What is banana essence?

United Brands developed the first commercial all-natural banana essence and began marketing it in 1982 to be used in desserts toppings, juices and drinks.

Banana fruit has a pleasant flavor. Researchers have identified a total of 43 and 26 volatile flavor compounds in banana essence and fresh bananas, fruit paste, respectively. These volatile compounds included alcohols, esters, aldehydes and ketones.

During the processing, once the peels are separated the mashed bananas are passed through screens that vary in size and type. The puree is then homogenized.

The next process step, de-aeration, is one of the most important in determining the color of the finished puree. During the de-aeration under vacuum, the air present in the puree is removed to a large extent. The volatile components of the banana aroma are also removed and are condensed to produce banana essence.

Banana essence, extracted from ripe fruit, is a clear, colorless liquid which has an agreeable, concentrated aroma and is used in desserts, juices and drinks.
What is banana essence?