cut, without damage to
the neighboring fingers.
- N ot more than one cluster of three fingers with the same characteristics as the other fruit in the package may be present per
row.

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 Cleaning, sorting and grading of banana

Let us sum up
• Banana is one of the most is the most important fruit crops of
India. It is available through out the year in the country.
• Drying, curing, sorting and grading are important operations in
potato after harvesting
• Cleaning of potato refers to removal of undesirable material i.e.
adhering soil alongwith the microorganisms carried by the soil
while, Sorting in potato would refer to removal of rotten,
diseased, infected and cut fruits.
• Grading in potato would refer to categorization of fruits based
mostly on their size / weight into 4 to 6 categories through
rectangular seives.

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