QUALITY STANDARDS FOR BANANAS
Quality Requirements
- Maturity: 75–85% full (or 75–80% depending on market requirements), skin bright green or light green.
- Shape: Slender and long, no bruising, cracking, breaking, or deformities.
- Flesh: Firm and solid, ivory-yellow color, snaps easily when bent.
- Skin: Tightly adhering to the flesh, difficult to peel, free from sunburn, black spots, latex stains, or soil/dirt adhesion.
- Latex/Sap: When broken, sap must form clear, sticky threads (not drip in droplets).
- Stem and Crown: Stem green and fresh, dry, with no signs of rot. Crown must be treated to prevent decay.
Packing and Preservation Specifications
- Cluster Cutting: Cut close to the bunch stalk, remove the main stalk. Allowed to trim maximum 2 defective fingers per cluster without affecting overall appearance.
- Packing: Packed in carton boxes lined with PE foam to prevent bruising and damage.
- Storage & Transportation: Maintain temperature at 12–14°C with suitable relative humidity throughout transportation.
- Treatment: Fruits are thoroughly washed; may be pre-treated with ozone or other approved methods.
All standards meet export requirements to strict markets (EU, USA, Japan, Korea, China, etc.).