HEALTH OF BANANAS

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 32, 1 November 1932, Page 6

HEALTH OF BANANAS

Extensive Experiments WORK BY SCIENTISTS Some while ago a pathologist and a physiologist went together on several voyages. They were not cruising for pleasure, or for the sake of their own health, but strange as it may sound, their sole reason was the.health of the banana! While on board they carried out extensive experiments to try. to find ways and means of preventing wastage by disease among this popular fruit, the marketing of which is now an important industry. The results of their investigations are contained in a report entitled-“ The Control of Wastage in Bananas.” issued by the Empire Marketing Board. In 1931, the importation into the United Kingdom Of the fruit reached the record figure of 16,162,000 bunches, valued at £5,551,000. Jamaica, in contributing 43 per cent, of this total, set up another record, sending 6,970.000 bunches, or well over 1,000,000 bunches more than the record figure for 1030. The authors of the report describe the extensive experiments they made of hold conditions, methods of chilling and ways of packing the fruit. Their general conclusion is that no pains must be spared to minimise the time between reaping the fruit and cooling it to 53 degrees F. for its voyage, thus avoiding the growth of fungus. •