Plantain Chips Research Articles

Amperometric Detection of Acrylamide in Fried Food using Green-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles

Acrylamide, a potential toxin and possible carcinogen, is formed in starchy foods cooked at high temperatures and poses a serious food safety concern. This study presents an amperometric sensor using green-synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) from neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves for the detection of acrylamide (Acr) in fried foods, with a focus on fried plantain chips. The use of AgNPs in conjunction with the specificity of hemoglobin (Hb) provides a rapid and accurate detection mechanism for Acr. Characterization of the AgNPs revealed their crystalline nature and excellent electron transfer properties, which are essential for effective sensor functionality. The sensor responded quickly and was able to accurately identify acrylamide concentrations as low as 5 mM within just 10 s. In addition, it demonstrated high precision, stability, and robust correlation with high-performance liquid chromatography analyzes in real food samples, confirming its practicality as an essential tool for ensuring food safety and quality control. This study highlights the benefits of green synthesis in acrylamide sensing and promotes the use of environmentally friendly materials in food safety applications.

Fungal Diversity in Wet and Dry Ripe Plantains: Isolation, Identification, and Implications for Public Health

The persistent inadequacy of storage facilities in in globally and more prevalent in developing nations leads to substantial annual losses of harvested agricultural produce, severely impacting the economic stability of local farmers. This investigation focuses on the critical public health implications arising from the fungal contamination of stored plantain chips, a delicacy snack in Nigeria, West Africa. Notably, the fungal species isolated, which are Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium spp., Rhizopus stolonifer, and Mucor spp. are critical from a public health perspective. Species such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger are particularly concerning due to their capacity to produce aflatoxins, which are among the most carcinogenic substances known and have been linked to liver cancer and immune system suppression. The prevalence of these mycotoxins not only compromises the nutritional integrity and safety of the plantain chips but poses severe risks to consumers, highlighting a broader issue of food security and safety. This study brings to the fore the pressing need for interventions that enhance the storage conditions and decrease fungal contamination, thereby reducing the exposure of the population to mycotoxins. The implications of this research extend beyond the economic damage to encompass significant public health concerns, emphasizing the critical need for regulatory, technical, and infrastructural developments to uphold the microbial quality of plantain both in wet and dry states, ensuring safe consumption.

Design and fabrication of improved motorized plantain slicing machine for chips production

The majority of small-scale food companies and shops in Nigeria are unable to meet the enormous demand for plantain chips because of a few crucial considerations. Being a semi-perishable crop, a significant number of plantains are lost to deterioration at the highest point of harvest. Adopting an efficient method for turning food into chips for year-round availability and preservation is vital to guarantee food security and minimize waste. Plantain slicing with a knife has always been a hard, time-consuming, and unclean process with poor results. Although the slicer can be used for domestic purposes, it was intended for usage in medium and small-scale industries. The plantain slicing machine's design and construction aim to address the aforementioned issues. The design parameters that have been determined are the belt and pulley size, the power requirement (P), and the shaft diameter (D). The complete apparatus consists of a slider-crank mechanism that is powered by an electric motor through a v-belt. The driven pulley is supported by two bearings on a shaft. The hopper, which holds the plantains, the guide, and the stanchion make up the slider. Two cranks, one on each side, make up the mechanism. Through the use of a connecting rod, which transfers motion to the hopper (slider), they are connected to the slider. The intended chip formation is accomplished by moving the slider back and forth along the guide's bed, which holds the cutting blade. The device, which operates on the shear cutting concept, can cut raw plantains into chips with consistent sizes in a shorter amount of time. In just two to three seconds, it can cut a raw plantain finger up to 70 mm in diameter. According to the performance evaluation results, it takes an average of 267 seconds to slice 30 plantain pieces with an average length of 260 mm, weight of 0.3 kg, and diameter of 65 mm. All that's needed for machine maintenance is appropriate cleaning after usage and lubrication of the spinning parts. Even while this plantain slicer uses less labor and is more efficient than a chip cutter, it nevertheless yields chips with a consistent thickness. This updated device is easy to use, clean, lightweight, removable, and requires less maintenance. Consequently, the aforementioned constraints will be removed with this new design's enhancement, making the processing of plantain chips quite simple.

