Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

Introduction

A rising global population, combined with continuous increasing demand for

fresh import of fruits is sustaining development and growth in the business of high

quality, international food storage and transportation.

Southeast Asia, a typical tropical region, plays an important role in exporting

a variety of fruits worldwide. The market for fresh fruits has been growing

consistently, However, export of tropical fruits has limitations such as a short shelf

life and difficulty in maintaining the quality because of tropical climate conditions and

undeveloped postharvest technologies in Southeast Asia. The shelf life of tropical

fruits is significantly dependent on the inherent properties of the fruits, extrinsic

conditions, postharvest treatment, and microbial contamination . An important

objective for developing postharvest technologies is to extend the shelf life of fresh

fruits without deterioration in fruit quality. Therefore, it is essential to determine

factors that affect the shelf life of fruits. (Cho et.al 2015).

Banana (Musa sp.) and Mango (Mangifera indica) are one of the best

agricultural products in the Philippines. Most of the banana producers are found in

Mindanao the southernmost island of our country. It started in Davao del Norte

around the 60’s and has flourished to eleven provinces with about 50,000 hectares

of farmland. For the period January to March 2019, production of banana went

down by 1.4 % from 2.14 million metric tons in 2018 to 2.11 million metric tons this
year. More than one third or 37.1 % of total banana production was from Davao

Region. Northern Mindanao followed with 24.9 % and SOCCSKSARGEN with

12.8 % shares to total. Cavendish variety recorded the highest level of 1.20 million

metric tons, representing 56.6 % of the total banana production this quarter. Saba

ranked second with 25.0 % share and Lakatan with 8.9 % (PSA, 2019). Mango, on

the other hand, during the period January to March 2019, production of mango

dropped by 2.8 percent, from 97.70 thousand metric tons in 2018 to 94.92 thousand

metric tons this year. Ilocos Region had the largest share of 54.6 % to total mango

production, followed by Central Luzon and Western Visayas with 16.5 % and 6.8%,

respectively. Carabao variety with 77.25 thousand metric tons production

contributed the largest share of 81.4 % to the total mango production during the

period (PSA, 2019).

Lastly, Avocado (Persea Americana) which is considered as the most nutritious

fruit in the world. In the Philippines, however, it has not attained the popularity

enjoyed by other fruits despite its early introduction in 1890. One reason for this is

that it lacks that sweetness of such popular fruits as mango, banana and pineapple.

(Business Diary Philippines, 2019). As of 2016, the total production volume of

avocado is 19.57K metric tons and ranked 26th in the worldwide production

(Tridge, 2016).

Currently, interest has increased on using Aloe vera gel in extending the shelf

life of fruits. Aloe vera gel has been proven one of the best edible and biologically

safe preservative coatings for different types of foods because of its film-forming
properties, antimicrobial actions, biodegradability and biochemical properties. It is

composed mainly of polysaccharides and acts as a natural barrier to moisture and

oxygen, which are the main agents of deterioration of fruits and vegetables. Aloe

vera gel has the ability to prolong shelf life of the fruits and vegetables by minimizing

the rate of respiration and maintaining quality attributes (color, flavor etc.). It has

antifungal and antibacterial property which provides a defensive barrier against

microbial contamination of fruits and vegetables (Brishti, 2014).

This study was conducted to determine if the aloe vera gel is effective as a

shelf life extender of the specific tropical fruits.