ABSTRACT

The feasibility of partially replacing wheat flour with cooking banana flour in bread and cake production was investigated. Unripe cooking bananas fingers (Mu.sa cadaba) were washed, peeled sliced, blanched (5mm at 80°C,) soaked with 4% sodium, metabisuiphate, oven dried (45-600C).milled and sieved. Wheat flour and cooking banana flour were combined at levels of 50, 60, 70, and 8O% cooking banana flour substitution. The sensory and functional properties of the various levels of substituted flour were determined. Wheat flour with 80% cooking banana flour blends had the highest Carbohydrate content [76.66%] while blended wheat flour (40%) and cooking banana flour (60%) had the lowest CHO content [75.72%],also blended 40°/s wheat flour with substituted cooking banana flour (60%) had the highest moisture content[10.25°,4]. While 70% substituted cooking banana flour blended with 30% wheat flour had the lowest moisture content [9.76%] Slight decrease was observed in the protein content[7.32-8.40%], fibre content [1.66-1.85%], fat content[1.66-1.85] and ash content ( 3.14- 2.64) with increased substitution with cooking banana flour. There was no significant difference in the sensory attributes taste, texture, aroma, colour, crumb, General acceptability between 100% wheat and 10% substitution with cooking banana flour, in cake and bread production. However, the composite cake was similar to wheat cake at 10% level of substitution for both blanched cooking banana flours in all parameters tested. The level of acceptability was determined.