Molds and Mycotoxins in Food Value Chain: A Challenge to Food and Nutrition Security

Due to postharvest losses on fresh produce, most farmers apply simple and affordable open sun-drying in-between harvest and the final consumers but this method causes the growth of mold and fungi in processed food. Hence, the objective of this study was to isolate and characterize molds associated with the drying of plantain chips, and post-drying handling of catfish and cassava peels using standard laboratory procedures. One gram (1gm) of respective samples of plantain chips, dried fish, and cassava peel was taken and crushed in a mortar, 1g of each was serially diluted up 10-6 fold, and 0.1mL of each was pour-plated in potato dextrose agar modified with chloramphenicol and incubated for 72 hours at 280C. Thereafter, discrete colonies were counted and characterized using standard laboratory procedures. A total of eight fungal isolates were identified which were Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus sp., Aspergillus niger, Fusarium sp., Penicillium digitatum, Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor sp., Neurospora sp. The mean fungal counts of cassava peels revealed that the samples recorded the highest mean fungal counts which were by Mucor sp. (24.1x106 Cfu/g) while Catfish had the lowest overall mean counts (3.2x106 Cfu/g). But Aspergillus niger had the lowest counts of (2.7x106 Cfu/g) in plantain chips. The total mean fungal count at ratio: catfish (31.4), plantain chips (37.6), and cassava peel (111). In conclusion, several findings from this work showed that samples dried under the sun in the studied area were contaminated with mycotoxin-producing microbes that could lead to their early decay, deterioration and loss of nutrients.

EVALUATION OF THE HEALTH QUALITY OF PLANTAIN BANANA CHIPS SOLD IN COCODY (ABIDJAN, COTE DIVOIRE): CASE OF COLIFORMS AND AEROBIC MESOPHILIC GERMS

In Abidjan, the economic capital of Cote dIvoire, chips of plantain banana are widely consumed foods. They are generally products of satisfactory quality regarding their cooking temperature in oil (200°C). However, the lack of hygiene during their packaging and display on roadsides can lead to a risk of bacterial contamination that may cause food poisoning. For contributing to the microbiological quality of these chips and guarantying the health of consumers, a search for faecal germs of contamination was carried out on these foods. The study was performed on 30 samples of plantain chips, including 15 ripe and 15 unripe, from 15 sellers randomly chosen in theCocody area. Microbiological standards were used to count the total flora, total coliforms, faecal coliforms and Escherichia coli likely to be present in these samples. The pH, moisture content and dry matter content also were measured. The experimentsrevealeda very satisfactory microbiological quality for all the samples of chips except 2 samples of unripe chips related to their very high load of faecal coliforms. The high dry matter rate (97.47 – 97.4%), slight acid pH (5.94 – 5.63) and low acidity rate (0.47 – 0.50 mEq/100g) of these samples facilitated contamination by faecal coliforms following a lack of hygiene of the saleswoman and her working environment. These results encourage the consumption of ripe chips as well as compliance with hygiene measures for reducing the exposure risk to food poisoning.

Development and testing of Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) chips pulverizing machine

A plantain (Musa Parasidiaca) chips pulverizing machine was developed in the department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering, Institute of Technology, Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, Nigeria. The machine consists of the following components parts: hopper, main frame, rotary hammers/beaters, shaft, screen, suction blower, bearing, cyclone/outlet, electric motor, belt and pulley. The design of the machine was based on the engineering properties of plantain chips and the quantity of the plantain to be pulverized in an hour while making use of locally available materials for the fabrication. The machine was tested for its performance while using a five horse power (5hp) electric motor to power it. The machine has the highest throughput capacity and efficiency of 493 Kg/h and 95 % respectively at a feed rate of 15 Kg/min and machine speed of 3500 rpm while the least capacity and efficiency was observed to be 300 Kg/h and 83 % respectively at a feed rate of 5 Kg/h and machine speed of 2500 rpm. The machine is therefore recommended for adoption by small and medium scale processors. The total cost of the machine is two hundred and twenty-one thousand seven hundred naira only (₦221,700).

