AU2004202847A1 - A Food Product Containing Bananas - Google Patents

Description

A Food Product Containing Bananas Field of the Invention This invention is directed to a food product which is made primarily of bananas and which can fit into the lunch, snack and institutional meals category. The product comprises primarily bananas and is made through a particular process that can extend the shelf life, enhance flavour and enable the food product to be sold in the form of a "bar" of dried banana as opposed to banana chips or conventionally dried whole banana.

Background Art There is no doubt that bananas are an excellent source of food, and consumption of bananas by children and adults should be promoted.

Bananas are great for athletic and fitness activity because they replenish necessary carbohydrates, glycogen and body fluids burned during exercise Bananas are a good source of vitamin C, potassium and dietary fibre. One banana has 15% of the vitamin C, 11% of the potassium, and 16% of the dietary fibre needed each day for good health.

Bananas also contain a rich supply of vitamin B6, providing 20% of the recommended daily allowance of B6. Vitamin B6 is significant in the synthesis of antibodies in the immune system. It also helps in protein metabolism, red blood cell formation and functioning of the central nervous system.

Research suggests that a diet high in potassium may reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke. Because bananas are sodium-free and very rich in potassium, they can be eaten as part of a diet to reduce the risk of high blood pressure.

Bananas have no fat, cholesterol or sodium.

Bananas contain more digestible carbohydrates than any other fruit.

The advantage of this is that the body burns off calories from carbohydrates more quickly and easily than calories from protein or fat The main disadvantage however with the consumption of bananas is that the banana is easily damaged and bruised during the harvesting, transportation and display process and, when the banana is bruised, it quickly browns and becomes unpalatable. Therefore, extreme care must be taken to ensure that whole fresh bananas make it to the supermarket shelves in pristine condition. Another disadvantage with whole fresh bananas is that the banana only has a small period of 2 time in which the ripeness level of the banana is such that it is appealing to consumers.

To explain, bananas are harvested green and sweeten as they ripen.

Their peel colour suggests their stage of ripeness. A dark green peel is very firm. As the banana ripens, the peel colour lightens and changes to yellow. During this process, the starch within the banana converts to sugar giving riper bananas their creamy, sweet taste. As soon as the banana stem is cut from the plant, ripening starts. Within 36 hours, the banana bunch is processed and the fruit packed in boxes. These boxes are palletised and pre-cooled to about 13C, and sent to market for conditioning prior to sale. The process from harvest to the consumer in the store takes about two weeks.

Bananas ripen into seven color stages, ranging from all green to yellow flecked with brown. Most people like their bananas at color 5 which is yellow with green tips and green necks or color 6 which is all yellow except for light green necks.

The color of the peel is used as an indicator of ripening progression. A scale of 1-7 is generally accepted: 1 is hard green, 2 is light green, 3 is more green than yellow, 4 is turning 50% green and 50% yellow, 5 is yellow with green tips, 6 is fully yellow, 7 is flecking and into brown.

It is found that consumers find the "scale five" ripening of bananas most appealing.

Because of the challenges with placing whole fresh bananas on supermarket shelves, there have been many attempts made to provide a banana containing product that has a longer shelf life. Also, some consumers (possibly children) do not readily eat fruit and therefore there is an advantage in providing a different type of product which is made of bananas and which may be more appealing to children.

Thus, there are many food and beverage products which are made of bananas or which contain bananas. For instance, it is known to provide a relatively shelf stable banana juice, a squeezable tube containing a mixture of banana pulp and peanut butter, an animal food made from processed banana leaves, the manufacture of dried banana chips, obtaining banana fibers from banana skins for food products, manufacture of a dried banana powder that has a good shelf life but needs to be mixed with other food products to provide a palatable product, increasing the shelf life of bananas by manufacture of banana powder and mixing the banana powder with edible fats to provide a food product, a puffed food product using banana slices, and frozen bars containing bananas, and of course the various banana flavours typically used as toppings.

