Revamping Ethylene Absorption Utilizing Brick Ash in Packaging for Prolonging the Freshness of Banana Leaves

Banana leaves (BLs), renowned for their cultural significance and culinary versatility, serve as indispensable wrappers for food items across tropical and subtropical regions. However, preserving their freshness presents a challenge due to their perishable nature, and traditional preservation methods have limitations. Prompted by this, the studies explore sustainable active packaging solutions to enhance the shelf life of banana leaves. Employing a comprehensive methodology involving sample selection, screening, and testing of packaging materials, and active packing processes, the study evaluates changes in moisture content, water activity, weight loss, pH, colorimetric analysis, and sensory evaluation. With the experimental results, BLs were packed in LDPE pouches with a water vapor transmission rate of 5.476 g/m²/day and an oxygen transmission rate of 140.569 cc/m²/day. Additionally, the BLs were treated with an ethylene scavenger sachet, resulting in treated samples. Storage conditions were maintained at 27 ± 2 °C with 65 ± 5% relative humidity (RH). Analysis revealed that control samples exhibited deteriorating quality parameters after 5 ± 1 days, while treated samples maintained quality for 10 ± 1 days under the same conditions, effectively extending the shelf life of BLs by 2-fold. Treated samples showed maintained moisture content, water activity, chlorophyll, pH, and color values compared to controls. The results demonstrate promising outcomes in prolonging the shelf life of banana leaves through sustainable active packaging, underscoring the potential of these solutions to preserve their quality while minimizing environmental impact. This study emphasizes the significance of sustainable packaging innovations in upholding cultural traditions and advancing environmental sustainability and increasing the value in the food industry both domestically and in export markets.