Design and Development of an Integrated Plantain Processing Machine

An integrated plantain processing machine has been designed and developed. The method of the design includes system design calculations, application of computer aided drawing (CAD), and fabrication using engineering tools and materials. Units like the frame is composed of mild steel material which provides support to the machine. The design was incorporated with temperature regulator or thermostat connected to the heating coil, which is set to regulate the temperature in the drying chamber. The performance evaluation was carried out by examining the out-turn of the moisture content of the plantain, rotor speed, and the drying temperature, on the machine drying chamber. The production efficiency of the machine was found to be 84.44%. In addition to drying and milling of plantain, the machine can also be adjusted to dry and pulverize other agricultural products such as; banana, yam, and other tubers among others as long as it can be sliced. Based on the results of the test obtained, the machine proved to be a better design, which the drying time of plantain can be varied from 28mins-1hr achieving several masses of plantain flour, unlike the conventional method of sun drying which takes far longer drying time. Moreover, it was observed that the time of drying is inversely proportional to the temperature, this means that the higher the temperature the faster the plantain dries. Also, the time of milling the dried plantain chips was about 5.8minutes for a total mass of 12 kg input. The integrated system has a throughput capacity of 37.75Kg/hr with total energy consumption of 0.00586KJ/Kg and was powered by a 3.7kw electric motor running at a speed of 1182 revolutions per minutes (rpm).

Potentials of Plantain Value Addition in Improving Rural Households’ Income in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Aim: This study examined the potential of value addition to Plantain in improving rural households’ income in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study investigated the socio-economic variables of plantain processors, identified the value-added products, factors influencing plantain value addition, the profitability and the overall contributions of value addition of Plantain to rural households’ income.
 Methodology: A multi-stage sampling technique was used coupled with a well-structured questionnaire to elicit information from 120 respondents. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Relative Importance Index, and partial farm budget analysis.
 Results: The study revealed that plantain processors were mainly middle-aged (mean age-42 years), primarily female (83%), educated, and married (78 per cent), with a mean household size of 6 people. The most common forms of value added to Plantain are chips, flour, roasted Plantain (boli), fried Plantain (dodo), and flakes. In order of their relative importance index, the motivating factors for value addition to Plantain are unemployment, peer influence, regular income, drive for self-employment, social relevance, self-accomplishments and satisfaction. The study revealed the average total variable cost of ₦148,200.00; for plantain chips, ₦99,050.00 for fried Plantain, ₦82,000.00 for plantain flour and ₦55,600.00 for roasted Plantain. The total revenue of ₦205,000.00 for plantain chips, ₦151,600.00 for fried Plantain, ₦92,000.00 for plantain flour and ₦60,000.00 for roasted Plantain. The Net profit of ₦96,100.00 for plantain chips, ₦91,850.00 for fried Plantain, ₦37,000.00 for plantain flour and ₦14,900.00 for roasted Plantain. The Rate of returns for plantain chips is 0.65, followed by 0.93 for fried Plantain, 0.45 for plantain flour and 0.27 for roasted Plantain. These indicate that for every N1.00 invested in Plantain value-added products, 65 kobo, 93 kobo, 45 kobo and 27 kobo are gained for plantain chips, fried Plantain, plantain flour and roasted Plantain, respectively. The cost-benefit ratio is 1.38, 1.53, 1.12, and 1.08 for plantain chips, fried Plantain, plantain flour and roasted Plantain, respectively.
 Conclusion: Plantain production is a profitable enterprise with small capital investment and its value addition contributes significantly to household income in Ekiti State.

English

High-yielding and disease-resistant hybrid plant cultivars recently developed by breeders need evaluation for end-use. This study evaluated the influence of processing methods on the sensory acceptability of products (plantain chips, fried ripe plantains called “dodo” in Nigeria, boiled unripe and ripe plantains, and "amala," a dough, as it is called in Nigeria when unripe and ripe plantain flour is reconstituted in hot water) from selected hybrid plantain cultivars. Pita 26, Pita 27, Mbi egome, and Agbagba landrace cultivars were studied. Plantain pulps were subjected to frying (170°C for 2 min), boiling (100°C for 15 min), and drying (65°C for 48 h) at unripe and ripe stages before analyses. These food items were subjected to sensory evaluation. The panel of 20 people evaluated samples for texture, taste, flavor, appearance, color, stretchability, moldability, mouthfeel, and overall preference on a 9-point hedonic scale. The sensory studies showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between products and processing methods significantly affected the cultivars' sensory parameters and essential minerals and vitamins. Products from the Mbi egome cultivar were adjudged acceptable in terms of overall quality, followed by the Agbagba local landrace cultivar. The data in this study have shown that hybrid plantains have the potential to be used industrially.   Key words: Consumers acceptability, value added products, hybrid plantain, organoleptic. 

