The fungus that devastates the Cavendish banana has now arrived in Latin America

Re:The fungus that devastates the Cavendish banana has now a... by simonebrunozzi on Tuesday August 13, 2019 @12:30PM (#20687377)

> banana ripening centers that pump ethylene through a chilled chamber to get them to ripen.

Thanks for sharing this. I've read a few things like this one, regarding "ripening centers" for various fruits, including apples and strawberries.

I am not sure that a banana stays "healthy" after going through a toxic gas - well, apparently the normal concentrations are not toxic to humans [0]: "Ethylene has been found not harmful or toxic to humans in the concentrations found in ripening rooms (100-150 ppm)."

Or maybe IT IS toxic after all? [1]. This is where a national medical/certification/food system should step in and clarify things for good.

[0]: https://www.catalyticgenerators.com/ethylene-c2h4/

[1]: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/MMG/MMG.asp?id=730&tid=133

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Re:The fungus that devastates the Cavendish banana has now a... by trehalose on Tuesday August 13, 2019 @05:09PM (#20690279)

Ethylene oxide is a completely different chemical from ethylene. They're as different as methane and formaldehyde. Ethylene oxide is an epoxide, a class of chemicals that are generally extremely reactive. Ethylene is a simple hydrocarbon.

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Re:The fungus that devastates the Cavendish banana has now a... by simonebrunozzi on Tuesday August 13, 2019 @05:58PM (#20690682)

Thanks for clarifying. I'm deeply ignorant, despite I loved studying Chemistry 20+ years ago.

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Re:The fungus that devastates the Cavendish banana has now a... by dole on Tuesday August 13, 2019 @02:51PM (#20689015)

Similarly, meat processors pump carbon monoxide into meat packaging to keep it looking cosmetically fresher/redder.

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