Increasing Added Value of Banana by Producing Synbiotic Banana “Sale” Using Innovation & Technology Strategy Approach

Abstract

Banana is a potential agricultural commodity cultivated widely in tropical and subtropical area. It has a high nutritional value such as carbohydrate, dietary fiber, antioxidant, vitamins and mineral. However, it is a climateric fruit that its quality will be gradually decline after post harvest. This condition leads to a decrease of its nutritional and economical value. Therefore, the product diversification of banana is really needed to increase these values. An innovative approach has been taken to explore banana as a functional food that can be expected to confer health benefits in humans and raise the sale price of banana. A synbiotic banana “Sale” was a semi-wet product of banana considered as an prebiotic because of its natural resistant-starch content, and the addition of Lactobacillus acidophillus has made this product considered as probiotic food. The purposes of this product development are to improve their health effects, extend the shelf life of banana products, and increase its economic value. Therefore, this product was also use natural lactic acid of Lactobacillus plantarum kik as natural preservative and its financial analysis was also carried out to describe its ecomics potency.