2015-2016 IFTSA & Mars Product Development Competition Preliminary Proposal February 1, 2016
Product Description: BanaNut Bites are a take on a classic flavor combination peanut butter and banana that combine moist, banana sponge cake with a peanut butter glaze and a topping of crushed, roasted peanuts to provide flavor perfection in every bite. However, instead of using the fruit of the banana for the cake, the peels are utilized to incorporate the nutrients of a common waste product in food production. BanaNut Bites are an excellent source of fiber and a good source of protein, and each individual pack (105g) of 3 BanaNut Bites promotes satiety while providing convenience and a delicious snacking experience [2, 4, 17]. Originality: According to a concept survey (n=201), 57.8%, 42.2%, and 40.1% of consumers are drawn to products that are Figure 1: Nutrition Facts Label whole wheat, increased in protein, and increased in fiber, respectively qualities that are all present in BanaNut Bites. Most of the participants also liked the banana and peanut combination regardless of age or snacking habits, making BanaNut Bites appealing to a variety of demographics. Additionally, BanaNut Bites have a versatile base that allows for line extensions, Table 1: BanaNut Bites Formulation and Functionality such as raspberry and chocolate or salted caramel. BanaNut Bites are sure to revolutionize the sweet snack market, while pleasing both consumers and investors. 1
Marketing: Because 33% of snacking consumers say they are eating healthier snacks in 2015 compared to 2014, and 62% of consumers report eating snacks to satisfy a craving, BanaNut Bites will be marketed as a whole wheat, increased protein, and high fiber snack that simultaneously meets the demand for sweetness and indulgence [18, 26]. BanaNut Bites will be sold in individual packages containing three cake bites as well as multi-packs containing six individual packages for better convenience. BanaNut Bites will be primarily targeted to millennials, aged 18-34, who snack significantly more than older consumers and look for on-thego snacks to fit their fast-paced lifestyles [26]. Marketing will also target women, who make the highest effort to eat more foods with whole grains [12]. Table 2: Pricing and Profitability Analysis Profitability: BanaNut Bites will compete in two Specialty Foods market segments, Bread & Baked Goods and Candy & Individual Snacks, as classified by Mintel [16]. The first year target market shares in these segments are both 0.2%, totaling to $7.23M in retail sales (Table 2). A majority of panelists in a central location test (n=86) indicated that they would pay up to $2.00 for a pack of BanaNut Bites, so at their competitive price of $1.70 per pack, BanaNut Bites project a complete payback of initial capital investment within 20 months and a 5-year ROI of 2
79%. The initial launch of BanaNut Bites will occur in the Northeastern U.S. to allow for greater flexibility in inventory procurement and distribution to population-dense areas. Processing: Fresh banana peels, identified on a Certificate of Analysis by lot number, date received, and expiration date, are received from local baby food, fruit smoothie, and juice processing companies. Upon receipt, all raw materials are inspected for damage and stored under appropriate conditions (Appendix I). After undergoing a rinse step, banana peels are pulverized using a hammer mill and passed through a 4 mm screen (Schutte Buffalo, W-8-L-HSS) [23]. The pulverized peels are then loaded into a rotary drum roaster (Greatcity Commercial Co., JD-25) and roasted for 5 minutes at 177 C to a moisture content of 87-89% [11]. The roasted, pulverized peels are mixed with eggs and sugar using a continuous mixer (E.T. Oakes, 2MBT1A), followed by the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, to form a sponge cake batter which is then transferred to a depositor hopper (E.T. Oakes, Cake Depositor) [5, 6]. The batter is deposited in 30g units into silicone half-sphere molded pans (Jian Xing Commodity Co., JX-C178) with 4 cm diameter cavities [14]. After undergoing pan sealing (Appendix I), the sealed pans are conveyed into a tunnel oven (UT Food Machinery, UT-Tunnel Oven) where they are baked for 15 minutes at 177 C [28]. The cakes rising in the sealed pans result in spherical cake forms, and a small hole in the center of each half-sphere cavity of the top pans allows steam to escape during baking. After baking, the sealed pans are run through two continuous depanners (UT Food Machinery, UT-Depanner) to first remove the top pans then remove the cake spheres from the bottom pans [27]. The cakes are cooled to 23 C on a conveyor using a sanitary fan (FOODesign, Cryo-Jet) [8]. Coconut oil, peanut powder, and powdered sugar are heated and stirred in a steam jacketed kettle (Cleveland, MKEL-40-T) for 10 minutes at 30 C [3]. The mixture is pumped to 3