The effect of soursop-flower-enriched fried palm olein on some biochemical and hematological parameters of rats.

This work set out to, first, assess the role of soursop flower extracts (SFE) in limiting palm olein oxidation during the production of plantain chips, before ascertaining the effect of these soursop-flower-enriched fried palm olein on some biochemical and hematological parameters of rats. The extracts were added to 1.5kg of oil at 1000, 1400, and 1800 ppm, while BHT at 200 ppm served as a positive control (PO+BHT), and the oil without additives was the negative control (PO). The samples were subjected to 15 frying cycles. Total oxidation values varied between 5.94 ± 0.0 and 31.58 ± 0.37; 8.08 ± 0.25 and 28.24 ± 0.00 and 13.71 ± 0.24 and 42.71 ± 0.40 respectively for palm olein enriched with SFE, for PO+BHT and for PO. Twenty-one groups each comprising five rats received, through dietary supplementation, oils subjected to 0, and 5, 10 and 15 frying cycles for a duration of 30 days. The alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase of rats fed with oils enriched with SFE at fresh states and at 5 frying cycles was comparable to that of the neutral control group (23.45 ± 2.65 and 93.10 ± 3.53 U/L) and lower than that of the negative control group (52.15 ± 2.01 and 124.07 ± 1.89 U/L). The HDL cholesterol of these animals was also comparable to that of the neutral control group (67.82 ± 4.06 mg/dl) and higher than that of the negative control group (50.25 ± 5.20 mg/dl). White blood cells and mean corpuscular volume of rats fed with fried olein previously enriched with SFE were lower than those fed with fried olein without additives. These extracts are recommended as natural antioxidants for the stabilization of palm olein.

Chemical and Nutritional Analysis of Oil and Plantain Chips from Palm Olein Enriched with Extracts of Green Tea Leaves (Camellia sinensis)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of methanolic extract from green tea leaves (TLE) on the oxidative stability of palm olein during deep-fat-frying and on the nutrient composition of plantain chips produced from it. Palm olein samples were respectively enriched with 1000, 1400 and 1800 ppm of extract; and 200 ppm of butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) which served as positive control; while oil without additives served as negative control. A total of 15 frying cycles was done at 180°C for 3 min. Oil samples were collected fresh, at 1, 5, 8, 10 and 15 frying cycles for quality analysis. The evaluated parameters were the peroxide, anisidine, thiobarbituric acid, and iodine and total oxidation values (TOTOX). The plantain chips obtained after 5, 10 and 15 frying cycles were assessed for their proximate composition and mineral content using standards methods. Results showed that after 15 frying cycles, TLE at 1800 ppm protected palm olein from oxidation better than BHT as TOTOX of these oil samples were 25.54 and 28.24 respectively. A proximate and mineral composition analyses of chips revealed that in contrast to the samples made from oil without additives, those made from oil enriched with TLE showed low oil content and high carbohydrate, protein and mineral (phosphorus, calcium and magnesium) content. It can be concluded that green tea leaves extract is efficient in delaying palm olein alteration and increases the nutrient composition of plantain chips.

Modeling of drying kinetics of ripe plantain (Musa paradisiaca) chips in a forced convection tunnel

In this work the mathematical modeling of the drying process of plantain (Musa paradisiaca), with hot air in a tunnel under forced flow conditions is presented. The temperature of air was 60 °C at a velocity of 3.0 m/s. The geometric form of the product cuts was considered: round slices of 4.0 cm of diameter and 1.5 mm of thickness. The drying time for the slices was 300 min. The numerical model obtained for the kinetics of drying was the logarithmic one. Organoleptic properties were used to evaluate the quality of the productor final.

