Packaging and storage studies on spray dried ripe banana powder under ambient conditions

Good quality spray dried banana powder could be obtained from ripe 'Robusta' variety banana pulp by spray drying with an inlet temperature of 150 degrees C and outlet temperature 100 degrees C with added additives. Moisture sorption behaviour of the powder showed a sigmoidal pattern with critical point at 4.8% moisture (28% ERH) and danger point at 4.1% moisture (23% ERH). Banana powder had a shelf-life of one year under ambient conditions, when packed in aluminium foil laminated pouches. Among air, vacuum, nitrogen and CO2 packing, nitrogen packing was found best in terms of quality and organoleptic characters. Spray dried banana powder could be used as food ingredient and natural flavouring agent.