Attenuating sugar spot and retaining quality of banana fruits by combined use of hot water and calcium lactate during storage.

This article investigates the combined effect of hot water (HW) treatment at 50 °C for 7 minutes and calcium lactate (CL) dipping (1–3% for 2 minutes) on the postharvest quality and shelf life of banana fruits stored under ambient conditions (22–25 °C, 60–65% relative humidity) for nine days. The study found that the combined HW and 3% CL treatment most effectively maintained peel firmness, reduced physiological weight loss, decay incidence, sugar spot formation, respiration rate, and ethylene evolution compared to untreated fruits. Additionally, this treatment preserved higher levels of ascorbic acid and titratable acidity while delaying ripening and maintaining sensory qualities such as mouthfeel, color, and overall acceptability. These findings suggest that pre-storage application of HW and CL is a promising non-chemical approach to extend banana shelf life and preserve fruit quality without compromising consumer appeal.