ABSTRACT - The banana cultivars Nam, Pioneira, Caipira, SH 3640, FHIA 01, FHIA 18, Mysore, Nanicão, Grande Naine, Maçã, Prata and Prata Anã were evaluated as to their post-harvest characteristics (post-harvest longevity, marketing period and resistance to fruit dropping), visual aspects (fruit size and coloration of the peel and pulp) and consumer acceptance index through tasting of the ripe fruit (flavor, pulp firmness and similarity of flavor with the traditional cultivars Prata, Prata Anã, Maçã and Nanicão). The work was conducted through laboratory trials by using six banana hands of each cultivar and interviews after the tasting tests with 80 consumers of Lavras and Maria da Fé-MG over the period of October 2000 to April 2001.The results pointed out that as to the visual aspects only the cultivar Caipira obtained a low consumer acceptance index (< 50%). As to the post-harvest characteristics the cultivars Prata Anã, Maçã, Prata and SH 3640 stood out with longer post-harvest longevities and marketing period. Only the cultivar Mysore presented resistance to fruit dropping at the ideal consumption point while the cultivars Maçã, Nam, Caipira and SH 3640 were fairly resistant and the others non-resistant. The cultivars Prata, Maçã, Prata Anã and SH-3640 obtained the highest consumer acceptance indices on the basis of flavor and aroma, and the cultivar Caipira the poorest. The cultivar SH 3640 was considered to have aroma and flavor similar to those of Prata and Prata Anã by 92.8% of the consumers and obtained about 45% of preference relative to these cultivars and 85% relative to Nanicão.
Musa; post-harvest; longevity; tasting; flavor
