Bananas and Plantains: Postharvest Management, Storage, Ripening and Processing

Contents: Foreword. Preface.  1. Introduction. 2. Origin, production and distribution.  3. Varieties and their characteristics. 4. Trade - International and domestic. 5.  consumption pattern of bananas and plantains. 6.  Nutritive, medicinal and therapeutic values. 7.  Post harvest losses and its causes. 8. Pre-harvest factors affecting the shelf/storage life and quality.  9. Post harvest factors affecting the shelf life and quality. 10. Post harvest physiology, shelf life and quality changes.  11. Improved harvest, postharvest handling, packaging and transportation. 12. Storage of banana.  13.  Ripening and retailing.  14.  Minimal processing.  15. Banana processing and processed products. 16. Utilization of field residues and processing wastes. Bibliography.

The first few chapters introduces the reader to the crop, its origin and distribution, varieties cultivated throughout the country and their characteristics. Later the trade of banana, both international and domestic, is explained along with the ways the fruit is consumed in different parts of the world.

A chapter exclusively deals with the nutritive and therapeutic values of banana followed by the post harvest aspects at length in seven chapters with all the latest scientific developments. The last three chapters explain about the processing and value addition including the waste/by-products utilization.

The readers will find it comprehensive with all the information relevant to post harvest aspects of bananas and plantains.