Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

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VA Tech Food Science Product Development Team Introduces “Banana Splitters”!

Who doesn't like a banana split? Fresh fruit, three flavors of ice cream and chocolate syrup was the basic idea for a new product developed by the VA Tech Food Science & Technology Product Development Team. Frozen bite-sized slices of banana filled with creamy chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry non-fat frozen yogurt and enrobed in dark chocolate. Called “Banana Splitters,” the new confection is packaged as nine individual pieces – three of each flavor – in a sleeve, six sleeves in a package to be available next to the ice cream and other frozen goodies. An entire sleeve is one serving.

The 13-member Product Development Team created Banana Splitters as their entry in the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Product Development Competition, sponsored by Mars Inc. The team was one of six finalists to receive a travel grant to the IFT Annual Meeting and Food Expo in New Orleans in June.

The students would also like to see their award-winning decadent dessert available from fast-food restaurants, nine pieces to be packaged in a banana-shaped container.

“We wanted a product that would meet current market trend, including convenience, bite-sized pieces, and portion control,” said Sabrina Hannah of Elverson , Pa. , a Ph.D. candidate in food science and technology. “We also wanted the product to stand out in the market, which is why we designed it to have a full serving of fruit per serving.”

“We briefly considered slices of cream cheese packaged in an edible film,” said John Koontz of Falls Church , Va. , a recent Ph.D. graduate in food science and technology. “But people spread different thicknesses of cream cheese on their bagels.”

Besides, the Banana Splitters were wildly popular in the students' product development class, said Denise Gardner of Reading , Pa. , a master's degree student in food science and technology. “And we thought this was more fun,” she admits.

Govindaraj Dev Kumar of Chennai , India , a master's degree student in food science and technology, points out that non-fat yogurt is a healthy alternative to ice cream. “The judges liked that there are two different ways to sell it,” he said.

A sensory panel liked the product too, giving it an average rating of 7.6 on a scale of 9. “That is between ‘likes moderately' and ‘likes very much',” said Annie Aigster of Valencia , Venezuela , a Ph.D. candidate in human nutrition, foods, and exercise.

In addition to tests of popularity, the students did a number of other tests in preparing their product. They tested for safety and shelf life. Even though the individual packaging would make consumer abuse unlikely, they tested quality and safety of the product, including thoughtless handling, such as handling the product without proper hand washing and leaving a container out for as long as 30 minutes then refreezing it. Banana Splitters demonstrated no significant safety concerns.

The team members prepared the product in pilot plant conditions using the food processing lab, dairy processing lab, and sensory kitchen of Virginia Tech's Department of Food Science and Technology. They purchased the bananas locally, using color as an indicator of ripeness and selecting for size and shape. Following slicing and coring, they solved the issue of bananas' tendency to brown with a solution of dextrose, ascorbic acid, and citric acid. The slices were then flash frozen and the frozen yogurt was piped into the centers of the slices.

There was discussion and some enjoyable testing to determine what kind of chocolate would be used – thick, thin; dark, milk. A product with the proper thickness was selected from commercial providers and a decision was made to go with the dark chocolate because it is currently popular.

The students also designed the scale-up to a commercial manufacturer. Changes from the pilot-level process would include measuring sugar content to determine ripeness, for instance. And banana peels, size-rejected slices, and cores could be used in extracts and purees.

The team's market study found that the delicious, convenient treat with a healthy twist appeals to people of all ages.

When the team sent their entry to IFT, they also sent the report to Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc., which has applied for a patent on the students' behalf.

Members of the team in addition to Aigster, Gardner, Hannah, Kumar, and Koontz, are food science and technology students Gerard Alcantara of Lorton, Va., a senior; Emma Buck of Columbus, Ohio, a Ph.D. candidate; Daniel Crum of Barnesville, Ohio, a senior; Rebecca Dain-Baker of Chesapeake, Va., a recent master's degree graduate; Kevin Holland of Bradford, Pa., a Ph.D. candidate; Robert Moore of Floyd, Va., a master's degree student; Katie Robbins of Syracuse, NY, a recent bachelor's degree graduate; Julie McKinney of Radford, Va., a recent Ph.D. graduate; and Carla Tyler of Troy, NY, a master's degree student. The team is advised by Sean O'Keefe, associate professor of food science and technology.

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  Carr Valley Goat Cheese Takes Top Prize at ACS

The American Cheese Society (ACS) has given top honors to Carr Valley Cheese Co. of La Valle, Wis. , during its 25th Annual Conference and Cheese Competition held last week in Chicago . Cheesemaker Sid Cook garnered the Best of Show prize for his Snow White Goat Cheddar. Carr Valley 's entry was singled out as the best of the best among the 1,149 cheeses submitted by more than 180 producers. As usual, many of the winners were from Wisconsin ; many of those Wisconsin winners were from Carr Valley , which produces a broad array of cheese styles and enters many competition categories each year.

“For the past decade, it has been a wonderful experience to be part of the American Cheese Society, which is such an excellent forum for exchanging ideas and information,” Cook said. “I was stunned and extremely excited. Truly a thrill of a lifetime, since this competition is the Olympics of cheese!”

Wisconsin grabbed 91 ribbons, nearly one-third of all awards bestowed, and more than any other state. The awards included 25 firsts, 32 seconds and 34 third places. Other noteworthy winners include “Best of Show” second runner-up Galax, Va.-based Meadow Creek Dairy's cheese Grayson, and third runner-up Carr Valley 's Cave Aged Marisa.