4. Conclusion
Consumer acceptability of various produce is affected by several factors such as colour, nutrient availability and retention as well as the antioxidant and health properties of these products. Organic acid pretreatment of non-commercial banana resulted in UBF of non-commercial banana flour with varying effects on some physical, functional and antioxidant properties of flour. Generally, pretreatment of unripe banana pulp prior to flour production reduced the effect of enzymatic browning of sliced pulp hence enhancing the colour property (lightness) of all non-commercial UBF. Organic acid pretreatment had very little effect on the WHC and OHC of UBF while there was an increase in the TP content of UBF from all non-commercial banana cultivars. Conversely, organic acid pretreatment and at different level of concentration did not have any noticeable effect on the DPPH radical scavenging activity of UBF. Results of DPPH obtained were similar to results of banana flour from other studies that were not subjected to organic acid pretreatment. Pretreatment of unripe non-commercial banana cultivars with organic acids (ascorbic, citric and lactic) therefore enhances the lightness of UBF while at the same time increasing the nutritional and antioxidant properties of the flour. This increases the application of UBF as use in composite product formulation due to its beneficial nutritional and antioxidant contributions hitherto absent in such food applications