UPLB Research and Extension News

Being an industry that employs more than 40,000 people, the banana enterprise is among the Philippines' leading earners in the fruit business which contributes notably to the country's export revenues.

In spite of the banana industry's huge potentials for the export market, it is being plagued with some concerns in production in terms of "rejects." Reject is the term being used to refer to bananas which do not satisfy the quality standard for export due to size or peel discoloration.

These rejects are still suitable for processing, though. Unfortunately, there is a rather small business in the international trade for processed bananas. Ergo, the banana industry produces a lot of wastage which can be avoided only if given ample attention.

The National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (BIOTECH) has previously developed a technology for large scale pectinase ready for commercialization. Pectinases are enzymes that disintegrate pectic substances in plant tissues into smaller molecules. Using pectic enzymes is considered an alternative way of producing high value products from banana through the enzymatic process.