Converting Agricultural Waste into Snacks

Researchers minimized food waste by developing nutritious snack foods from the byproducts of fruit and vegetable juice production.

Food Waste Challenges

Approximately 25 to 40% of fruits and vegetables processed into juice, jam, concentrates and alcohol are wasted. The parts of fruits and vegetables not used, called pomace, are typically treated as waste or used in livestock feed, fertilizer, citric acid, pectin and biofuels. However, pomace is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Researchers aimed to find a way to preserve the nutritional qualities of pomace, reduce food waste and enhance the value of pomace by developing a process that could convert it into tasty snack foods.

Employing Novel Technology Innovations

Researchers used novel processing technologies, called Supercritical Fluid Extrusion (SCFX) technology, to successfully generate unique, nutritious and consumer-acceptable puffed snack products containing fruit pomace powder. SCFX combines low-shear, low-temperature fluid extrusion with traditional extrusion techniques and added high pressure carbon dioxide to repurpose pomace for use in other foods. The technology produced puffs that are nutritionally far superior to existing starch-rich snacks and provide higher levels of protein, fiber and other valuable nutrients.

Researchers also conducted an -economic analysis to understand the feasibility and profitability of using the SCFX process to establish the foundation for scalable solutions that will contribute to a more sustainable and resilient food system.

Creating Value from Waste

This research paved the way for using sustainable, efficient processing technology to turn pomace, an abundant agricultural waste, into nutritious snack and cereal products. Converting pomaces into valuable snack and cereal products enhances profitability for processors, manufacturers and growers while minimizing food waste and contributing to the overall health and well-being of consumers and the environment.

Researchers are collaborating with industry to commercialize these products.

Scientific Publications

1. Anwar-Ul-Alam, M., Iqbal, A., Hosseini, A. F., & Rizvi, S. S. (2024). Techno-economic feasibility & environmental sustainability of producing nutritionally enhanced snack foods from agro-food byproducts using supercritical CO2-based extrusion. Food and Bioproducts Processing, 143, 232-241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbp.2023.12.002
2. Iqbal, A., Uhrin, J. A., & Rizvi, S. S. (2024). Orally self-disintegrating milk protein puffs enriched with food by-products for the elderly. Food Chemistry, 461, 140781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140781
3. Iqbal, A., & Rizvi, S. S. (2023). Nutritionally enhanced milk protein and starch-based extrudates made from agro-food byproducts using supercritical fluid extrusion. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 90, 103511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2023.103511