Carriage of banans -Safety procedure onboard general cargo ship
Bananas are usually packed in cartons ranging in weight from 11kg to 18kg, which are palletised and
carried in temperature controlled holds or refrigerated containers. Palletisation has two main advantages
over break-bulk carriage. Firstly, it is more cost effective for handling and secondly, it helps reduce the
potential for fruit damage by handling.
Cartons are punched with ventilation holes and handles to facilitate
handling. A standard 18kg carton usually contains 16 to 20 clusters of bananas, which may be packed loose
in a single transparent polythene bag or individually in separate polythene bags to suit individual customer
(supermarket) requirements.
Cartons of bananas in stow
The carriage of bananas requires greater ventilation fan power than is necessary for other refrigerated
commodities, e.g. apples, frozen meat. Consequently, while a ship designed for the carriage of bananas is
quite suitable for carrying citrus fruits, apples, etc., a vessel designed and equipped solely for the carriage
of the latter would not necessarily be able to carry bananas satisfactorily over a long voyage. Up to 90 air
changes per hour may be necessary to maintain a stable carriage temperature (typically 13.3°C to 14.4°C)
and the removal of respiration gases, such as CO2.
The respiration rate of bananas increases dramatically
after cutting, which produces ethylene followed several hours later by CO2. It is essential that the gases
are removed and the temperature maintained within the desired range, otherwise the ripening process will
continue inexorably. Bananas are both producers of and sensitive to ethylene.
Additional measures can be used to limit respiration and consequent production of ethylene. Firstly, by
modifying the atmosphere of the polyethylene bag (commonly referred to as "Banavac") and/or secondly,
by modifying and controlling the atmosphere (C.A.) of the vessel's holds. Banavac involves using a non-
permeable polythene bag and drawing out all the gases to create a vacuum. This has the effect of limiting
the respiration of the bananas.
Ripening of bananas within cartons
C.A. of a vessel's hold is achieved by removing the gases and maintaining
a low level of oxygen at 2.5% to a level of carbon dioxide at 5%, which limits the respiration rate of the
bananas. This is carried out by the use of a nitrogen generator and sophisticated monitoring equipment to
ensure accurate levels of O2 and CO2 are maintained. C.A. carriage has the further advantages of greatly
reducing the incidence of "ripe & turning" fruit and crown rot during the sea passage.
Pre-Shipment Preparation
Prior to loading, compartments should be thoroughly cleaned, well aired, ozonated and, if necessary,
fumigated in order to remove any trace of residual odours, particularly from citrus fruits. Because of the
large amount of condensation produced from the cooling batteries during carriage (especially the first
2448 hours after closing hatches), special attention must be paid to seeing that all scuppers are clear.
Compartments should be pre-cooled to the specified temperature.
Prior to shipment, sample cartons should be opened to ascertain the condition of the fruit. Good pre-
shipment condition is vital to successful transport, i.e. fruit should be all green (it is not acceptable to just
remove single ripened fingers from a bunch. The whole bunch should be rejected, even if one banana has
turned yellow). Care also should be taken to ensure that the fruit is not suffering from stem rot.
Bananas cut more than 1824 hours before shipment should not be accepted unless they have been kept
under refrigeration. To determine the suitability for transport, sample fingers should be cut in half with
a sharp knife. On separating the two faces gently, filaments of a latex-like substance should link the cut
surfaces until some distance apart. If this does not happen, the bananas are ripening and should be rejected.
A further test may be to shave the toe of the banana where the flesh should be dry and have a slightly grainy
feel. The presence of moisture may indicate the ripening process has commenced. Careful handling is
necessary to prevent bruising when picking, grading and packing.
Pulp temperatures should be recorded at the beginning, middle and end of loading of each compartment.
Stowage of bananas
Shippers' instructions for the stowage and care of the cargo are almost always issued to the vessel prior
to the commencement of loading and usually form part of the producer's Quality Management System. The
instructions should be followed closely and an accurate record kept of any enforced deviation from the letter
of the instructions.
When stowing over fixed gratings, which is the normal method of ventilation on modern refrigerated
ships, precautions should be taken to avoid short circuiting of the air flow. This is achieved by blocking off
ventilation holes in the gratings which are not overstowed with cargo using dunnage, plywood, cardboard
or well- secured plastic sheeting.
The stow should not extend up into spaces between underdeck beams or girders. Similarly, cargo should
not obstruct the flow of air through the return air gratings to the fan room. A minimum clear space of
150mm should be maintained at the top of the stow.
Palletised Cargo
The minimum under-deck height for the handling and stowage of standard pallets is 2.2 metres. Pallets
are stowed close together to avoid short-circuiting of the air flow. Gaps between pallets, or between the stow
and the hold battens, should be filled using dunnage or custom-made air bags.
Cargo in Cartons
Cartons should be stowed eight to ten cartons high, depending upon the deck height and proximity to the
fan room gratings normally with the long side fore and aft. Tiers should not be allowed to overlap. Vertical
dunnage should be provided at regular intervals to guard against collapse of the stow in adverse weather
conditions.
