Green bananas
1. External form
Bananas must be intact, naturally grown, not bruised, broken, or rotten. The peel and stem must be fresh, green, dry, and clean. The fruit must not be sunburned, sooty, blackened, or sticky with sap.
Old scars during fruit growth, soot spots, and light scratches caused by plant pests are allowed but do not affect the quality and appearance of the fruit; the total area of the above-mentioned spots does not exceed 3cm2 on the surface of each fruit and does not exceed 1/3 of the number of fruits scattered in a bunch.
New scratches due to light mechanical impact (not causing fruit rot during storage and transportation) are allowed, but in each bunch there must not be more than 1/3 of the fruit and on each fruit the total area of the scratches must not exceed 3cm2, the length of the scratches must not exceed 3cm. Bananas must be cut into bunches close to the stem, completely removing the stem of the bunch. The stem of the banana bunch must be dry, the cut surface must be scarred, and it is not allowed to pack banana bunches with stems that are starting to rot or with remaining stem of the bunch. The stem of the bunch must be treated with suitable disinfectants to prevent stem rot.
2. Ripeness
Bananas must reach harvest maturity (75 - 85% maturity) with specific manifestations as follows:
- Green or light green pods
- The edge of the banana is slightly rounded, but the edge is still clear.
- Hardness: does not sink when pressed
- The fruit skin is still stuck to the fruit flesh and is difficult to peel.
- The flesh of the fruit must be firm, easy to break, ivory white in color, the sap must be sticky and clear.
- Still astringent, without the characteristic smell of ripe bananas.
The size and weight standards of exported bananas must meet the following requirements:
Indicator name/Level 15
Fruit length in cm, (take the average of the 3 fruits on the upper curve of the fruit) is not less than…
(Allow fruit to be no less than 13 cm long for winter bananas in the North and third quarter bananas in the South).
Indicator name/Level 3
Fruit diameter in cm, (measured at the cross-section between the top 3 rows of fruit of the bunch) is not less than.
Indicator name/Level 1.2
Weight of each bunch in kg, not less than…
Pest and disease criteria: Fresh bananas for export must comply with the inspection requirements of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and be free of pests and diseases as specified in the contract.
Standards for exporting bananas to the US and European countries:
- Big bananas have a nice shape, long and slightly curved.
- Bananas must be whole, naturally grown, not bruised, broken, or cracked. Double-sticking or deformed bananas are not allowed. When ripe, the skin is thin and bright yellow.
- The stem of the small fruit bunch is placed on the bunch to form a cylinder. The cross-section of the banana stem must be dry, not blackened, and must be treated with a suitable preservative to avoid stem damage and rot.
- The fruit peel must be fresh, dry and clean. Do not allow the fruit peel to be sunburned, blackened, sticky with sap or covered with dirt.
- Bananas for export must reach harvest maturity (75-80% maturity), specifically expressed by the fruit peel being green or light green.
- The fruit flesh is yellow, supple, sweet and has a characteristic aroma.
- The fruit flesh is hard, firm, easy to break, and has an ivory color.
- The edges of the banana are slightly rounded but clear; the peel sticks to the flesh and is difficult to peel.
- Bananas are cut into bunches or clusters according to the requirements of the commercial contract and are cut close to the stem of the bunch, removing the entire stem of the bunch.
- When breaking the fruit, the resin is sticky and clear, the resin does not flow in drops.
- It is allowed to prune no more than 2 damaged bananas in a bunch, but it does not affect the overall appearance of the banana bunch.
Bananas are carefully and meticulously packed in cartons, then packed into containers and maintained at a temperature of + 13 → 13.5 degrees Celsius, 25 degrees ventilation, and 50-60% humidity.
