Banana powder is a powder made from processed
bananas
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – berry (botany), botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large treelike herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa (genus), Musa''. In some countries, cooking bananas are called pla ...
. It is used as a component for production of milk shakes and
baby food
Baby food is any soft, easily consumed Human food, food other than breastmilk or infant formula that is made specifically for human babies between six months and two years old. The food comes in many varieties and flavors that are purchased ready ...
s.
It is also used in the manufacture of various types of cakes and biscuits.
Manufacture
Banana powder is formed by using banana pulp, which is mechanically chopped and then processed with
hydraulic shear using a
colloid mill, turning it into a paste.
Sodium metabisulfite
Sodium metabisulfite or sodium pyrosulfite (IUPAC spelling; Br. E. sodium metabisulphite or sodium pyrosulphite) is an inorganic compound of chemical formula Na2S2O5. The substance is sometimes referred to as disodium metabisulfite. It is used a ...
is then used to brighten the yellow color of the paste. The paste is then dried by either spray- or drum-drying, although the latter is more common, because none of the paste is lost while drying. Drum-drying also produces about 2% more powder and dries it more thoroughly.
Regardless of the drying process, banana powder can generally only stay fresh on the shelf for about a year.
History
The use of banana powder in baby formula has been widespread since the very early 1900s as a method of keeping babies healthy. In 1916 it was also considered to be one of the "important industries of the West Indies" during this period, along with dried banana "figs".
The
United Fruit Company
The United Fruit Company (later the United Brands Company) was an American multinational corporation that traded in tropical fruit (primarily bananas) grown on Latin American plantations and sold in the United States and Europe. The company was ...
began to produce a product named Melzo during the 1930s, in which banana powder was the main ingredient. Because of the useful properties of banana powder, Melzo was marketed as a "health food for children and old folks, as a corrective for certain indigestions, and as a revitalizer for all who are sluggish mentally or physically".
Usage
General uses
Banana powder has been found to be a "major source of carbohydrate and calories". While it is generally low as a source of protein, the beneficial ingredients of the powder are still "markedly superior to that of other fruits". The powder has also been found to be useful as a general treatment for
dyspepsia
Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia or upset stomach, is a condition of impaired digestion. Symptoms may include upper abdominal fullness, heartburn, nausea, belching, or upper abdominal pain. People may also experience feeling full earlier ...
(indigestion).
Scientific uses
In 1984, scientists from
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
were able to extract part of the "antiulcer compounds" found in banana powder, which ended up creating a type of powder that was "300 times more active" in preventing
ulcer
An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughin ...
s in the stomach. Banana powder was later found to increase
cell growth
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
* Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network
* Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization
* Electrochemical cell, a de ...
, which allowed more rapid healing of the area where ulcers had previously occurred.
See also
*
Banana chip
A banana chip (sometimes called banana crisp) is a deep-fried or dried, generally crispy slice of banana. It is usually made from firmer, starchier banana varieties (" cooking bananas" or plantains) like the saba and Nendran cultivars. It ca ...
*
Banana flour
References
Further reading
*
*
{{Banana
Bananas
Food powders