Break Bulk
"Break bulk" describes both loose stowed and palletised cartons. All deck space must be covered and
with palletised cargo air bags are used to both secure the stow and fill any gaps thus preventing short-
circulating of air. Should there be insufficient cargo to cover the whole deck area, tarpaulins or heavy-duty
plastic sheeting should be spread over the empty deck to prevent short-circuiting. The covers should be
securely fixed to the deck or weighted down with empty pallets.
Modern reefer vessels have a minimum deck height (measured from the top of the grating to the deckhead)
of 2200mm. There must be a minimum of 100mm between to the top of the uppermost carton and the
deckhead to ensure adequate air flow.
Normally air delivery for conventional carriage should be within the range of 13.0°C to 13.8°C. However,
individual banana varieties or trades may require different conditions. In some instances shippers may
require a two stage temperature reduction with a lower air delivery (not below 13.0°C) for the first 24 hours,
which is then raised to a higher delivery temperature for the remainder of the voyage. Fresh air ventilation
should be restricted for the first 24 hours to expedite cooling and then maintained at a rate to keep the CO2 level below the specified maximum (normally 0.5%).
During the voyage the temperature should not be allowed to drop below the specified minimum
temperature (normally 13.3°C) otherwise bananas may be subject to UPD (Under Peel Discolouration) or
chill damage.
A vessel discharging bananas in a cold environment (e.g during winter in a north European port) may
increase the air delivery temperature 24 hours prior to the arrival in such a port and maintain the higher
air delivery temperature to spaces being worked. It is important, however, that during breaks in cargo
operations (meals, etc) the hatch covers are closed to reduce the effects of cold weather.
Accurate detailed records are to be maintained whilst the cargo is on board the ship covering the air
delivery temperature, pulp temperature and the air return temperature.
Whilst cargo loading/discharging is underway the condition of the pallets and cartons and pulp temperatures
should be checked and noted. During loading any ripe and turning (R&T) fruit should be rejected.
ISO Containers
Bananas may occasionally be shipped in closed box containers without refrigeration for very short
passages. Container doors should remain open and the fruit should be green at the time of stuffing. Up to
25% wastage must be expected over a two or three day passage.
Very large quantities of bananas are now being shipped in insulated containers under refrigeration, usually
under C.A. conditions. The payload of a 20ft unit stuffed with cartons is about 7.5 tonnes. Stuffing containers
with fruit at field heat may be possible for limited transport distances, but is not recommended because:
It puts a great strain on container refrigeration equipment.
Temperature control of all parts of the stow becomes less likely.
Exact timing between
picking and stuffing is too open to chancee.g. ship delays, harvest dates coming forward etc.
Controlled Atmosphere (C.A.)
Bananas are now most likely to be carried under controlled atmosphere conditions.
Refrigeration is essentially the removal of heat through
the process of evaporation. We choose to refrigerate
commodities such as fruits and vegetables because we
want to prolong their “practical shelf life” – the time from
harvest until the product loses its commercial value. More .....
it is essential that all products are treated correctly prior
to stuffing. Even though the temperature, ventilation and
humidity are all optimal during the entire voyage, products
will only arrive in perfect condition if the pre-treatment has
been performed correctly. Successful shipping begins at the
product sourcing area. More .....
On deck refrigerated containers are generally serviced by clip-on air cooled electric motor drive cooling units. The units are plugged into the
ships electrical system by way of suitable deck sockets. More .....
Proper packaging procedures will help protect frozen cargo
during transport. Frozen products do not require air holes in
the top and bottom of the cartons. Air flowing around the load
is sufficient to remove heat that has penetrated the container.
The cartons should be stacked directly on top of each other to
take advantage of their strength in the corners. More .....
Packaging plays an important role when it comes to protecting the cargo. The packaging material must be able
to support a stacking height of up to 2.4 metres (7’10’’).
The material should be able to withstand humidity without
collapsing, and should allow the passage of an adequate
vertical airflow through the cartons in order to maintain the
desired temperature.. More .....
Goods should be well stowed within the package,
evenly distributed and properly secured. Items
completely filling the case or carton contribute to
the strength of the whole package. Items which do
not completely fill the package must be cushioned
against shock or vibration. More .....
Proper ventilation of fresh, chilled products is necessary to
remove the heat, carbon dioxide and other gases produced
by the cargo. Heat is removed by continuously circulating
the internal air, whereas carbon dioxide and other gases are
removed by replacing the internal air supply with cooled
fresh air.. More .....
Refrigerated cargoes include meat carcases, carton (packed) meat, fruit, cheese, butter, fish and offal. Ships are specifically designed for their carriage, with separate spaces in holds and ’tween decks, each fitted with suitable insulation and individual control of ventilation. Ordinary general cargoes may be carried in the spaces at other times, the temperature being regulated accordingly for the type of cargo being carried. More .....
classification societies publish rules and regulations which are principally concerned with the strength of the ship, the provision of adequate equipment, and the reliability of the machinery . More .....
To maintain the assigned class all steel ships are required to be surveyed and examined by the Society’s
surveyors at regular periods.
The major hull items to be examined at these surveys only are discussed
here.. More .....
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