What Role Does Ripening Room Design Play in the Final Quality of Bananas?

Bananas continue to breathe and ripen after harvest, making them highly sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, ventilation, and exposure to ethylene. Poor air management during ripening results in dehydration, cold damage, and uneven colour and texture, increasing product losses across the supply chain.

The major challenge for the industry is to ensure a perfectly homogeneous environment where every pallet and every box develops at the same pace.

Precision engineering for perfect ripening

Studies show that when airflow is not evenly distributed inside the chamber, thermal gradients appear, leading to uneven ripening and a direct impact on fruit quality. Uniform airflow is therefore a key determinant of successful postharvest ripening.

The ULTIMO solution by Interko

ULTIMO ripening technology is specifically designed to direct airflow through every pallet, preventing bypass and maintaining consistent conditions across the entire room.

Its side curtains seal the pallet stacks and ensure:

• Homogeneous airflow at every level

• Reduced fruit dehydration

• Stable thermal conditions

• Operational energy saving

In addition, the low-consumption and reversible REVERSO fans allow switching the airflow direction to enhance process uniformity, improve efficiency, and ensure maximum control of the ripening environment.

Direct impact on profitability and sustainability

Investing in advanced ripening technology has an immediate effect on:

• Exporting fruit with uniform colour and texture

• Lower losses due to over-ripening or damage

• Energy savings in every cycle

• Reduced food waste, contributing to a more sustainable supply chain

Ultimately, Interko turns scientific postharvest principles into industrial technology that delivers real value to the banana market.

More information

References

• Ambaw, A., Fadiji, T., & Opara, U. L. (2021). Thermo-mechanical analysis in the fresh fruit cold chain: A review on recent advances. Foods, 10(6), 1357. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10061357
• Jedermann, R., & Lang, W. (2017). Computational fluid dynamics modelling of deviating airflow and cooling conditions in banana containers. Acta Horticulturae, 1154, 193–200. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2017.1154.25
• Jedermann, R., Geyer, M., Praeger, U., & Lang, W. (2013). Sea transport of bananas in containers—Parameter identification for a temperature model. Journal of Food Engineering, 115(3), 330–338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2012.10.039
• Berry, T. M., Defraeye, T., Nicolaï, B. M., & Opara, U. L. (2016). Multiparameter analysis of cooling efficiency of ventilated fruit cartons using CFD. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 9, 1481–1493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-016-1733-y
• Mukama, M., Ambaw, A., & Opara, U. L. (2020). Advances in design and performance evaluation of fresh fruit ventilated distribution packaging: A review. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 24, 100472. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fpsl.2020.100472