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INTRODUCTION

Banana is a fast growing and high biomass-yielding plant.

India is the largest producer of banana next to mango.

The major banana producing states are

Maharashtra, kerela, Tamilnadu, Gujarat, Bihar, West

Bengal, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

They are cultivated primarily for their fruit, and to a lesser

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The fruit averages 125 grams (0.28 lb), of which

approximately 75% is water and 25% dry matter.

Each individual fruit (known as a banana or 'finger') has a

protective outer layer (a peel or skin) with a fleshy, edible

inner portion.

Both skin and inner part can be eaten raw or cooked.

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About 90% of banana produced is consumed domestically as fresh

fruit.

5% - processed, About 2.5% is only processed purely as banana

products and the rest as an ingredient in other foods.

About 17 varieties of products could be made from banana.

The primary product of banana in market is “fried chips and candy”

which constitute around 31 %, rest as banana puree 9%, banana pulp

3%, banana beer 3%, banana wafers 3%, banana powder 6% and

others Previous Next End

The government of India has set up a separate full-fledged

ministry named “Ministry of Food Processing Industries “for

the development and promotion of food processing industries.

FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Banana pseudostem products

Tender banana stem is generally used as a vegetable and has

high medicinal values. Sweet candy is prepared from tender

banana pseudostem.

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Sweet candy

Ingredients needed

Banana (tender) stem slices- 500g, Sugar- 1500g, Citric acid- 3g

Potassium meta bi sulphite- 0.5g.

Method

Tender fresh banana stem is sliced (4mm thick) and soaked in 0.25

per cent citric acid solution to prevent browning (1:2 ratio).

The slices are softened by pressure cooking for 20 minutes and again

soaked in solution containing 0.25 per cent citric acid and 1.0 per

cent calcium chloride for 30 minutes for firming (1:2 ratio).

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The softened banana stem slices are allowed to soak overnight

in the sugar syrup.

The slices are removed from the syrup on the second day

another 75 per cent of sugar is added to the syrup and boiled.

The partially soaked banana stem slices are again added into

the syrup (cooled) and kept for overnight for the penetration of

sugar into the slices.

The procedure is repeated for 3-4 days.

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During the fourth day citric acid is added while boiling the sugar syrup and

cooled.

Potassium meta bi sulphite is added to the syrup and mixed before adding

the slices.

The banana stem slices are allowed to soak for 7 days in the sugar syrup for

the maximum sugar penetration into them.

The slices are removed from the syrup washed with warm water to remove

the surface sugar syrup coating and dried at room temperature.

Powdered sugar is sprinkled on the partially dried slices to remove surface

moisture (maximum).

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PAPER INDUSTRY:

In this modern age, the consumption of paper and boards has

increased tremendously.

Conventionally, paper is manufactured from cellulosic materials like

bamboo, hardwood, cotton rags, etc.

The ever-increasing demand, especially of the advanced countries

has resulted in continued denudation of forests causing severe

environmental imbalances.

In this context, cellulose technologists are searching for alternative

raw materials.

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Agricultural residues of non-woody nature like cotton stalks, wheat

straw, rice straw, sorghum stalks, hemp, jute, etc., are possible raw

materials which could be used for paper and boardmaking.

However, all these require to be digested at high temperature and

pressure, employing energy consumptive and costly processes.

Thus the search for other raw materials and cost effective processes

continues.

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One of the materials found to be promising was banana stem

waste, which is a very good source of cellulose.

Banana production in India is the highest, and the area under

it’s cultivation is second largest, among all fruit crops grown in

India.

About 9.8 lakh tons of dry residue is produced from this huge

production, all of which goes waste due to non-availability of

suitable technology for its commercial utilization

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Process:

1. Chopping: Banana stem waste, thrown away by farmers after

harvesting of fruits, is procured as raw material.

The stems are chopped into small pieces of 3-4” size by a

woman worker, usually at a rate of about 100 kg material per

day.

This can be done either at the farm itself or at the production

unit.

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2. Cold digestion:

The material is soaked in 1-2% NaOH for appropriate period.

