Physico-functional and nutritional properties of banana based instant brownie mix

Abstract

Banana (Musa acuminate L.) is one of the significant sources of nutrients, which grown abundantly in tropical and subtropical countries, and it is consumed either in raw or processed form. Production of value-added food products from green banana flour is an excellent alternative to keep the nutritional value of fresh bananas while minimizing the post-harvest losses. The present study was aimed to assess the possibility of developing banana flour based instant brownie mix from three different banana varieties namely Seeni banana, Ambul banana, and Cavendish banana. The developed brownie mixes were subjected to sensory evaluation using 30 semi-trained sensory panelists. The nutritional and antioxidant properties of the selected best brownie mix were analyzed and its shelf-life was examined at both room temperature and refrigerated conditions in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and Kraft paper packages. Further, physico-functional properties of brownie mixes from three different banana varieties were assessed. Based on their physico-functional characteristics, ambul banana instant brownie mix showed highest values for oil absorption capacity (237%), tapped density (0.82 g/mL), compressibility index (39.02), Hausner ratio (1.64), and swelling capacity (10 mL) compared to the other two brownie mixes. The instant brownie mix prepared with seeni banana flour showed highest mean rank values for all the sensory attributes followed by Ambul, and Cavendish banana. The proximate composition of the selected brownie mix showed 1.7±0.1% moisture, 1.8±0.3% ash, 6.5±0.7% crude fat, and 87.8±0.7% carbohydrates. The developed banana based instant brownie mix packed in HDPE packages and Kraft paper zip lock bags can be stored for 75 days at ambient temperature without adding any preservatives.