Effects of sucrose and sodium chloride pretreatments on cassava and plantain chips fried in CLA-enriched soybean oil: an analysis of acrylamide content, microstructure, and other physical properties

Abstract The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effect of soaking plantain and cassava chips in sucrose or sodium chloride (NaCl) on their physical properties and acrylamide content after frying in Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)-enriched soybean oil. Plantain and cassava were cut into 1 mm thick slices and soaked for 20 min in a solution of 30% sucrose or 3% NaCl at 40 °C, separately. Soaking in sucrose and NaCl had no significant effect (p < 0.05) on water loss, porosity, hardness, or microstructure. The acrylamide content ranged from 634 to 3177 µg/kg. The use of CLA-enriched oil had no significant effect (p < 0.05) on the physical characteristics evaluated in this study. Frying reduced the CLA content in the chips from an initial 31.8% in the oil to 22.25 and 21.69% in plantain and cassava chips, respectively.

Influence of drying methods on heavy metal composition and microbial load of plantain chips

Mature unripe plantain is usually processed into chips using the traditional sun-drying method without considering consumer safety. Thus, there is a need to assess the influence of solar tent and open sun drying on the heavy metal composition and microbial load of plantain chips. Thirty samples of dried plantain chips were collected randomly from 10 processing centers in Akure South and Idanre Local Government Areas of Ondo State, Nigeria. In addition, four popularly consumed plantain varieties (agbagba, bobby tannap, mbi egome, and pita 23) were processed to chips and dried using open sun and solar tent drying. The samples were analyzed for heavy metal compositions using an Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) and microbial loads using the serial dilution method. The heavy metal content of the dried plantain chips was in the range of 0.01–0.08 mg/kg for Cd, 0.01–0.07 mg/kg for Co, and 0.05–0.50 mg/kg for Pb. Seven fungi (Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus Niger, Aspergillus tamarii, Fusarium verticillioides, and Monilla spp.) of health importance were isolated. The drying methods had a significant effect on the Cd (p < 0.01), Co (p < 0.001), and Pb (p < 0.01) contents of the plantain chips, but with no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the bacterial, fungi, and total coliform counts. Since the heavy metal content and microbial loads were higher in the surveyed and open sun-dried samples, the solar tent-dryer may be more reliable in producing less contaminated plantain chips than the open sun drying methods.

DEVELOPMENT OF A PLANTAIN DRYER USING CHARCOAL AND SAWDUST BRIQUETTE AS FUELS

A biomass fired dryer using charcoal and sawdust briquettes as fuels is designed and produced by this study, to improve plantain shelf life, make it available all the year round, minimize postharvest losses, regulate unattractive low commodity pricing during peak harvest season, enhance productivity and add value to commodity. It consists of a heating chamber with integrated ash tray, drying chamber and two drying trays, spaced 130 mm apart. Warm air circulates in the drying chamber by natural draught, while the air for fuel combustion is by forced convection. A batch size of (2 and 4 kg) of plantain chips were dried at temperatures of 80 and, 100°C in three replicating experiments using 0.150 kg of the selected fuels independently. At an ambient temperature of 30.4°C and relative humidity (RH) of 83.6% charcoal and sawdust briquette fuels attained a mean temperature () of (140 and 134), with a burnout time () of (240.6 and 237.7) respectively, under no load. The average drying time () for sliced plantain chips was 120 minutes for 2 kg at 80 and 150 min for 4 kg at 100°C respectively for both fuels, as against open air sun drying, that could take days to accomplish due to unpredictable weather conditions. An average drying rate () of 0.0059 kg/min ( 0.9338) and 0.2082 kg/min ( 0.909) was achieved on the drier with charcoal (Ch) as fuel, while; 0.0058 kg/min ( 0.9322) and 0.2111 kg/min ( 0.9245) was obtained with sawdust briquette (Cs) as fuel at 80 and 100 drying temperatures respectively. The moisture content (MC) of the chips also reduced from 61% to (11.8 MC 11.6%) and (7 MC 6%) respectively, at 80°C and 100°C drying temperatures for both fuels. The proximate analysis of the dried chips indicates a decrease in its protein content with corresponding increase in crude fiber and ash content across temperatures, yet without total loss of nutrients. The dryer successfully utilized the selected fuels for plantain drying and could serve as an effective tool in drying other farm produce.

