Fruit ripening
Fruit ripening is the set of developmental changes that make fruit mature, often altering its color, texture, aroma, and taste.
Ethylene: Ethylene is a gaseous plant hormone that regulates growth, stress responses, and fruit ripening. In climacteric fruit, rising ethylene coordinates many changes that accompany ripening.
Botanical fruit: A botanical fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering plant, usually containing seeds. Ripening applies to this botanical structure, including foods not commonly called fruits.
Controlled-atmosphere storage: Controlled-atmosphere storage preserves produce by regulating oxygen, carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity. Lower oxygen and adjusted carbon dioxide can slow ripening and extend storage life.
Tomato: Tomato is a berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, widely cultivated as a food crop. Tomato is a well-studied climacteric fruit used to investigate ripening genes and ethylene.
Food spoilage: Food spoilage is the deterioration of food that makes it undesirable or unsafe to consume. Over-ripening increases susceptibility to tissue breakdown and microbial spoilage.
Climacteric fruit: Climacteric fruit show a rise in respiration and ethylene production during ripening. Their ripening includes a characteristic respiratory surge and autocatalytic ethylene production.
Fruit development: Fruit development is the growth and maturation of an ovary into a seed-bearing structure. Ripening is a late phase within the broader sequence of fruit development.
Modified-atmosphere packaging: Modified-atmosphere packaging changes the gas composition around food inside a sealed package. Package gases can slow ripening reactions and reduce deterioration during transport.
Banana: Banana is an edible berry produced by several large herbaceous plants in the genus Musa. Bananas continue ripening after harvest, with ethylene driving color change and softening.
Food loss and waste: Food loss and waste are edible foods discarded or left uneaten across production and consumption systems. Uncontrolled ripening can shorten shelf life and contribute to losses during distribution.