Keywords: Foam-mat oven drying; banana peels; foam properties; hygroscopicity; flowability

Abstract

The high demand for bananas indirectly contributes to the increase in banana waste nowadays. In fact, the undervalued banana peel has the potential to be transformed into functional food, as it has been traditionally consumed as food and medicine to treat various kinds of ailments. This study aimed to produce foam-mat oven-dried (FMOD) banana peel powder using egg white as a foaming agent and carboxymethylcellulose as a foam stabiliser. A few parameters, including whipping time and concentration of foaming agent and stabiliser, were evaluated using the Box-Behnken Design combined with the Response Surface Methodology. The foam expansion (367%), density (0.611 g/cm2), and stability (21.43%) were optimised at 20%, 0.625%, and 5 minutes of foaming agent, foam stabiliser, and whipping time, respectively. The FMOD technique gave non-hygroscopicity (1.19%) and non-caking banana peel powder (3.12%) due to its low moisture content, fair flowability (35.99%), poor wettability (27 min 32 sec) and water solubility index (14.79%). The proximate analysis of protein, crude fibre, moisture, ash, and carbohydrate was found to be 1.45%, 10.62%, 14.35%, 24.99%, and 51.41%, respectively. This study meets the policy of sustainable development goals by curbing the disposal of banana peel waste for the benefit of different industries such as health, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals, besides improving the national economy.