The Hindu : ICAR develops banana-based drink

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 08, 2003

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ICAR develops banana-based drink

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi Feb. 7. The National Research Centre for Banana, a Tiruchi-based institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, has developed the technology for banana-based carbonated healthy ready-to-serve (RTS) beverage. A method has been standardised for the preparation of the banana-based juice and aerated soft drinks from clarified banana juice. It tastes best when served chilled.

Being a tropical country, India has accorded a favourable reception to thirst-quenchers such as fruit juices and aerated drinks. Ready-to-serve banana juice is a beverage prepared from clarified banana juice. When carbonated and chilled, the RTS beverage makes for a nutritious and refreshing drink. The nutritive value of real fruit beverages is far greater than that of synthetic products which are being bottled and sold in large quantities throughout the country. If real fruit juices could be substituted for these synthetic preparations, it would be a boon to the consumer as well as the fruit grower, claims ICAR. There is, therefore, great scope in the country for the production of fruit juices and other fruit- based beverages.Ripe banana fruit is pulped to which pectinase enzyme is added at a rate of 5 ml/kg of pulp. To enhance the separation of juice from the pulp, the enzyme-pulp mixture is held at 50 degrees Celsius for 2 hours. The juice is then filtered through a muslin cloth or basket centrifuge or membrane filters. It is racked or further centrifuged to remove the sediment. The clarified juice is diluted 2.5 times with sterilised/softened water. Sugar and citric acid are added to adjust the final juice to 15O Brix and 0.3 per cent acidity. The diluted juice is heated to 85 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes and a few drops of banana essence are added to enhance the flavour lost during heating.

The heated banana juice is poured into sterilised bottles and sealed.

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