Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #79713
Title: PREVENTION OF BROWNING OF BANANA SLICES USING NATURAL PRODUCTS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES

Author
item Moline, Harold
item Buta, Joseph - George
item Newman, Irving

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/2/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Fresh-cut produce is a growth industry, responding to increasing consumer demand for an ever greater and more diverse supply of salad bar and other fresh-cut items. Like other segments of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry, companies involved in the preparation and marketing of fresh-cut items are concerned about producing new items for this expanding market. A major limiting factor to accomplishing increased product diversity is the need for development of methods to eliminate browning of products after they are cut. We have shown that banana slices can be held for as long as 7 days at cool temperatures after being treated with two nontoxic common food additives, citric acid and N-acetylcysteine. Since treated banana slices do not brown, they can also be held at refrigerated temperatures to maintain quality. This treatment provides a means to add sliced bananas and possibly other highly perishable fruits to the growing fresh-cut market.

Technical Abstract: Fresh-cut banana slices were treated with pineapple juice, neutral sugars, isoascorbic acid, citric acid, N-acetylcysteine, other organic acids, 4-hexylresorcinol and mixtures of these compounds. A number of other compounds previously reported to be antibrowning agents were also tested. Preliminary tests revealed that many purported antibrowning agents had only transitory or no effects on browning of banana slices. Subsequent replicated treatments of slices stored at 5øC and 15øC for 7 days showed that of the several treatments, those using citric acid and N-acetylcysteine were highly effective at reducing browning. Reflectance measurements taken immediately after treatment, after 2 days of storage, and at the end of the 1 week storage period confirmed that a mixture of 0.5 M citric acid and 0.05 M N-acetylcysteine provided the best protection against browning at both temperatures. No significant microbial contamination was observed during the 7 day period studied.