Clean label green banana flour

International Agriculture Group (IAG), a startup ingredient technology company, has launched NuBana™ N200 Green Banana Flour.

The new product is rich in resistant starch and contains a minimum of 65% RS2 resistant starch known to provide health benefits dependent upon the amount consumed daily. It is non-GMO, gluten-free and labels as 'dried green banana' or 'green banana flour'. Target applications in the natural products industry include powders, beverage mixes, cold-fill beverages and bars. Because the resistant starch in NuBana N200 breaks down during cooking at temperatures over 180^o F, the ingredient is also suited for raw vegan foods.

Rhonda Witwer, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for IAG says: "Resistant starch has been on the radar of the health recommender community for over a decade because of the large amount of quality science that has been conducted on its health benefits in a variety of applications. When the US FDA approved a qualified health claim stating that RS2 resistant starch may reduce the risk of diabetes last December, interest really shot up," she said. "In the areas of digestive/intestinal health and metabolic health, NuBana N200 can be a valuable addition to a broad range of products and formulations. It also has a great presence on a label. It's not corn – it's fruit, and it has a higher amount of resistant starch in it than any comparable RS ingredient on the market. That means you can add less and still have room for other things in your formulation," she added.

In addition to resistant starch, NuBana N200 Green Banana Flour contains potassium, magnesium and manganese. Fifteen grams of NuBana Green Banana Flour is equivalent to ½ fruit serving.

 NuBana™ N200 Green Banana Flour can be used in products that require viscosity or adhesion like pasta, cereal bars, fruit fillings, sauces, dressings; it can replace fat in meat products

Benefits of resistant starch

Resistant starch resists digestion, reaching the large intestine where it is consumed or fermented by the resident bacteria, producing short-chain fatty acids and other biochemical compounds. It is a "prebiotic" dietary fiber that selectively stimulates the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria (e.g. - Ruminococcus bromii, Akkermansia, and Bifidobacteria), and reduces the prevalence, growth and activity of potentially harmful bacteria (such as E. coli).

Clinical trials have shown systemic benefits from the consumption of RS2 resistant starch, including:

·       Low glycemic and insulin response

·       Healthy bowel function

·       Reduced hunger and reduced food consumption, for up to 24 hours

·       Helping maintain integrity of the intestinal mucosal barrier

·       Promoting healthy kidney function by processing nitrogen through growth of intestinal bacteria, which lessens the load on the kidneys

·       Helping maintain healthy insulin sensitivity in the body's muscles which maintains healthy blood sugar levels and healthy blood insulin levels

According to Witwer, the rise of processed food has stripped the Western diet of its historical consumption of healthy resistant starch. "People used to consume between 30 and 50 grams of resistant starch a day from dietary sources like whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables. Today, that consumption has fallen to around 5 grams per day. As a society, we need to work to regain what we've lost," she said. "The good news is that we can start to increase our intake of resistant starch either by modifications of our eating habits or by finding and choosing food and beverage products that have supplemental resistant starch added to them. For people who aren't accustomed to higher levels of RS in their diets, they should increase their intake gradually – to avoid gastric discomfort. But even moderate levels of RS – 10 to 15 grams per day – have noticeable benefits like regularity, satiety and fat-burning. The home run benefit of RS – metabolic support - starts to occur in the 20-35 gram per day range. At IAG, we want to work with food, beverage and supplement companies to develop strategies to help them deliver these levels to consumers. Together, we can really help make a difference in people's lives," she added.