Development and characterization of blends formulated with banana peel and banana pulp for the production of blends powders rich in antioxidant properties.

The food product industry is increasingly looking for foods with nutritional properties that can provide health benefits. Additionally, a challenge for the food industry is the use of all raw materials. For these reasons, banana peel that is a raw material from Banana (Musa spp.) fruit emerges as potential for new food product development. Here, we developed powder blends using a lyophilization process for the preparation of flour to potential use in cookies, bread, and pasta products. Three formulations were designed; the main difference in the formulations was the use of banana peel concentration. Our results showed that blends produced with banana peel presented physical-chemical properties considered suitable for use in food industry. Moreover, the evaluated morphological parameters reveal the properties of the powders. The blends formulated with banana peel have more antioxidant properties, showing that the banana peel may be an attractive option to generate powders with high antioxidant properties. © Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2019.