EFFICACY OF PACKAGING AND STORAGE CONDITIONS IN MITIGATING PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES AND EXTENDING SHELF LIFE OF NANGKA AND ABU BANANAS

The perishable nature of bananas necessitates proper postharvest practices to reduce losses. This study determined the most effective packaging and storage condition to extend the shelf life of Abu and Nangka bananas. Fruits were packed using polyethylene plastic (PE), cling wrap (CW) or whole banana leaf (BL) and stored for 10 days in a cold room (4-6°C), glass house (24-32°C), room temperature (25-27°C), and immersed in water (25-27°C). Physiological changes were assessed by measuring pulp firmness, total soluble solids (TSS) and total titratable acidity (TTA). Results showed that at the end of storage, bananas stored in cold room remained green with no significant changes in pulp firmness, TSS and TTA. At room temperature, only Abu bananas packed in PE and Nangka bananas packed in PE and CW remained green after the 10-day storage period. The packaging and storage conditions established from this study could be introduced to the Orang Asli community as the technology can improve their crop shelf life therefore benefiting them economically.