Objective measurement of banana pulp colour

Two methods for determining the colour of banana pulp were compared by using either visual matching with colour charts or a portable tristimulus colorimeter. Pulp colour of ripe and unripe bananas was evaluated in both the darker central carpellary zone and the outer pulp zone near the skin of the fruit. Colour coordinates L* and b* were highly correlated (r = -0.89 and 0.87 respectively) with the visual matching colour charts, the central carpellary region giving higher correlations than the outer pulp zone. Results obtained show that the colour of banana pulp can be objectively measured by the combined use of L* and b* coordinates determined in the carpellary zone. The potential use of a reproducible and defined method for determining banana pulp colour is discussed.