Today, the ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu licenced and transferred the Basil Seed Suspended Clarified Banana Juice to the Thottiyam Banana Producer Company Ltd., a member of the Tamil Nadu Banana Growers Federation.
According to Dr. S. Uma, Director, ICAR-NRC for Banana, Tiruchirapalli, the Technology Transfer and conversion of overripe bananas to juice will add new products to the market. She stated that the banana is grown on 6,000 Ha of land in Trichy District and on approximately 1 lakh Hectare of land in Tamil Nadu.
Dr. P. Suresh Kumar, Principal Scientist and one of the Inventors of the Banana Technologies at ICAR-NRC, stated that the market is flooded with artificially flavoured, Synthetic Chia Seed Suspended Juice with traces of Fruit Juice and a lot of added sugar.
He emphasized that the Bureau's novel technology of using traditional Basil Seeds to make Suspended Clarified Banana Juice is the first of its kind.
Ajeethan, Managing Director of FPO, stated that the ICAR-NRC Banana technology will be used to produce the new beverage from Banana.
The Institute has also developed over 55 different technologies that use various parts of the banana, such as minimally processed foods, low sugar bakery and confectionary foods, and utilizing wastes such as peel, stem, corm, and male flower for functional foods for the benefit of entrepreneurs, consumers, and others.
About ICAR-NRCB:
ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana was established on August 21, 1993, in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu by ICAR, New Delhi with the goal of increasing banana and plantain production and productivity through mission mode basic and strategic research approaches.
Crop Improvement, Crop Production, Post-Harvest Management, and Crop Protection are the four major thrust areas of research at the Centre. Tissue culture, biotechnology, soil science, nutrient management, physiology, biochemistry, entomology, nematology, fungal, bacterial, viral pathology, and post-harvest technology research are all available.
(Source: ICAR-NRCB)
