Elaboração de farinha da casca de banana madura e sua aplicação na formulação de pão de queijo

Abstract

The growing demand for functional foods with higher nutritional value has driven the development of products that align with health, convenience, and sustainability. Pão de queijo, a traditional item in Brazilian cuisine, stands out as an interesting base for innovation, especially because it is naturally gluten-free and widely accepted by consumers. Ripe banana peel, in turn, represents a byproduct with high nutritional value, rich in minerals and bioactive compounds, with potential for application in the food industry. This study aimed to produce flour from ripe banana peel (BP flour) and evaluate its partial use as a substitute for sour starch in pão de queijo formulations. The flour production process involved drying the peels at 70 °C, followed by grinding. The drying data were fitted to mathematical models: Newton, Page, and Henderson and Pabis. The resulting flour was characterized by physicochemical analyses, including particle size, proximate composition, pH, titratable acidity, water activity, and color. To develop the pão de queijo, formulations with 0% (control), 4%, 8%, 12%, 16%, and 20% BP flour were tested. Samples were evaluated for specific volume, density, expansion index, crust thickness, and color parameters. The Page model showed the best fit for the drying kinetics. The flour presented low moisture content and water activity (0.34), contributing to its microbiological stability, along with a high carbohydrate content. Changes in the formulations significantly affected the expansion index, which ranged from 1.32 to 1.47, and crust thickness, with the 20% BP flour formulation standing out. The L* and b* color values decreased with higher BP flour content, indicating darkening caused by enzymatic reactions and the presence of natural pigments in the peel. It is concluded that the partial replacement of sour starch with ripe banana peel flour is technically feasible. However, the final color of the pão de queijo, due to the color of the banana peel flour, differed from the traditionally expected visual standard. It is suggested to consider its application in products that naturally have a darker color, such as chocolate cakes, whole-grain or dark breads, brigadeiros, brownies, and other cocoa-based foods.