Researchers at the Columbia University have discovered that adding Cellulose Nano-Fibres extracted from banana waste could help improve ice cream.
What are some of the expected positives?
Cellulose Nano-fibrils (CNFs), which are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, are extracted by grinding banana fruit stems, or rachis.
Slower Melting – Adding the fibres could lead to the development of a thicker and more palatable dessert, which would take longer to melt.
As a result, this would allow for a more relaxing and enjoyable experience with the food, especially in warm weathers.
Long Lasting - CNFs were also found to increase shelf-life of ice cream, which helps in extending the expiry timelines (which is usually 6 months now).
This is because CNF decrease temperature sensitivity changes that occur when moved to and from the freezer and thereby retards decay.
Low Fat - In addition, CNFs increased the viscosity of low-fat ice cream, which improved the creaminess and texture of the product.
Hence, CNFs could help stabilise the fat structure in ice creams and as a result could potentially replace some of the fats and perhaps reduce some calories.