an enrober (Perfect Equipments, ENRO-8) where the cooled cakes are completely enrobed and blown with hot air to remove excess coating, resulting in 6.1g of coating per cake [22]. The enrobed cakes are conveyed to a nut-sprinkling machine (Sollich, ABB) where peanuts (<1 cm) are applied to all sides of the coated cakes 2.3g of peanuts per sphere [25]. The completed BanaNut Bites are cooled to 0 C using a cooling tunnel (Perfect Equipments, CT-16) to quickly harden the coating, then packaged in PET film and sealed using a vertical fill, form, and seal machine (All-Fill, Inc., A-1200) [1, 21]. Packages are subjected to metal detection, packed into cases, printed with the BIUB date, and stored at 2 C [15]. Safety/ Shelf Life: The safety of BanaNut Bites is upheld through the adherence to Good Manufacturing Practices and a HACCP plan, as well the use of audited suppliers for ingredients. Because BanaNut Bites use a waste product, extra caution is taken due to the lack of regular use in food production. There is no standardized method of processing banana peels; however, the post-harvest examination and safety precautions taken by banana suppliers ensure that banana peels remain a safe raw ingredient. The risk of pesticide residue is very low, and a validated rinse step along with periodic pesticide testing eliminates the need for a CCP [7]. To mitigate the risks of microbial spoilage, banana peels will be stored below 4 C within 4 hours of peeling the same conditions used to delay the spoilage of the peels of whole bananas [20]. The banana peels are also shipped under refrigeration, so there is minimal concern of peel spoilage. Oxidation and browning will occur, but does not negatively affect the color or flavor of BanaNut Bites. All additional microbial food safety concerns are accounted for in the HACCP plan (Appendix II). Due to high water activity, high moisture content, and slight alkalinity (A w : 0.934, MC: 41.87%, ph: 7.8), BanaNut Bites are susceptible to physical and microbial spoilage. The target final A w is less than 0.93 to control for the germination of Bacillus cereus spores after baking. 4
BanaNut Bites are expected to have a shelf life of approximately 10-14 days at refrigerated temperature (0-5 C) [9], but microbial and sensorial testing is currently in progress to more accurately determine the shelf life of the product. Additional tests will be done to make BanaNut Bites shelf stable by incorporating antimicrobial preservatives to inhibit yeast and mold growth, emulsifiers to reduce water activity and minimize staling, and modified atmosphere packaging to control mold spoilage and extend shelf life [10, 24]. Technical Problem Solving: Moisture migration/coating: Due to the dissolution of a powdered peanut coating by moisture migration through contact with the cake, coconut oil was incorporated into the formulation to create a glaze. Coconut oil s high concentration of saturated fatty acids makes it ideal for preventing moisture migration, keeping the glaze in tact and minimizing staling [13, 19]. Texture/Processing peels: Roasting banana peels prior to pureeing resulted in an inconsistent product due to variation in peel thickness and water content, so processing was modified to pureeing of the peels first, then pressing through a 4 mm screen to yield a smooth, consistent paste. The roasting step then reduced moisture content to improve the texture of the cake. Sensory Analysis: A central location test (n=86) was conducted using 9-point hedonic and JAR scales to evaluate consumer preferences. Most participants indicated that they liked the overall product appearance (76%), texture (71%), and flavor (87%), believing that the softness, sweetness, and banana profile were all just-about-right. Penalty analysis results showed that the peanut butter (PB) flavor was slightly too strong, while consumer comments requested improvements to the coating adherence and mouth feel. In reformulation, the once powdered coating was made into a glaze, the PB powder brand was changed to one with a more subtle taste, and banana flavor was added to the cake base to improve the balance between flavors. 5
Appendix I: Process Flow and Pan Sealing Mechanism Appendix I, Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram Appendix I, Figure 2: Pan Sealing Mechanism 6
Appendix II: HACCP Plan and BanaNut Bites Product Photograph Appendix II, Table 1: HACCP Plan for BanaNut Bites Appendix II, Figure 1: 5 x 7" Product Photo of BanaNut Bites 7