The alkali loosens the ligno-cellulosic bonds, thereby softening

the material.

3. Washing:

The softened material is transferred to bamboo baskets and

washed with water to remove the black liquor of sodium

lignite and unused alkali.

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4. Beating:

The washed material is then subjected to beating in a Hollander beater.

Two actions take place here:

(a) initial cutting of the material into small pieces, and

(b) separation of fibre from the non-cellulosic material.

5. Storage:

After completion of beating process, the pulp is delivered to a

storage tank located constructed close to the beater.

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6. Board-making:

Pulp from storage tank is manually lifted in a bucket and deposited

in specifically fabricated wooden moulds. They are of two sizes:

26”x39” and 26”x52”.

Depending on the thickness required, appropriate quantity of pulp is

poured in the mould and pressed to remove excess water, using

either a screw press or hydraulic press.

The maximum water content desirable at wet conditions is about

60%.

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7. Drying: The wet boards are then allowed to dry under direct

sun on bamboo frames specially made for this purpose.

About 90-95% moisture gets removed. There are soft boards.

8. Hot Hydraulic Press Treatment:

To produce hard boards, these soft boards are further pressed in

a hot hydraulic press at optimized temperature and pressure.

The time interval depends on the thickness required.

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9. Post-pressing: During the process of drying, the boards get

deformed or warped. To makethem flat, several boards are

stacked together and pressed in a screw press for 2-3 hours.

10. Trimming: The well-pressed boards are then cut into

standard sizes of 24”x24”, 24”x36” and 24”x48” and stacked

for marketing.

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Banana board is potential substitute for wood products like

plywood and medium density boards.

Various uses include: Acoustic panels, Partition walls and

other utilities, Packing material, Files and cover paper,

Expansion joint pads, etc,.

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BANANA FIBER EXTRACTION:

Banana Fiber is extracted from Banana tree bark.

The trunk is peeled.

Brown-green skin is thrown away retaining the cleaner or

white portion which will be processed into knotted fibers.

The fibers are extracted through hand extraction machine

composed of either serrated or non serrated knives.

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The peel is clamped between the wood plank and knife and

hand-pulled through, removing the resinous material.

The extracted fibers are sun-dried which whitens the fiber.

Manual extraction of Banana fibre Coarse banana fibre & livelihood

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Once dried, the fibers are ready for knotting.

A bunch of fibers are mounted or clamped on a stick to facilitate

segregation.

Each fiber is separated according to fiber sizes and grouped

accordingly.

To knot the fiber, each fiber is separated and knotted to the end of

another fiber manually.

The separation and knotting is repeated until bunches of unknotted

fibers are finished to form a long continuous strand

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This fiber is then used for making various products in attractive designs of various sizes.

• Coasters • Table Mats• Bags• Runners• Floor Mats• Home Furnishings

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Products Previous Next End

AGRO WASTE UTILIZATION

Banana peels and beet waste are readily available agricultural waste,

yet they seem to be under utilized as potential growth medium for

local yeast strain, despite their rich carbohydrate content and other

basic nutrients that can support yeast growth.

The indigenous yeast with good fermentation attributes, which may

enhance ethanol yield and minimize cost of production, could be

obtained from ripe banana peels.

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This source is always available in abundance and thus serve as

readily available raw material for the production of ethanol by S.

cerevisiae.

Protein is essential nutrient for yeast growth while fat is vital to the

structure and biological functions of the cell and can be utilized as

alternative source of energy by the cells.

It appears therefore that the impressive performance of yeast in

banana peels is due, partly, to the high contents of fat and protein.

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Bio-ethanol

With the inevitable depletion of the world's petroleum supply, there has

been an increasing worldwide interest in alternative, non-petroleum based

sources of energy.

A growing source of transportation fuel worldwide is fermentation

derived bioethanol.

As well as reducing greenhouse gases, bioethanol produces less harmful

emissions during combustion than its fossil fuel equivalents.

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Bioethanol is produced from a wide variety of raw materials

including corn starch, sugar cane and lignocellulosic waste

materials.

