Investigation of the Improvement of Physical and Chemical Changes in Banana Fruits under Different Lighting and Packaging Conditions

Given the importance of storing and handling bananas to preserve their quality, flavor, and nutritional value, this study used various light treatments and packaging methods to maintain the quality of bananas. The bananas were first prepared, and any damaged bananas were removed. After standardizing the size, they were washed in a sterile environment. The bananas were then stored in polyethylene films, PVC, plastic, and without packaging, under LED light (blue, red, green), and without light for 7 days. Properties such as firmness, pH, weight change percentage, and soluble solids content were measured afterward. According to the research results, using blue light treatments increased the firmness of the bananas by approximately 40% compared to the conditions without light. Polyethylene film packaging helped retain about 35% more firmness compared to no packaging. These findings suggest that using specific combinations of blue light treatments and PVC packaging can significantly improve bananas' quality and shelf life, potentially reducing wastage and financial losses in the food industry. The potential financial benefits of these findings should motivate further research and implementation in the food industry.