Plantain flour: production processes, technological characteristics, and its potential use in traditional African...

This review describes some processes for converting plantain pulp into flour and semolina and the influences that operating conditions can have on some of the technological characteristics (functional and pasting) of this flour. Some traditional African dishes that can be prepared with plantain flour are also presented. A literature review was conducted using a list of keywords and expressions on platforms such as Google, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. The results show that work carried out to date has mainly focused on a few well known traditional bakery products such as bread, cakes, and biscuits. There has been relatively little research on transforming plantain pulp into flour as part of the preparation of traditional African dishes such as foutou or amala. This work has often been carried out in the laboratory, without any link to local artisanal processes or knowledge of consumer preferences. There is a need to standardize local culinary practices for processing plantain into flour or semolina. The data from this review opens the door for applied research into innovative technological procedures for processing plantain to add value to local dishes adapted to new urban lifestyles, to meet local consumer needs, and to reduce post-harvest losses. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.