The main cost element in bioethanol production is the

feedstock.

Instead of using beet sugar, work is carried out by using the

beet waste and banana peels for the production of ethanol

which provides more practical feasibility due to its low cost.

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The ripe banana peels and beet waste peels were used within 24h after

collection.

In case, peels could not be used immediately stored in the refrigerator to

prevent deterioration.

However the stored samples were utilized within 48 h of collection.

Processing

The peels washed with sterile distilled water, chopped into small pieces (3-

5cm) using clean knife which was disinfected with 70% ethanol.

5% concentrations of substrate were used with combination of substrate

and media in fermentation broth inoculated with 1% S. cerevisiae for

ethanol production. Previous Next End

ANIMAL FEED

Large quantities of reject bananas are often available for animal feed,

especially in banana exporting countries.

Both cattle and pigs relish ripe bananas, but as an animal feed,

bananas are mainly used for feeding pigs.

A good silage can be made from equal parts of chopped green

bananas and grass, or from chopped green bananas mixed with 1.5%

molasses and on such a diet, pigs tend to have less carcass fat

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Unripe bananas and plantains can also be dried and made into a

meal which can be used to substitute up to 70-80% of the grain

in pig and dairy diets.

Banana meal has also been used in poultry diets, but high

levels in the diet tend to depress growth and reduce feed

efficiency.

Banana and plantain pseudostems are also fed either fresh, or

chopped and ensiled, to cattle and pigs.

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MEDICINAL

Because they contain vitamin A, bananas and plantains act as an aid

to digestion, and it is reported that boiled, mashed ripe fruit can be

good for constipation, especially when mixed with other

recommended plants.

The juice from the male bud provides an apparent remedy for

stomach problems in people of all ages, while there are reports of the

ripe fruit being used in the treatment of asthma and bronchitis.

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The pounded peels of ripe bananas can be used to make a

poultice for wounds and, as the inside of the peel has anti-

septic properties it can be wrapped directly around wounds or

cuts in an emergency.

In Nigeria, a weaning food based on plantain and soybean has

been developed which is nutritious for babies and can be used

as a therapeutic diet for the treatment of malnutrition and

kwashiorkor, which results from protein deficiency.

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Use of Banana leaves

The large leaves of bananas and plantains are put to a diversity of

uses. They make ideal green umbrellas and are frequently used as

disposable plates.

The use of banana leaves as a “biological plate” for serving food has

gained such popularity in Southern India that bananas cultivated

exclusively for their leaves are now being grown commercially.

In many countries, banana leaves are also used for thatching and for

wrapping food for cooking

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They provide temporary mats, which are used for cocoa fermentation

in West Africa.

The leaves were once used as truce flags, and they are still used as

bowl covers, table cloths and for the covering of earth ovens to hold

in the heat.

They can be used for making cigarette papers and hats and they also

provide packing material. Leaf sheaths can be used as water runways

and containers.

They are also used for making the circular pads used in carrying

head loads.

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Finally, some other minor, but extremely varied, uses of the

plant include the use of banana seeds for making necklaces and

other ornaments, the use of banana sap as a dye, the use of the

fruit as a meat tenderizer and the use of banana ash in soap.

In Indonesia, the production of floor wax and shoe polish from

banana peels is also being explored

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Assessment:1.Banana is a fast growing and high biomass-yielding plant – True/False.2.Tender banana stem is generally used as a vegetable and has low medicinal values. True/False3.What is the chemical used for Cold digestion ?Ans:1-2% NaOH4.Floor Mats is the by product of banana fiber - True/False.5.Bioethanol is produced from ---------Ans: lignocellulosic waste

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Reference:Eco-Green unit org. Eco friendly solutions to the people of India.P inoy Bisnes Ideas- Money making business ideas for entrepreneurs. Banana processing –Value added products from Banana.Development of value added products from Banana pseudostem (An Overview of Progress) National Agricultural Innovation Project (Component 2) Navsari Agricultural University, NavsariModels of knowledge based transfer- the case of the presidential initiative on banana Industrial development (PIBID), Uganda.

 

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