Method for packaging bananas for ripening

A method for extending the ripening period and ripe shelf-life of bananas, said bananas contained in a package which contains from about 0.1 to about 40 pounds of bananas, and which additionally contains a gas medium comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) activating ripening of the bananas by inserting additional gas into the gas medium such that said gas medium comprises from about 2.0% to about 5.5% (by weight) oxygen, from about 5.0% to about 15.0% (by weight) carbon dioxide, and from about 0.8% to about 1.5% (by weight) ethylene, the remainder of the gas medium being predominantly nitrogen;
• and
• (b) subsequently adjusting the composition of the gas medium such that the gas medium has a ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide which meets the following conditions:
• PR=(20.94−B)/C=from about 1.8 to about 3.8,
• wherein B is the percentage (by weight) of oxygen in the gas medium, and
• C is the percentage of carbon dioxide in the gas medium and further,
• wherein the percentage (by weight) of oxygen in the gas medium is from about 1.0 to about 6.0, and the percentage of carbon dioxide in the gas medium is from about 3.0 to about 10.0 and wherein the composition of the gas medium in step (b) is maintained by a selectively gas-permeable membrane which is incorporated into the package containing a non permeable portion wherein the ratio of the area of the selectively gas-permeable membrane to the area of the non-gas permeable portions of the package is from about 5*10−4 to about 5*10−2.