There are however disadvantages with the above products including the main disadvantage that most of the above products would not fit within the lunch snack and institutional meals category. The flavour of some of these products does not resemble the sweet creamy flavour preferred by consumers and this is especially so of dried banana chips. Another disadvantage is that many of the above products result in a food product where the bananas can no longer be recognised. Many consumers like eating bananas and would prefer a food product where the bananas can still be recognised in the food product. Dried banana chips are not particularly suitable for young children because of a perceived choking hazard, and dried banana chips are not particularly flavorsome either. Whole dried bananas are known but these bananas are not particularly palatable. One reason for this is that the whole dried bananas can have an unappealing shape and colour. They are often grey or dark brown or have brown spots which consumers do not like.

It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to provide a food product comprising bananas that may overcome at least some of the above-mentioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

In one form, the invention resides in a food product, the food product comprising a plurality of at least partially dried banana pieces and a binder to hold the at least partially dried banana pieces together to form the food product.

It is preferred that the binder comprises honey.

The food products may additionally comprise an antioxidant to reduce browning of the bananas. The antioxidant may comprise honey and/or lime/lemon or other suitable citrus juice.

It is preferred that the bananas are ripened at least to "scale 5" and preferably from scale 5-scale 6 and most preferably at scale 5, prior to the drying process. It is found that this makes the bananas most appealing to consumers, and the food product can "lock in" the scale 5 ripening of the bananas which makes the food product extremely appealing to consumers.

It is preferred that the bananas are cut into pieces or slices. Suitably, the bananas are cut into pieces having a length of between 1-20 centimetres and preferably a length of between 2-10 centimetres. It is preferred that the bananas are cut into slices. After much research and experimentation, it has been found that an acceptable food product can be obtained if the bananas are cut into slices having a thickness of between 5-15 millimetres and preferably between about 6-8 millimetres.

It is found that this thickness range together with the process of manufacture of the food product which will be described below, provides a very appealing product.

While not wishing to be bound by theory, we believe that if the bananas are cut too thinly, they will dry too quickly and will become too crisp and therefore the food product will not be as appealing. However, if the bananas are cut too thickly, the exterior surface will dry and seal over which means that the interior of the banana can become soggy which will not present an appealing food product. Also, the food product will not be as dimensionally stable and can fall apart more easily.

We prefer that the bananas are cut into longitudinal slices as this can provide a better quality food product.

We believe that any type and variety of banana can be used in the manufacture of the food product.

The banana pieces can be dried by any suitable process which may include air drying, heat drying, forced drying, solar drying, vacuum drying and the like. Typically, a drying rack is provided on which the banana pieces are placed and a source of the external heat is used to facilitate the drying process.

In order for the food product to contain banana pieces and a binder and where the food product does not readily fall apart, the degree of drying of the bananas should be such that the bananas are sufficiently dried or "leathery" in order to allow the banana pieces to be bound together by the binder without the banana pieces falling apart in the food product. It is considered that a skilled person would know the degree of drying of the banana pieces that would be required in order to achieve this outcome.

We believe that the "leathery" texture can be obtained once between 10 percent of the moisture has been removed. However, the dried banana pieces should not be totally desiccated as this will provide an undesirable food product. It is considered that the food product should comprise mainly banana pieces that still have a moisture content but which are tough or "leathery" enough to enable the banana pieces to be stuck together by the binder to form a food product which does not easily fall apart.

In order for the food product to contain banana pieces that are not brown or otherwise non-appealing, it is preferred that the banana pieces are treated prior to the drying process. The treatment may comprise contacting the banana pieces with any chemical, compound and the like which can prevent or reduce the browning.

