Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Monkey Business Scientists: Science in search of the top banana

Science has always bveen known to follow the money. Religion has never been as profitable, you know.

There's some green to made in the yellow, helping keep agriculture out of the red by avoiding black spots.

WHACK!

Science in search of the top banana
By ARTHUR MAX – 7 hours ago

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — It's not easy to keep a banana yellow.

To get it to market ripe but unblemished by brown sugar spots takes careful timing, a slight fiddling with nature's rhythms and a delivery system that is increasingly computer-driven and technical.

The perfect banana used to be a rare and precious find, but technology is changing that. From the tree in the sweltering tropics to the grocery rack in the frigid north, scientists are seeking new ways to strengthen the food chain and extend the shelf life of perishables so they reach distant consumers as if freshly picked.

Commercially, the goal is to satisfy a demand for quality food anywhere, any time, and at maximum profit.

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