Banana

One day, the banana will be perfect. Bright yellow, firm, flavorful. But even within that same day, brown spots appear on your perfectly ripe banana, its flesh turns mushy, and it's destined for the compost or, at best, banana bread. But scientists are developing a way to extend the life of ripe bananas. It's a spray-on coating made from chitosan - a substance found in crab and shrimp shells. A new gel can be sprayed on bananas to slow the ripening process by up to 12 days. Like other fruits, bananas remain alive after being picked, and it actually continues to respire. This means that they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide. The more the banana breathes, the faster it ripens and then rots. Bananas ripen more quickly than most fruit because they don't naturally slow the respiration after being picked; in fact, it speeds up, causing bananas to become mushy. Chitosan not only kills the bacteria on the banana's skin that then leads to rot, but it also significantly slows down the respiration in the first place. So bananas won't drive you bananas.