It is considered that honey, lemon, lime, other citrus containing product, and the like would be examples of compounds that could prevent oxidation and consequent browning. Typically, the banana pieces are placed in an aqueous mixture containing the at least one chemical/compound, and in an embodiment, the banana pieces can be dipped into a water/juice/honey mixture. The mixture may be at any desirable temperature however it is found that the treatment will work at room temperature or slightly elevated temperatures and therefore unless there are good reasons for doing otherwise, room temperature is considered the most economical and convenient way to treat the banana pieces.

The resident or contact time to treat the banana pieces can vary depending on the type of compound etc. which is used in the treatment process. It is found that a resident time of between 10 seconds-one hour is suitable and it is found that for an aqueous water/juice/honey mixture, a resident time of about one minute or between 30 seconds-10 minutes is suitable. Of course, no particular limitation should be placed on the resident time.

Once the pieces have been pretreated, they can be dried in the manner described above and below.

It is preferred that the binder which comprises part of the food product is an edible binder and it is considered convenient that the binder is honey as this allows the honey to perform many functions including preserving the banana pieces from oxidation and consequent browning, to "lock in" the texture of the banana (that is "lock in" the scale 5 ripening of the banana which provides a good creamy flavour and a good look), to preserve the bananas from moulds and other microbiological food hazards during production, storage and display, and to enhance the shelf life.

The amount of binder which is added can vary to provide a food product that is sufficiently dimensionally stable. Typically, if honey is used as the binder, the amount of honey can be between It is preferred that the honey (as the binder) is added to the banana pieces prior to the drying process and therefore the honey (as the binder) can be added during the pre-drying treatment step.

The amount of honey that is added should be sufficient to at least partially and preferably substantially coat the outside of the banana pieces to enable the banana pieces to stick together after the drying process, but the amount of honey should not be too much as this can create an undesirably sticky final product.

Another desirable feature is that the honey is added prior to the drying process as the drying process removes water from the bananas and may also remove some water from the honey but the honey otherwise stays coated to the outside of the banana making it easier to bind the banana pieces together.

After the drying process, the dried banana pieces can be stuck together (by virtue of the binder, for instance, honey coating the banana pieces) to form a shaped food product.

The size and shape of the product can of course vary but as the product is preferably to be used as a lunch snack or meal, it is preferred that the size is suitable for this purpose. It is possible for the product to be cut into separate servings if desired. The shape of the product can vary but it is envisaged that the product will be substantially rectangular, square, tubular, and the like. The product may be in a "biscuit" size, a "loaf' size, and the like. No particular limitation should be placed on the size and shape of the product.

The final product will typically still have a binder on the outside which may be honey and therefore the final product may retain some stickiness. For this reason, it is preferable that the final product is wrapped or coated. The wrapping may be packaging such as plastic wrapping, or may comprise an edible wrapping/coating such as rice paper. Other ways to remove or reduce the stickiness of the final product are envisaged.

A further advantage with the food product is that the bananas are not cut into very small pieces and are not blended or mashed into a pulp. It is found that cutting bananas into small pieces and mashing/blending bananas produces undesirable results including too much cutting and bruising which creates too much browning despite the addition of antioxidants to prevent this from occurring. Blending and mashing can also entrap too much air which can cause browning.

In another form, the invention resides in a method of preparing a product comprising the steps of cutting fresh bananas into pieces, treating the cut bananas with an aqueous solution containing honey and/or citrus juice such as lime or lemon, drying the treated banana pieces into a leathery consistency (as hereinbefore described), and pressing the dried banana pieces together to form a shaped food product.

Brief Description of the Drawings An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings in which: Figure lillustrates the initial cutting of bananas into pieces.

Figure 2 illustrates the pretreatment of the banana pieces in an aqueous water/lemon juice/honey mixture.

Figure 3 illustrates the treated banana pieces placed on the drying rack but not yet being dried.

Figure 4 illustrates the dried banana pieces.

Figure 5 illustrates a shaped food product made from the dried banana pieces.

Figure 6 illustrates the shaped food product with a piece cut from it.