Synergistic effect of Lipophilic Antioxidants Extracted from Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) with Vitamin E on the Stability of Cotton Seed Oil during Frying of Plantain Chips

Aims: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the synergistic effect of the ethanolic extract and powder of cloves buds (Syzygium aromaticum) with vitamin E in delaying cotton seed oil oxidation during frying of plantain chips.&#x0D; Study design: Purchase of clove buds, cleaning, preparation of clove buds ethanolic extract and powder, supplementation of cotton seed oil enriched with vitamin E with the extract and powder at different concentrations and evaluation of oil stability during frying of plantain chips.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: General Science Laboratory, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Catholic University Institute of Buea-Douala Campus, Littoral Region, Cameroon, from January to June 2019.&#x0D; Methodology: In refined cotton seed oil (2.5 L) containing vitamin E as preservative was respectively added 0.30, 0.60, 1.00 and 1.30% of Syzygium aromaticum (SA) buds ethanolic extract and 0.5, 1, 1.50% of buds powder. After ensuring the good dispersion of the antioxidants added, oil samples were used for the deep-frying of plantain chips for 10 and 20 min respectively. Oil sample without clove served as control. The stability of the various oil samples was evaluated through the determination of peroxide, thiobarbituric acid, iodine and acid acid (% oleic) values.&#x0D; Results: Results showed that the natural plant extract and powder increased the stability of the oil compared to the control. Oil samples supplemented with the extract at concentration 0.30 and 0.60% presented good stability compared to the control, while the same extract at higher concentrations (1.00 and 1.30%) tend to behave as prooxidant. Concerning the powder it exhibited better good preservative properties on the oil and at all levels.&#x0D; Conclusion: Clove ethanolic extract at concentration &lt; 0.60% and its powder at concentration 0.50-1.5% can be used to delay cotton seed oil alteration during frying of plantain chips.

THE EFFICACY OF SALT, GINGER AND TWO LOCAL PEPPERS FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PLANTAIN CHIPS INFESTED WITH TRIBOLUM CASTANEUM (HERBST) (COLEOPTERA: TENEBRIONIDAE)

ABSTRACT The red flour beetle, Tribolum castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is one among the major devastating pests of stored plantain chips and stored flours. Their control using synthetic options of insecticide may cause food poisoning and bioaccumulation. The use of botanical treatments and their relatives have stood out by their proven efficacy against insect pests. This present study therefore evaluates the toxicity and repellency of table salt (Sodium Chloride), Zingiber officinale and pepper powders (Aframomum melegueta and Dennettia tripetala) as protectants of dried plantain chips infested with T. castaneum in the laboratory using standard methods. The highest percentage mean mortality (%) was recorded in 10g salted chips (65.00±7.88), and 10g D. tripetala (72.50±7.88), and repellency in 2g of Z. officinale and salt (69.06±5.91 and 51.22±5.91) respectively. Lowest number of holes was recorded in 5g of D. tripetala and 2g of salt (1.88±0.88 and 1.50±1.17) respectively. Likewise, the percentage weight loss was recorded in 5g of salt and 2g D. tripetala (1.80±0.87 and 62.62±6.87). A significant difference was observed in all the treatment groups (p&lt; 0.05). LC50 was lowest in salted chips (1.59g) compared to D. tripetala (2.02g) and other peppered chips. More so, LC95 was lowest in D. tripetala (10.80g) compared to salt (36.00g) and other pepper chips. Considering the high mortality recorded in salted and peppered chips, their best concentrations could be adopted as viable alternatives over chemical pesticides in managing T. castaneum infestation in storage conditions.

Prediction of the thermo-physical properties of deep-fat frying plantain chips (ipekere) using artificial neural network

