DEVELOPMENT AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS INCORPORATING BANANA PSEUDOSTEM POWDER: A SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO DIETARY FIBRE FORTIFICATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53555/t9zzq938Keywords:
Banana pseudostem, dietary fibre, functional foods, agricultural waste valorization, food fortification, sensory evaluationAbstract
Banana pseudostem, an abundant agricultural byproduct generated during fruit harvest, represents a significant source of dietary fibre and minerals that is traditionally discarded as waste. This research investigated the potential of dried banana pseudostem powder as a functional ingredient for nutritional enhancement of conventional food products. The study aimed to develop and comprehensively evaluate food products (biscuits, crisps, and sweets) incorporating banana pseudostem powder at varying substitution levels (10%, 20%, and 30%) and to assess their nutritional composition, physicochemical properties, sensory acceptability, and storage stability. In the study, the banana pseudostem powder was prepared through systematic drying and grinding procedures. A comprehensive nutritional and physicochemical characterization were conducted by standard AOAC methods. Nine food products were developed at three substitution levels alongside control formulations. Products were evaluated for nutritional composition, sensory attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale with 30 trained panelists, and shelf-life stability was evaluated over 28 days under ambient storage conditions. The results indicated that banana pseudostem powder demonstrated exceptional nutritional properties with 39.0 g/100g crude fibre (13-20 fold higher than wheat flour), 1200 mg/100g potassium (9-fold higher), and 250 mg/100g calcium (12-17 fold higher). Water absorption capacity was 4.50 ± 0.12 g/g. Substitution resulted in systematic increases in dietary fibre content across all products, with biscuits showing fibre increases from 2.5 g/100g (control) to 11.0 g/100g (30% substitution), representing a 340% enhancement. Sensory evaluation revealed that 10% substitution maintained high acceptability (overall scores 7.6-7.9), while 20% substitution approached threshold acceptability (scores 6.8-7.1). The 30% substitution level provided maximum nutritional benefits but showed marginal consumer acceptance (scores 5.9-6.1). Shelf-life studies demonstrated adequate stability at lower substitution levels with appropriate packaging. The study concluded that banana pseudostem powder represents a viable functional ingredient for developing fibre-enriched food products that address dietary fibre inadequacy while promoting agricultural waste valorization. The 10% substitution level is optimal for commercial applications, balancing substantial nutritional enhancement (125-250% fibre increase) with high consumer acceptability and adequate shelf stability. This research provides evidence-based guidance for food manufacturers seeking sustainable ingredients for nutritional fortification.
References
1.Anderson, J. W., Baird, P., Davis, R. H., Ferreri, S., Knudtson, M., Koraym, A., Waters, V., & Williams, C. L. (2009). Health benefits of dietary fibre. Nutrition Reviews, 67(4), 188-205.
2.Anhwange, B. A., Ugye, T. J., & Nyiaatagher, T. D. (2009). Chemical composition of Musa sapientum (banana) peels. Electronic Journal of Environmental, Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 8(6), 437-442.
3.AOAC. (2016). Official methods of analysis of AOAC International (20th ed.). Association of Official Analytical Chemists International.
4.APHA. (2001). Compendium of methods for the microbiological examination of foods (4th ed.). American Public Health Association.
5.Dhingra, D., Michael, M., Rajput, H., & Patil, R. T. (2012). Dietary fibre in foods: A review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 49(3), 255-266.
6.Elleuch, M., Bedigian, D., Roiseux, O., Besbes, S., Blecker, C., & Attia, H. (2011). Dietary fibre and fibre-rich by-products of food processing: Characterisation, technological functionality and commercial applications. Food Chemistry, 124(2), 411-421.
7.FAO. (2020). FAOSTAT database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/faostat
8.Grunert, K. G., Hieke, S., & Wills, J. (2011). Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use. Food Policy, 44, 177-189.
9.Institute of Medicine. (2005). Dietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fibre, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein, and amino acids. National Academies Press.
10.Jenkins, D. J., Kendall, C. W., Augustin, L. S., Mitchell, S., Sahye-Pudaruth, S., Blanco Mejia, S., ... & Josse, R. G. (2008). Effect of legumes as part of a low glycemic index diet on glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Archives of Internal Medicine, 168(21), 2312-2320.
11.Labuza, T. P. (1980). The effect of water activity on reaction kinetics of food deterioration. Food Technology, 34(4), 36-41.
12.Labuza, T. P., & Szybist, L. M. (2001). Open dating of foods: A review of recent applications. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 41(5), 365-401.
13.Mohapatra, D., Mishra, S., & Sutar, N. (2010). Banana and its by-product utilisation: An overview. Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 69(5), 323-329.
14.Padam, B. S., Tin, H. S., Chye, F. Y., & Abdullah, M. I. (2014). Banana by-products: An under-utilized renewable food biomass with great potential. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 51(12), 3527-3545.
15.Pathak, P. D., Mandavgane, S. A., & Kulkarni, B. D. (2017). Fruit peel waste: Characterization and its potential uses. Current Science, 113(3), 444-454.
16.Perez, V., & Chang, E. T. (2014). Sodium-to-potassium ratio and blood pressure, hypertension, and related factors. Advances in Nutrition, 5(6), 712-741.
17.Raghavendra, S. N., Ramachandra Swamy, S. R., Rastogi, N. K., Raghavarao, K. S. M. S., Kumar, S., & Tharanathan, R. N. (2006). Grinding characteristics and hydration properties of coconut residue: A source of dietary fibre. Journal of Food Engineering, 72(3), 281-286.
18.Shewry, P. R., & Hey, S. J. (2015). The contribution of wheat to human diet and health. Food and Energy Security, 4(3), 178-202.
19.Sudha, M. L., Vetrimani, R., & Leelavathi, K. (2007). Influence of fibre from different cereals on the rheological characteristics of wheat flour dough and on biscuit quality. Food Chemistry, 100(4), 1365-1370.
20.USDA. (2019). USDA Food composition databases. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. https://ndb.nal.usda.gov
21.Wang, J. C., & Kinsella, J. E. (1976). Functional properties of novel proteins: Alfalfa leaf protein. Journal of Food Science, 41(2), 286-292.
22.Weaver, C. M., Proulx, W. R., & Heaney, R. (2016). Choices for achieving adequate dietary calcium with a vegetarian diet. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 70(3), 543s-548s.
