Banana - Tropical and Subtropical Fruits: Postharvest Physiology, Processing and Packaging - page 140

and filled into 301 205 mm cans followed by sugar and

jaggery syrup addition (20 ◦ ,25 ◦ ,or30 ◦ Brix). The cans
were exhausted in a hot water bath for 8 min and immedi-
ately seamed. The cans were processed under pressure at
121 ◦ C for 25 min and cooled and stored at ambient temper-
ature. The textural analysis revealed that 'Rasthali' offered
more resistance to cutting, penetration, and compression,
followed by 'Poovan.' 'Red Banana' with 30 ◦ Brix cover-
ing syrup at 135 days of storage was disintegrated during
compression. Canned banana was microbiologically safe
and sensorial acceptable after storage for 135 days (Karthi-
ayani and Devadas, 2007).

× widely used as a weaning food in Uganda due its high fiber

and viscosity (Bukusuba et al., 2008). In Nigeria, Ivory
Coast and Ghana plantain and cassava are mixed to make
fufu. In other countries, such as Jamaica, plantain tarts are
produced as small business that provides a good source of
income. In the Philippines, bananas are used to produce a
product similar to ketchup, with comparable consistency.
In other countries, roasted unripe bananas are also used as
a coffee substitute (Table 8.3).
To diversify the use of banana and plantains, some new
products, such as flours, chips, and cakes, were developed.
The effect of stage of ripeness and cultivar on the sensory
and physicochemical characteristics of the processed
products was tested. For flour production, the bananas
and plantains in stages 1 and 3 of ripeness of the cultivars
studied are recommended. To produce cakes, only the
bananas and plantain at stages 1 and 3 of ripeness should
be utilized as these present minimal drying problems
(Yomeni et al., 2004).
Stem juice of banana ( Musa paradisiaca ) was tested in its
potential to control hypoglycemia caused due to insulin and
other hypoglycemic drugs. The results showed the presence
of hyperglycemic effect and the possibility of its antidia-
betic potential in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus
(Singh et al., 2007).
Overripe banana can be used to obtain other products.
The pulp is mashed and diluted to obtain a juice that can be
fermented naturally to make beer ( tonto and lubisi )tradi-
tionally in Uganda (Mwesigye and Okurut, 1995) that has
a low alcohol content of 2% (Gensi et al., 2000). However,
other studies are related with the production of liquors with
higher alcohol content, where banana juice is blended with
coarse sorghum flour and inoculated with the yeast Sac-
charomyces cerevisiae. The beverage contained 24.3% of
alcohol and the product packed and stored (6 months) was
stable under room conditions, exhibiting minimal turbidity
(Singh et al., 2009).
Banana chips are prepared by frying the peeled sound
and mature banana fruit (Musa varieties) sufficient to at-
tain a crispy texture. It may be in the form of chips, slices,
halves, cubes, or other forms with or without the addition
of sweetening agent(s), salt(s), or other food ingredients
and additives. The products shall have undergone a frying
process sufficient to ensure quality and shelf life stability at
ambient conditions and shall be packed in suitable packag-
ing materials. It is recommended that the product covered
by the provisions of this standard be prepared and handled
in accordance with the appropriate sections of the Rec-
ommended International Code of Practice-General Prin-
ciples of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4-2003)

Freezing
Ripe banana is used for diverse food applications, and to
have available product year-round, freezing is a technolog-
ical alternative. There are diverse ways to freeze banana,
for example, cut the fruit in slices of 2-3 cm of thickness
and put the slices in freezer bags. It is possible to freeze
the whole peeled banana or even freeze the banana with its
peel. The peel will turn brown but the pulp will not change
in either texture or color. Frozen banana can be used to
make banana bread, banana pudding, or any recipe that calls
for banana.
In other culinary applications, the use of banana puree is
necessary, and traditionally, banana puree is frozen. How-
ever, banana puree undergoes rapid browning as a result of
tissue disruption and exposure to oxygen during the peeling
and puree obtaining. Addition of antibrowning agents (e.g.,
ascorbic acids) can minimize browning development.

Indigenous and new products
The ideas to diversify the final use of banana have consid-
ered several options such as production of diverse regional
food products (snacks, desserts, meals, etc.) and the use of
ripe banana fruit to produce vinegar and spirits. However,
in the diverse countries of South America, flour is pro-
duced to prepare some regional dishes named “empanadas.”
Banana pulp of diverse varieties or cultivars is used for
people with special diet requirements, where easy diges-
tion and low mineral and fat content are required. These
special diets are suggested for babies, elderly people, and
patients with stomach problems, gout, and arthritis (Naka-
sone and Paull, 1999). Additionally, unripe bananas have
antidiarrheal characteristics (Rabbani et al., 2004) and they
are used to cure intestinal disorders (Aurora and Sharma,
1990). In Africa, diverse dishes using banana and plantain
are prepared. For example in Uganda, banana is mixed with
peanuts and spices, and the blend is wrapped in banana leaf
and cooked by steaming; this dish is called matooke and is