Production, physical, chemical and sensory evaluation of dried banana (Musa Cavendish)

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest producer of banana in the world. However, its consumption is still compromised, because the fruit has a very short shelf life, which gives rise to the need for developing new ways to preserve it, such as drying or dehydration. The present study aims to produce dried banana by means of drying the fresh Musa Cavendish banana and to evaluate the influence of pre-treatments on the product's quality and acceptability. Three samples were used: T1 was the control and had no pre-treatment; T2 received a pre-treatment composed of a sodium metabisulphite additive solution; and finally T3 was pre-treated with a citric and an ascorbic acid antioxidant solution. The samples were characterized according to yield calculation, moisture, titratable acidity, soluble solids, pH, water activity (aw), color parameters, instrumental texture, and sensory analyses for their overall acceptance and purchase intention. The yield was approximately 30% and there was low water activity and moisture in the product, even after drying for all treatments. There was also an influence of the pre-treatments on the physical, chemical and sensory characteristics of the dried banana. The overall acceptability results indicates a possibility for marketing the product.