Review
Bananas, raw materials for making processed food products

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Musa spp., comprising banana and plantain, are among the world's leading fruit crops. Worldwide, 103 million tonnes were produced in 2004, according to FAO statistics database. Few bananas produced undergo industrial processing. Plantain and unripe banana are consumed cooked, whereas, mature dessert banana is eaten raw. Characterising bananas, their processed products and processed consumption forms, is a key precondition for objective communication on these foodstuffs. This will enable niche markets for this major crop, undifferentiated product flows of which are in competition on the worldwide market, to be structured on an objective qualitative basis.

Introduction

Banana (Musa spp.) cultivation is exclusively tropical (Lassoudière, 2007). Cooked bananas are important portion of food intake for populations in production areas. The dessert banana has a global distribution. Considering the nutrition aspect, it is the world's leading fruit crop, and in terms of economical value it is the number five agricultural crop in world trade. There are nearly 100 banana producing countries. According to the FAO's statistics database (FAOSTAT, 2004), 71 million tonnes of dessert bananas, primarily from the Cavendish subgroup; and 32 million tonnes of plantains were produced in 2004 (Table 1). As well as banana and plantain are among the world's leading fruit crops, there are very few industrial processed products issuing from these tropical productions. In this review, we will focus on the opportunity to develop knowledge on bananas' composition and properties as raw materials for making processed food products.

Section snippets

The banana plant, a large, high-biodiversity, fruit-bearing herb

Banana plants are the world's biggest herbs, grown abundantly in many developing countries. They are considered to be one of the most important sources of energy in the diet of people living in tropical humid regions. Banana is a stenothermic plant, cultivated in hot and wet regions, and bear fruit all year round. There are approximately 1200 seedless fleshy fruit varieties. The fruit stalk, or bunch, is the organ of interest for banana cultivation, primarily for food purposes.

The edible fruit

Harnessing banana plant biodiversity

The creation of disease and pest-resistant varieties is a priority for genetic improvement programmes. This is readily comprehensible in tropical environment, where parasite pressure is exacerbated. Cultivation parameters (such as early production, productivity, wind resistance and fruit conformity) are secondary objectives. Banana plant cultivation for local consumption harnesses a multitude of cultivars suited to different farming situations and uses. Dessert banana cultivars grown for export

Cultivation, harvesting and post-harvest treatments

A period of about 8–13 months exists between planting the banana tree and harvesting bunches, which can contain 100–400 fruits. Optimum harvest date, or flowering-harvest interval, is determined from flowering, according to the climate zone and variety. It takes into account the fruit size: length and grade, which is the diameter measured in the middle part perpendicular to the plane of the fruit's curve. Banana fruits are climacteric, i.e. the transition from end of development to product

Banana production and worldwide trade

There are two main distinct modes of production:

  • Firstly, an industrial single-cropping, without rotation, which employs many inputs, producing for export. Banana plants' ratio is 900–2000 individuals per hectare. Fruit yields may reach 50–70 tonnes/ha. Export bananas are derived from a highly technical production process, which requires perfect control of the cultivation calendar, so as to harvest the fruit at the optimum stage of maturity, before it passes the green-yellow stage.

  • Secondly, a

Consumption of bananas and their processed products

Bananas are among the world's leading food crops, after rice, wheat and maize (Table 1). Almost ninety percent of production is consumed in the production areas, especially in the poorest countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia. In certain regions, pureed banana is the first solid food given to infants. Annual consumption may be as much as 250 kg per capita in East Africa. Bananas contribute to reducing food insecurity in producer country populations. Their composition, which includes a high

Prospects for research and developments in bananas

In our general context it is important to elaborate new knowledge about bananas, and identify unknown features, to improve their consumption and their processed products.

The growing proportion of processed products in human diet has put the agri-business sector in an important situation of responsibility in terms of public health. Technological development and innovation have considerably increased food safety, food hygiene and products shelf life. However, certain industrial processes and

Conclusions

The products of banana production, which are consumed globally, make this crop an object of common interest. Characterisation must be undertaken of its content and concentration of useful biomolecules. The variety of harvesting methods, post-harvesting treatments and consumption methods used throughout the world make bananas and plantain a useful model for investigating quality and its development in fruits and vegetables, through the processes from field to table. Consumption forms (fresh or

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