Patent ID: 8029838

Claim:
A method for extending the retail shelf life of individual packages of bananas, comprising, during ripening and retail shelf life of said product, maintaining said product in an individual package containing one banana, which package includes a gas medium comprising oxygen and carbon dioxide, wherein the ratio of oxygen to carbon dioxide in said gas medium 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 (by weight) 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 (by weight) of carbon dioxide in the gas medium is from about 3.0 to about 10.0, wherein the ripening is activated in said package by increasing the temperature of the bananas to 60° F.-62° F., adding ethylene to the gas medium surrounding the bananas, or combinations thereof, after which said package is sealed, and further wherein the composition of the gas medium is maintained by incorporating into the package, which has a non permeable portion, a selectively gas permeable membrane 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 .