Namrata Sutar

Banana serves as an ideal and low cost food source for developing countries where most of the population rely mostly on bananas for food. Banana plant parts are useful as insecticide, antioxidant, colour absorber, in preparation of various functional foods, wine, alcohol, biogas, cattle feed etc. This review discusses usefulness of banana fruits, peel, leaves, pseudostem, sheath, pith and male bud, and prospects of using these materials in industry.

Banana is one of the most appreciated fruit all over the world because of its multipurpose use as food. Lack of suitable post harvest management practices may lead to a huge economic loss for the banana producing regions. Different postharvest management practices are in use to enhance its shelf life by delaying the ripening, reducing respiration rate, and controlling the disease causing organisms, during transport and storage. An integrated approach can ensure product safety and quality that reaches the consumer, residing far away from the production area. In this article different pre-storage treatments viz. pre-cooling, chemical and biological treatment for disinfection, modified atmospheric packaging, chemical treatment, irradiation, and coating for enhancement of shelf life is discussed in brief.

Soy ice cream is a delicious and nutritious frozen product. Seven varieties of soybean were evaluated for their suitability in the preparation of soy ice cream. Significant differences ( p < 0.05) were found between the moisture, protein, fat and ash contents of ice cream mixes prepared from different soybean varieties. The viscosity of the ice cream mix increased, while specific gravity decreased, after ageing and freezing of the mix. Significant differences ( P < 0.05) were observed in the over‐run and melt down time of ice cream prepared from different soybean varieties. Soy ice cream prepared from variety PK‐472 was rated organoleptically superior t0 other varieties.

Functional foods have been the topic of considerable interest in the food and nutrition industry for years. India's nutrition industry is generating US$6.8 billion in annual revenue, and that number is expected to nearly double in the next five years. New evidence concerning the potential benefits and challenges associated with functional foods is constantly emerging in both the scientific literature and the popular media. The backward and forward linkages potentially create opportunities for employment and additional income for the population from production and supply chain activities and may increase demands for private laboratory services, training, and market. Key concerns that may require public support include: underdeveloped infrastructure, lack of resources for research and gap between academic research and the industry and the high costs in meeting food safety regulations. In this article, current functional food trend from an Indian perspective and its potential contribution to international markets is briefly discussed.