During the deep processing of bananas, large quantities of banana peels are often treated as waste. However, with the advancement of food industry technology and the rise of the “zero waste” concept, more and more companies are re-examining the value of this byproduct. Banana peels are not only rich in fiber, antioxidants, and nutrients, but can also be transformed into a high-value-added product—banana peel flour—through scientific processing. This not only improves resource utilization but also creates new profit growth points for factories.
How to make banana flour from banana peels?
1. Slicing: After collecting the banana peels, they must first be sliced. The purpose of slicing is to increase the surface area for subsequent cleaning, drying, and shredding. A slicer is typically used to cut the banana peels into uniformly thin slices, ensuring more thorough and even drying.
2. Cleaning: Banana peels may be contaminated with mud, pesticide residue, or other impurities, so they must be thoroughly cleaned before processing.
3. Drying: After washing, the banana peels need to be dried to remove moisture. Drying is a crucial step influencing the quality of banana flour. Common methods include hot air drying or heat pump drying. The drying temperature should be controlled, generally maintained between 50°C and 70°C, to fully remove moisture while minimizing nutrient loss. After drying, the banana peels should have a moisture content below 8% to facilitate subsequent grinding and storage.
4. Grinding: The dried banana peels enter the crushing equipment and undergo ultra-fine grinding or airflow grinding to produce fine banana peel powder. Different uses have different requirements for powder fineness. For example, when used as feed or fertilizer, the requirements are relatively low.
To meet the “zero waste” trend, our company optimized and improved our banana flour production line, enabling it to process not only the banana pulp but also the peels. This has transformed banana peels, once a neglected waste product, into a green product with market potential.