Production of plantain powder using enzyme-liquefied feed through spray drying operation

Plantain is a tropical fruit that is widely consumed due to its exotic flavor and nutritional value. However, the fresh plantain is very perishable, in which it has a short shelf life i.e., 10 days when stored at room temperature. Hence, the conversion of the fresh fruit into a value-added product such as powder can prevent post-harvest loss. To do this, the plantain fruit was undergoing enzymatic treatment to produce a low-viscosity feed before the production of powder using the spray drying method. The enzymatic treatment with Celluclast ® at 2.0% (v/v) for 2 hours at 40°C produced feed with the lowest viscosity level (101.27cp) with the highest total soluble solid value (32.30°Brix). Then, 30% maltodextrin was added as a carrier agent for spray drying at different inlet temperatures of 160–200°C. From the results, the inlet temperature at 180°C was the optimized temperature with the yield of 26%. The properties of produced plantain powder had a water activity at 0.17aw, moisture content at 4.4%, water solubility index at 89.83%, water absorption index at 45.41%, color measurement 83.86, 1.05 and 11.16 for L*, a* and b*, respectively, hygroscopicity at 0.07%, proximate composition of protein at 0.029%, fat at 4.391%, crude fiber at 0.025% and ash at 9.610%. In a conclusion, spray-dried plantain powder is able to minimize the disposal of waste from plantain plantations and broaden the application of plantain powder to be applied into various innovative food products.