Development of banana-based weaning food mixes for infants and its nutritional quality evaluation

Banana-based weaning food mixes were developed from the Nendran variety to study the nutritional quality of the mixes and feasibility of marketing on a commercial scale. Chemical composition viz., moisture, acid, pH, reducing and total sugars, protein and β-carotene of the developed banana-based weaning mixes were analysed. The trypsin inhibitor activity reduced during cooking, and the flatus compound could not be measured due to its very meagre gas production. The α-amylase activity and in vitro protein and carbohydrate digestibilities were also analysed. A feeding trial of the developed mixes was conducted in infants as a supplement to study the nutritional quality of the developed banana-based weaning food mixes. Results showed an increase in all the anthropometric measurements during the feeding period, and the developed mixes can be prepared on a commercial scale to prevent malnutrition and undernutrition during the rapid growing period of infants.