Proximate and Microbial Composition of Cooking Banana Dried Using an Active Indirect Mode Solar Dryer

ABSTRACT The proximate and microbial composition of cooking banana was determined after an active indirect solar drying experiment. The study was aimed at comparing the quality of dried cooking banana with similar products like banana and plantain. Fresh samples of the product were obtained from a local market in Umudike, Nigeria. The samples were washed, peeled, and sliced to the desired thickness (4 to 20 mm), before being loaded onto the dryer. The crude protein, crude lipid, carbohydrate content, ash content, and moisture content were determined after the drying experiment. The microbial load of the dried samples was also determined. The moisture content (10.20%), crude protein (7.18%), crude lipid (3.61%), and carbohydrate (85.61%) were higher than 6.00, 3.06, 2.80, and 82.90% respectively obtained for unripe banana. The ash content (2.21%) was lower than that of unripe banana (2.95%). A total of thirty-eight (38) bacterial isolates were observed from the sample and some of which were identified as Staphylococcus sp, bacillus subillus, and micrococcus sp. Eleven (11) molds (Fungal) were isolated from the dried samples, with Asperligillusniger and Absidia sp dominant. The frequency of occurrence was observed to had been higher in fungal than bacterial isolates.