Its a discovery that could divert the estimated 6.4 billion pounds of mushy, brown but otherwise perfectly good bananas from ending up in the bin in the US, the scientists told participants at a gathering of the worlds largest scientific society in Philadelphia this week.
Their solution? A hydrogel coating made from chitosan, a substance derived from shrimp and crab shells, that has been shown to delay the ripening of bananas by up to 12 days and keep the fruit fresher, longer.
Presented at the 244th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, scientists from the Tianjin University of Science and Technology said the coating they developed could be used by consumers at home, in supermarkets, or during shipment.
Like all fruits and vegetables, bananas respire long after being picked, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide through their skin. The longer the banana breathes the quicker it ripens. The spray coating helped slow down the process in part by killing the bacteria that causes rotting and lengthening the fruits shelf life by up to two weeks.
Another practical solution to avoid wasting perfectly good but mushy bananas? Theyre the ideal kind for using in banana bread.
Check out the recipe for banana bread of domestic doyenne Martha Stewart. Her recipe calls for one cup of mashed very ripe bananas. AFP/Relaxnews
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