Importance

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Abstract

To control the ripening of bananas in industrial banana processing, a group of bananas that have been harvested is obtained. The group of bananas has a plurality of bananas attached at a common crown. A first portion of the bananas of the group is placed inside of an ethylene-permeable container. A second portion of the bananas of the group is kept outside of the container. The group of bananas is exposed to ethylene gas, where the first and second portions of bananas are exposed to ethylene gas at approximately the same time to initiate ripening of the first and second portions of bananas at approximately the same time. The first and second portions of bananas are allowed to begin ripening. As the bananas ripen, the container regulates the flow of oxygen into the container and carbon dioxide out of the container such that the first portion of bananas inside of the container are exposed to lower oxygen levels and higher carbon dioxide levels than the second portion of bananas outside of the container, to reduce the ripening rate of the first portion of bananas compared to the second portion of bananas.

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First Claim