QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CHILLING INJURY IN BANANAS USING A COLORIMETER

Cavendish bananas were stored at 8 degrees, 11 degrees and 14 degrees C and for 16 d to compare the assessment of chilling injury by visual scoring or by Minolta colorimeter using measurements of lightness (L) , chroma (C) and hue (h degrees). Severe chilling damage, which turns the ripe peel grey/black, was associated with fruits stored at 8 degr ees C, and this damage was detected by both scoring and by the use of the colorimeter, even when fruits were green. Apart from the absence o f glossy yellow appearance of the ripe fruits, no visual chilling dama ge was observed when fruits were stored at 11 degrees C. In contrast, the colour components of L and C*: were successfully used to detect c hilling injury at the green stage, which resulted in loss of gloss on ripe fruit following storage at 11 degrees C. No significant differenc e in linear regression between temperature and h degrees indicates tha t h degrees is not a suitable measure of chilling damage. The highest correlation coefficient between the visual scoring of chilling damage and a colorimeter value was for C (y = 0.09x + 40.59; r= -0.4). Color imeter values L and C* were therefore considered as reliable quantita tive measures of chilling damage for use on green and ripe peel.