Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Deep Processing and Comprehensive Utilization of Bananas (for short: Engineering Center of Bananas) was authorized by Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province in 2017, which based on school of food science and engineering, South China University of Technology. The cooperative construction unit of Engineering Center of Bananas is Natural Banana Healthy Food（Guangdong) Co,Ltd.

Construction background

Banana production of Guangdong always takes the first place in China. 4.52 million tons of bananas were harvested in 2015, which is about 40% of the total yield of the country. However, banana is typical respiration climacteric fruit and can not be stored for long time. The postharvest losses ratio is up to 50%, which causes the waste of resources. Therefore, the processing regulator is urgently needed. Based on this background, Engineering Center of Bananas was established. The engineering center focuses on the research of the health function, deep processing and comprehensive utilization of bananas. Moreover, the center concentrates on developing series of banana products and promoting industrial application.

 Mainly basis

The director and main members of the engineering center have been studying bananas  systematically and deeply for 14 years. Breakthrough has been made in researches on the nutrition and health function, physical and chemical properties, biological characteristics and processing properties of banana pulp and peel. 25 patents of invention have been applied and 20 of them have been authorized. More than 50 papers have been published in journals and 16 of these papers were included in SCI/EI. 3 scientific and technological achievements have been identified and 4 items have been awarded.

In the center, 4 research results have been made in engineering application, and 4 new products have been developed (including banana resistant starch, banana meal powder, banana moon cake and banana almond cake) and 4 technical standards have been formulated.

Main patents:

Work objective

The Engineering Center will make scientific selection and optimization for the deep processing technologies of bananas so that products can keep as many functional factors (such as resistant starch and dietary fiber and etc.) as possible, which lays the foundation for the comprehensive utilization of other parts, such as banana pulp, peels and even cauloid. The Engineering Center aims to provide strong support for the high-value processing and comprehensive utilization of bananas, which is one of the most famous fruit in south China.

Work team and research laboratory

There are 15 key members in The Engineering Center, including 8 members with doctoral degree, 5 members with senior professional titles and 5 members with medium grade professional title.

（1）Director: Wang Juan, Doctor of Engineering, associate professor, master's supervisor of South China University of Technology. Wang is mainly engaged in the research of food nutrition and health, functional food development and agricultural products processing,etc .

（2）Vice director: Wang Xiao Ying, Doctor of Engineering, professor, Doctoral supervisor of South China University of Technology. Wang got the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Excellent Young Scholars, National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation nomination papers. Wang is awarded as the Young scholars of the Yangtze River, Education Ministry's New Century Excellent Talents. Wang is mainly engaged in the research of high value utilization of biomass.

（3）Vice director: Wei Qing Yi, doctor of organic chemistry, associate professor, master's supervisor of South China University of Technology. As a visiting scholar, Wei worked in Rutgers University from September 2015 to September 2016. Wei is mainly engaged in the research of spectral detection technology of separation and preparation of active components.

（4）Vice director, Li Bo, Doctor of Engineering, associate professor, master's supervisor of South China University of Technology. Li studied in Forest Products Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture in University of Wisconsin. Li is mainly engaged in the research of high efficiency recovery and utilization of plant cellulose.

Four research laboratories are set up in the center:

（1）Laboratory of functional components

This lab focuses on the separation, purification, preparation and functional evaluation (including lowering Blood Glucose /Blood Pressure / Blood fatty, weight loss, the laxative function, bowel regulation, etc.) of active ingredients of banana (including resistant starch, dietary fiber, oligosaccharide, polysaccharide and so on).

（2）Laboratory of product development

This lab is mainly engaged in product iterative development, including product formulation, processing, form selection, packaging materials, packaging technology and other aspects of research and development, so that products are constantly changing to meet the requirements of market consumption.

（3）Laboratory of engineering technology application

This lab is mainly engaged in the separation and preparation engineering technology of functional components, product processing and other research development achievements from laboratory scale to scale test, pilot scale, large-scale production, and design and selection of corresponding equipment.

（4）Laboratory of achievement transformation and promotion

This lab is mainly engaged in the transformation and promotion of technical achievements and products, including the search for partners and the design of product marketing mode.

Contact address: No.13th Building, School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Wushan Road NO.381, Tianhe District, Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China

Postal code: 510641 

E-mail:wangjuan@scut.edu.cn

Contact number: 020-87112851