Microwave oven radiation hazards

This paper presents the results of a survey on the radiation leakage from a representative sample of microwave ovens in Regina. A brief review of potential hazards of microwave radiation is presented and the results of the survey are analyzed with a view of initiating further research in this area.     

Ethylene Absorbent to Maintain Quality of Lightly Processed Fruits and Vegetables

Ethylene had an undesirable effect on the quality of kiwifruits, bananas, broccoli, and spinach leaves that were prepared and stored as lightly processed products. A 2.or 20 ppm ethylene treatment hastened the softening of the pulp of kiwifruits and bananas held at 20°C. Use of charcoal with palladium chloride, as ethylene absorbent, prevented the accumulation of the ethylene and was effective in reducing the rate of softening in kiwifruits and bananas and of chlorophyll loss in spinach leaves, but not in broccoli.     

应用SPME-GC-MS分析变温压差膨化干燥香蕉脆片香气成分

为了对比新鲜香蕉片、变温压差膨化前香蕉片、变温压差膨化香蕉脆片的香气成分变化规律,采用固相微
萃取和气相色谱-质谱联用技术分别对其香气成分进行检测分析。这3 种香蕉样品中所含香气成分种类和含量都有
很大的差异。变温压差膨化干燥会使香蕉原有的酯类物质含量减少,并生成4,5-辛二酚、2,7-乙烷、2-壬炔、2,3-二
氢-3,5-二羟基-6-甲基-4（H）-吡喃-4-酮、2-戊酮、苯乙酮、3-辛烯-2-酮一系列有独特风味的香气成分。     

Effect of short‐term anaerobic conditions on the production of volatiles,activity of alcohol acetyltransferase and other quality traits of ripened bananas

Yellow, ripened (yellow with green tips) bananas were treated with nitrogen gas for 12, 24 and 48 h at 20 °C to study the effects of anaerobic conditions on the fruit quality, including the production of volatile compounds and activity of alcohol acetyltransferase (AAT) during the post‐harvest period. Significantly higher concentrations of acetaldehyde and ethanol were found in the treated fruit than in the untreated bananas after removal from the conditions. The 48‐h treatment showed higher levels of ethanol and acetaldehyde after storage. Immediately after releasing the fruit from the anaerobic atmosphere, the amounts of isobutyl acetate and isoamyl acetate decreased. The production of ethyl acetate increased markedly in each treatment unit 1 day after removing the fruit. Regardless of recovery from the production of isobutyl acetate and isoamyl acetate 1 day after treatment, the banana‐like aroma was denatured because of the production of high levels of ethyl acetate and ethanol. The increase in AAT was slightly lower in nitrogen‐treated fruit than untreated fruit. However, the activity in treated fruit was sufficient for ester production in bananas. The endogenous alcohol levels were increased during nitrogen gas treatment in the fruit due to the inhibition of ester production. Colour development of the bananas was greatly inhibited by the treatments, while the sugar content did not show any differences between the treated and untreated fruit. The results suggest that, even if bananas are removed from the short‐term anaerobic conditions, a loss in quality, except sweetness, easily occurs afterwards, especially the characteristic aroma of the fruit during the post‐harvest period. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

The East African highland cooking bananas ‘Matooke’ preferences of farmers and traders: Implications for variety development

‘Matooke’ is a staple food made from Highland cooking bananas in the Great Lakes region of East Africa. Genetic improvement of these bananas for resistance to pests and diseases has been a priority breeding objective. However, there is insufficient information on fruit quality characteristics that different users prefer, resulting in sub-optimal adoption of new varieties. This study identified matooke characteristics preferred by farmers and traders, using survey data from 123 farmers, 14 focus group discussions and 40 traders. Gender differences were considered. The main characteristics that were found to drive variety preferences were agronomic (big bunch, big fruits) and quality (soft texture, good taste, good aroma, yellow food). There were minimal geographical and gender differences for trait preferences. Quality characteristics need to be defined in terms of physical–chemical underpinnings so that breeding programmes can apply accurate high-throughput systems, thereby improving adoption and impact of new banana varieties.     

Yield,characteristics and composition of banana juice extracted by the enzymatic and mechanical methods

A comparative study of the enzymatic and mechanical banana juice extraction methods and the respective juices produced was carried out using Kayinja bananas (ABB genotype) imported from Uganda. In the enzymatic extraction process, macerated ripe banana pulp was incubated with a commercial enzyme preparation (Pectinex Ultra SP‐L) at 50 °C for 2 h. In the mechanical extraction process the ripe banana pulp was mixed with stretched strips of polythene and worked with a dough mixer at room temperature for 20 min (on average) until the juice appeared. Significantly (p < 0.05) higher ‘pure’ juice yield (604 g kg^?1 pulp) was obtained with the enzymatic method than with the mechanical method (541 g kg^?1 pulp). However, adding water to the spent pulp from the mechanical process and extracting dilute juice improved the juice yield to 757 g kg^?1 pulp. The enzyme‐extracted juice had significantly (p < 0.05) higher soluble solids, titratable acidity, fructose, glucose, total nitrogen, density and mineral potassium. However, the mechanically extracted juice had significantly higher sucrose, pH and viscosity. Although the mechanical extraction process suffers from occasional juice extraction failures, it offers an opportunity to extract banana juice without excessive energy expenditure, and the juice produced is wholesome with a superior flavour to that produced by the enzymatic method. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Application of Image Analysis for Classification of Ripening Bananas

ABSTRACT: A computer vision system was implemented to identify the ripening stages of bananas based on color, development of brown spots, and image texture information. Nine simple features of appearance ( L *, a *, b * values; brown area percentage; number of brown spots per cm²; and homogeneity, contrast, correlation, and entropy of image texture) extracted from images of bananas were used for classification purposes. Results show that in spite of variations in data for color and appearance, a simple classification technique is as good to identify the ripening stages of bananas as professional visual perception. Using L *, a *, b * bands, brown area percentage, and contrast, it was possible to classify 49 banana samples in their 7 ripening stages with an accuracy of 98%. Computer vision shows promise for online prediction of ripening stages of bananas.     

The microstructure and tannin content of banana fruit and their likely influence on juice extraction

Extraction of banana juice using the traditional physical method is limited to Mbidde banana cultivars. Most other banana cultivars (including Matooke cultivars) do not produce juice by this method. A study of the microstructure and tannin content of banana fruit (Mbidde and Matooke cultivars) was carried out in order to understand the underlying factors in the juice extraction process and develop a working hypothesis to explain the mechanism of juice separation. Microscopic examination of pulp sections of Mbidde bananas revealed that their microstructure contained many more intensely stained and larger laticifer cells than pulp tissues of Matooke cultivars. On ripening, the intensity of staining of laticifer cells in Mbidde fruit appeared to increase, while there was limited or no staining in fruit of Matooke cultivars. There was also higher tannin content in Mbidde than in Matooke bananas at both unripe and ripe stages. The high tannin concentration corresponding to the unique presence of high numbers of laticifer cells in fruit of Mbidde cultivars suggests that the ability of the bananas to release juice is linked to tannins. During juice extraction the physical working of the banana pulp ruptures the laticifer cells, resulting in the release of tannins that interact with celluloses, hemicelluloses, proteins and, most importantly, pectins to form insoluble complexes, thus facilitating juice release. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry