Flow behaviour of processed banana purée / Comportamiento del flujo de puré de banana procesado

Flow characterization of a banana purée preserved by combined factors (slight reduction of water activity, reduction of pH, addition of preservatives and slight thermal treatment) was obtained at 5 and 25 °C. Fresh banana purée was used as a control. Preserved banana purée had thixotropic and pseudoplastic characteristics, exhibiting a defined yield stress and obeying the Weltmann and Herschel-Bulkley models. Additionally, the Michaels and Bolger model was tested to obtain information related to structural characteristics. Temperature had an important effect on the flow properties of the purée, a fact that might be attributed to the high contribution of the juice to the viscosity.