Color changes in bananas and plantains during storage

Two cultivars, namely Cavendish bananas (Musa AAA Group) and plantains (Musa AAB Group) were used to study the changes in their peel color during storage at various temperatures. Gas-treated and nontreated fruits, and the L* a* b* system were used. The temperature effect on the color parameters was mainly through the interaction with the gas treatment, variety and storage time; however, redness (a*) for gas-treated bananas was expressed as a* = -20.1 + 0.14 TD, (T=temperature, D = day). Similarly, a* =-27.5 + 55 (TD)(1/2)-0.2 T D, predicted the degreening process in gassed plantains. The gas-treatment, storage time and variety all had a significant effect (p<0.01) on the L*a*b* parameters. Plantains lost the greenness during storage faster than bananas.