Abstract This study uses artificial neural network (ANN) to predict the thermo-physical properties of deep-fat frying plantain chips (ipekere). The frying was conducted with temperature and time ranged of 150 to 190 °C and 2 to 4 minutes using factorial design. The result revealed that specific heat was most influenced by temperature and time with the value 2.002 kJ/kg°C at 150 °C and 2.5 minutes. The density ranged from 0.997 – 1.005 kg/m3 while thermal diffusivity and conductivity were least affected with 0.192 x 10−6 m2/s and 0.332 W/m°C respectively at 190 °C and 4 minutes. The ANN architecture was developed using Levenberg–Marquardt (TRAINLM) and Feed-forward back propagation algorithm. The experimentation based on the ANN model produced a desirable prediction of the thermo-physical properties through the application of diverse amount of neutrons in the hidden layer. The predictive experimentation of the computational model with R2 ≥ 0.7901 and MSE ≤ 0.1125 does not only show the validity in anticipating the thermo-physical properties, it also indicates the capability of the model to identify a relevant association between frying time, frying temperatures and thermo-physical properties. Hence, to avoid a time consuming and expensive experimental tests, the developed model in this study is efficient in prediction of the thermo-physical properties of deep-fat frying plantain chips.

PENGARUH KONSENTRASI DAN LAMA PERENDAMAN DALAM LARUTAN KAPUR SIRIH TERHADAP MUTU KERIPIK PISANG KEPOK (Musa paradisiaca formatypica)

This research aimed to determine the effect of concentration and soaking time in calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) on the quality of plantain chips (Musa paradisiaca formatypica). The method that used in this study was complete randomized design (CRD) with a double factors that was concentration of calcium hydroxide (1%, 5% and 10%) and soaking time (10, 20 and 30 minutes), with treatment are KP1 (1% : 10 minutes), KP2 (5% : 10 minutes), KP3 (10% : 10 minutes), KP4 (1% : 20 minutes), KP5 (5% : 20 minutes), KP6 (10% : 20 minutes), KP7 (1% : 30 minutes), KP8 (5% : 30 minutes) and KP9 (10% : 30 minutes). The data of the research were analyzed using Analysis of Variance at level 5% and tested continued using the test of Least Significant Different (LSD) at the same level if there was a real difference. The results showed that the concentration and soaking time in calcium hydroxide had a real effect on chemical qualities (water, ash, fat, and zinc/Zn) and organoleptic (taste, color, aroma, and texture) of plantain chips. In zinc content for all instruments are suitable with standard (SNI No. 01-4315-1996) for banana chips, while for moisture, ash, and fat content, not all treatments are suitable with the standard. In organoleptic parameters for taste, color, and aroma, panelists preferred treatment of KP1 (concentration of calcium hydroxide 1% and soaking time of 10 minutes) for best result, while for texture the treatment of KP9 (concentration of calcium hydroxide 10% and soaking time 30 minutes) produces the best quality based from panelist choice.

Solar photovoltaic (PV)‐driven active crop drying system for plantain (MUSA SPP): Design, development, and performance evaluation

AbstractA solar photovoltaic (PV)‐driven active crop drying system comprising a solar air heater, a three‐tray drying chamber and a data logger was designed and fabricated. Drying system is equipped with three DC fans of 18 W each, powered by 150 W mono‐crystalline, solar PV module, and 180 Ah deep cycle battery storage. Purpose‐built data logger constructed with a 60‐pin Arduino‐mega microcontroller and equipped with a digital dual‐display screen was used to acquire real‐time data on relative humidity and temperature at vital points in the drying system. Performance evaluation of the dryer was carried out while studying the drying characteristics of plantain chips at three thicknesses of 0.7, 1.0, and 1.5 cm. Drying characteristics were presented in graphs of moisture content (MCdb) versus time, moisture ratio (MR) versus time, and drying rate (DR) versus time for the different trays. Final moisture contents of the plantain chips were 10, 14, and 21% for the 0.7, 1.0, and 1.5 cm, respectively, in the three trays. The higher figures for the 1.0 and 1.5 cm levels of thickness are attributable to case hardening. Results showed that drying proceeded mainly in the falling rate period. Graphs of MR and DR showed that the drying process was more effective as the chips became thinner. Evaluation of 10 thin‐layer drying models carried out using the acquired data showed that the Wang and Singh model was the best suited for describing the drying characteristics of plantain.Practical applicationsThe results of the present work will be very useful to food processing companies producing Plantain chips for local consumption and export. A good knowledge of the best suited thin‐layer drying model will help to predict the MR (and hence MC) as a function of drying time. In this way, energy might be saved and product quality guaranteed. In addition to quality assurance applications, the effect of layer thickness on drying characteristic would be very useful in prescribing the optimal thickness of the chips being processed.