Postharvest Properties of Unripe Bananas and the Potential of Producing Economic Nutritious Products

Fresh banana is highly perishable fruit; about 30% of the banana production is lost after harvest. There is a need for alternative uses for banana fruit to help reduce the post-harvest losses such as utilizing food product. Currently, banana fruit and flour are of interest due to their nutritional and antioxidant value. The objective of this study was to evaluate the banana fruit and flour physical, chemical and functional properties and incorporate it into food products. Mature green banana fruit from two varieties; 'Williams' and 'Baradika' were subjected to some ripening properties determination, the dried pulp then milled and sieved to obtain flour. The flour was subjected to physiochemical properties determinations. The flour was then incorporated with other ingredients to make baked and fried tortilla chips. The results revealed that the net weight of the dried sample (flour) was 30.5–38.1 and ash content was 3.20–2.1 for 'Williams' and 'Baradika,' respectively. The pasting properties of both flours were appropriate to be used in baked or fried products. The sensory properties of all prepared products were acceptable. While fried products were superior compared to baked ones, the differences within the cultivars were not significant. Total marketing costs of 'Williams' banana chips were EGP 2900/ ton, while it was about 8595 pounds/ton for tortilla chips. For 'Baradika' it recorded 2900 pounds/ton for banana chips and 6195 EGP/ton for tortilla chips. Hence, postharvest loss of banana fruit can be reduced by utilizing them in food products.