Influence of heat and sulphur dioxide treatments on some quality characteristics of intermediate‐moisture banana

Abstract

SummaryThe effect of duration of heat treatment (blanching) on the firmness, dehydration rate, colour, and pectin esterase (PE) activity, was investigated in sulphited, unsulphited, blanched and non heat‐treated intermediate‐moisture banana (IMB). The product was significantly firmer if the bananas had been blanched, and in either event, firmness as measured with a texturometer, also increased with increasing SO2 concentration. The average rate of water removal (dehydration) increased, with increasing blanching time, up to about 4 min, and increased also with increasing SO2 concentration. There was a decrease in PE activity in both blanched and non‐heat‐treated IMB, with increasing SO2 content. The effect of sulphiting on pectolytic enzyme activities does not appear to have been reported previously.