Best Mode Referring to the illustrations, and initially to figure 1, bananas are peeled and cut into slices. Initially, the bananas are cut lengthwise into pieces having a length of approximately 3-10 centimetres. Then, the pieces are cut longitudinally into slices having a thickness of between 6-8 millimetres. This thickness enhances the drying. The slices are then dipped into a pretreatment solution which comprises water, lemon juice and honey. About four tablespoons of honey are dissolved in lukewarm water (typically 1-2 litres) and placed into an open dish (see figure 2).

About three tablespoons of lime juice are added. The slices are dipped into this solution for approximately one minute. The honey preserves the banana slices from oxidation and consequent browning. The appearance of other dried banana products in the marketplace is often poor. Retaining the creamy yellow appearance (which is achievable using the present invention) assists in the perception of the flavour. The lime juice is found to help preserve the appearance of the banana slices. The honey is also found to preserve the banana pieces from moulds and microbiological food hazards and enhances the shelf life.

The bananas are chosen to be in stage 5 level of ripening (this has been discussed above) prior to slicing and dipping.

The dipped banana pieces are then removed from the solution and placed onto a drying rack. At this stage, the banana pieces are coated in the honey/lemon juice. The banana pieces are placed on the drying rack loosely as illustrated in figure 3. The drying process is suspended when the banana pieces have reached a leathery-type texture. This takes some experimentation as during the heating and drying process, the banana slices are soft and moist on the surface. However, when the banana pieces have a leathery-type consistency (see figure they are removed from the drying process.

The leathery, partially dried banana pieces are still coated with the honey and can be laminated or stuck together to form a shaped food product illustrated in figure The shaped food product is sufficiently dimensionally stable by virtue of the banana pieces being partially dried and the shaped food product can be cut (see figure 6).

The shaped food product can be wrapped or otherwise covered as the food product still has some stickiness from the honey. This can be done using a commercial wrapping, an edible wrapping (such as rice paper) or an edible wrapping which is subsequently rewrapped in a more stable wrapping (such as plastic).

Throughout the specification and the claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to apply the inclusion of the stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

Throughout the specification and claims (if present), unless the context requires otherwise, the term "substantially" or "about" will be understood to not be limited to the value for the range qualified by the terms.

It should be appreciated that various other changes and modifications can be made to any embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (15)

1. A food product comprising a plurality of at least partially dried banana pieces and a binder to hold the at least partially dried banana pieces together to form the food product.

2. The product as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least some of the banana pieces have been ripened to scale 5 (as hereinbefore described).

3. The product as claimed in claim 2, wherein substantially all the banana pieces have been ripened to scale 5 (as hereinbefore described).

4. The product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the binder comprises honey.

The product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein banana pieces are pretreated prior to drying to form the at least partially dried banana pieces.

6. The product as claimed in claim 5, wherein the pretreatment comprises contacting the banana pieces with honey and/or lemon juice.

7. The product as claimed in claim 5 wherein the binder is added prior to drying of the banana pieces to form the at least partially dried banana pieces.

8. The product as claimed in claim 7, wherein the binder comprises honey.

9. The product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least partially dried banana pieces are formed from fresh bananas which are cut into lengths of between 2-10 centimetres and have a thickness of between 5-15 millimetres.

The product as claimed in claim 9, wherein the thickness is between 6- 8 millimetres.

11. The product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least partially dried banana pieces are dried to a "leathery" texture (as hereinbefore described).

12. The product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, containing a wrapper extending at least partially about the product.

13. A method of preparing a product as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of cutting fresh bananas into pieces, treating the cut bananas with an aqueous solution containing honey and/or lemon, drying the treated banana pieces into a leathery consistency (as hereinbefore described), and pressing the dried banana pieces together to form a shaped food product.

14. A product substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying illustrations.

15. A method of preparing a food product as claimed in claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying illustrations. Dated this 2 8 th day of June 2004 The Enjoy Company Pty Ltd By their Patent Attorneys CULLEN CO.