Superfruit: Banana puree
Sustainability starts with loyalty: iTi has imported nearly half a billion lbs of banana puree from the Borja factory in the last 22 years and demand for this product still continues to be a strong.
 Bananas are the most popular fresh fruit in the United States. Worldwide the banana is the third most popular fruit after apples and oranges. Banana is a healthy fruit, rich in potassium, 11 other minerals and 6 vitamins. Banana is versatile and can be eaten out-of-hand, flamed, baked, used in sandwiches or curries, pastries, cakes and in fruit salads. Some people freeze bananas and eat them instead of ice cream. Banana is available throughout the year in North America. Banana Puree can be used in various food applications like juices, nectars, drinks, jams, bakery fillings, and fruit meals for children. Banana puree can also be used for baby food, ice cream and yogurt.
Health Benefits of bananas
- Banana fruit is rich in calories, but very low in fat.
- Banana pulp is composed of soft, easily digestible flesh with simple sugars like fructose and sucrose that when eaten replenishes energy and revitalizes the body instantly; thus, for these qualities, bananas are being used by athletes to get instant energy and as supplement food in the treatment plan for underweight children.
- The fruit contains good amount of soluble dietary fiber (7% of DRA per 100 g) that helps normal bowel movements;
 It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), provides about 28% of daily recommended allowance. Pyridoxine is an important B-complex vitamin that has beneficial role in treatment of neuritis, anemia and decreasing homocystine (one of the causative factor for coronary artery disease (CHD) and stroke episodes) levels in the body.
- The fruit is also good source of vitamin-C (about 8.7 mg per 100g). Consumption of foods rich in vitamin-C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.
- Fresh bananas provide adequate levels of minerals like copper, magnesium and manganese. Magnesium is essential for bone strengthening and has cardiac-protective role as well. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase. Copper is required in the production of red blood cells.
- Fresh bananas provide 358 mg potassium per 100 g of fruit. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure, countering bad effects of sodium.
Banana puree from iTi Tropicals
Banana Puree from iTi Tropicals is manufactured by Industrias Borja, Ecuador from selected varieties of Cavendish Bananas. Industrias Borja is a family run business. The Borja Family has been in the fresh banana business for over 50 years and started processing banana puree in 1985. Borja is dedicated to supplying the highest quality bananas and campaigns against the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. They have full-time personnel that continually educate advice and counsel Ecuadorian farmers in their long term damaging effects.
Fully matured fruit is transported to processing plant and ripened at controlled ripening chambers. The fruits are inspected, washed, screened, and peeled out, crushed, deseeded, and de-aerated. Product is commercially sterile and filled in an aseptic bag following the guidelines under good manufacturing practices. From our warehouses today, iTi can offer acidified banana puree, non acidified banana puree, banana puree with and without seeds, organic banana puree and 70 brix clarified banana concentrate. The banana puree is packed in either 6 gallon bag-in-box- 55 gallon bag in drum or 220 gallon. Popular formulations with tropical fruits are acai- banana, passion fruit- banana, moraberry- banana etc
For more R&D ideas and Technical inputs for using bananas contact our R&D team at iTi Tropicals.
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