Foods 2015, 4, 690-697; doi:10.

3390/foods4040690
OPEN ACCESS

foods
ISSN 2304-8158
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Communication

Adding Value to Fruit Processing Waste: Innovative Ways to

Incorporate Fibers from Berry Pomace in Baked and Extruded
Cereal-based Foods—A SUSFOOD Project
Harald Rohm 1,*, Charles Brennan 2, Charlotta Turner 3, Edeltraud Günther 4,
Grant Campbell 5, Isabel Hernando 6, Susanne Struck 1 and Vassilis Kontogiorgos 5

1
Chair of Food Engineering, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany;
E-Mail: [email protected]
2
Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Lincoln University, 7647 Lincoln,
New Zealand; E-Mail: [email protected]
3
Department of Chemistry, Lund University, 221 00 Lund, Sweden;
E-Mail: [email protected]
4
Chair of Environmental Management and Accounting, Technische Universität Dresden,
01062 Dresden, Germany; E-Mail: [email protected]
5
School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield HD1 3DH, UK;
E-Mails: [email protected] (G.C.); [email protected] (V.K.)
6
Research Group of Food Microstructure and Chemistry, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia,
46022 Valencia, Spain; E-Mail: [email protected]

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected];

Tel.: +49-351-463-32420; Fax: +49-351-463-37761.

Academic Editor: Christopher J. Smith

Received: 24 August 2015 / Accepted: 13 November 2015 / Published: 24 November 2015

Abstract: This article communicates the set-up of BERRYPOM, a European research

project established in the second call of the SUStainable FOOD Production and
Consumption (SUSFOOD) network. The project deals with the by-product from berry
processing, which is frequently recycled as animal feed, composted or utilized for biogas
production. With BERRYPOM it is proposed to analyze the value of berry pomace, to
optimize the recovery of bioactive compounds from pomace material, and to incorporate
processed berry pomace in cereal-based foods to take advantage of nutritional benefits that
originate from its fiber and the content of bioactive substances. Additionally, extraction
methods will be evaluated to obtain products rich in phytochemicals, and the influence of
Foods 2015, 4 691

processing steps on the antioxidant capacity of pomace will be analyzed. The fiber extracts
will then also be utilized in different cereal-based foods and extruded products. As project
outcome we expect a substantial increase of knowledge concerning fiber and phytochemicals
extraction from berry pomace, its suitability for enhancing nutritional and sensory
properties of cereal-based foods, and its effects on the sustainability of the food chain.

Keywords: pomace; berry processing; cereal foods; baking; extrusion

1. Introduction

The European juice industry produced in 2012 10.4 million tons juice and nectar (www.aijn.org).
The fraction of residues that remains after juice processing ranges from approximately 15% for grapes
to 50% for citrus [1]. Because of the low content of nutrients and digestible energy of these residues,
the utilization as animal feed is limited, while the high amount of phytochemicals, especially in the
pomace of soft berry fruits, complicates composting because of their antimicrobial activity. On the
contrary, these properties make pomace beneficial to human nutrition. Recycling methods that add
value to fruit processing residues are of great interest, and it can be expected that the overall profit
from fruit processing may be increased by an efficient and sustainable waste stream-management.
The risk of non-communicable diseases increases with insufficient fruit and vegetable consumption [2].
It was shown that health benefits attributable to berries are, for example, related to cardiovascular
health [3], the reduction of inflammation [4], or the modulation of intestinal microbiota [5].
Consequently, the incorporation of bioactive compounds from fruit processing residues in foods helps
to increase the supply of valuable nutrients. Clinical trials on potential prevention of chronic diseases
revealed that the complex mixture of phytochemicals in foods has additive and synergistic effects so it
cannot be replaced by individual compounds in dietary supplements [6]. Therefore, the combined
incorporation of bioactive substances and fiber from berry materials in foods seems to be a promising
approach. Because health information significantly influences the purchase intentions of consumers [7],
elaboration of attractive products will contribute to European health policy, as the range of processed
foods that can ensure dietary adequacy will be increased. Berries have a generally positive image, so
that their inclusion in cereal-based products is likely to be viewed as appealing.
It is generally known that a fraction of 25%–50% of food is discarded at some point during
production and consumption [8]. For reducing residue devaluation along the processing chain, it is
necessary to increase the producer’s awareness towards products that, until now, are regarded as waste,
and to build systematic strategies to find new markets for value-added intermediate ingredients
processed from that waste. Together with awareness that can be created in consumers, the utilization of
processed berry pomace may contribute to more sustainable food utilization.
The SUSFOOD research program targets food chain optimization with respect to sustainability and
efficiency: it covers processing, packaging and retailing, food services and consumer activities, and
promotes a multidisciplinary approach. In the context of the food processing industry, waste reduction
also means that innovative ways should be approached to add value to promising materials currently
not utilized in human nutrition. The project therefore is based on the following assumptions:
Foods 2015, 4 692

 Value can be added to the processing of soft berry fruits, e.g., blackcurrant and redcurrant,
bilberry, chokeberry, or rowanberry (grapes are not topic of this project) when strategies and
technologies are developed that make berry pomace usable as a food ingredient.
 Foods naturally rich or enriched with fiber and phytochemicals in the diet contribute to the
health status of the consumer.
 As shown by Material Flow Cost Accounting and other methods, strategies for adding value
to berry pomace have a sound economic and ecological basis.

2. The Proposed Research Agenda

2.1. General Targets

In the project, we develop strategies to incorporate fiber and phytochemicals from berry pomace in
cereal-based products. The two main approaches are (a) to determine the technical conditions that
allow the delivery of an optimized product from fresh berry pomace with high polyphenols content and
high shelf life, and (b) to modify and adapt formulations of cereal-based baked or extruded foods,
which serve as targets for the incorporation of processed berry pomace. Material flow cost analysis
gives information on the economic impact of this strategy (Figure 1).

Figure 1. Research agenda of the BERRYPOM project. WP, work package; T, task.
Foods 2015, 4 693

Berries are soft sensitive fruits that can only be stored for a small period of time after a relatively
short harvesting season. Apart from the 5–9 million tons of grape pomace per year that comes from
worldwide wine production [1], it is also true for other berries that most of the harvest is processed in
some form while only a minor amount is sold fresh or frozen. During juice processing of, for example,
currant, raspberry or blueberry, approximately 20% remains as pomace. This material contains mainly
berry skins, seeds and, sometimes, stems, and represents a valuable source of phytochemicals, pectin
and dietary fiber. Through the incorporation of processed berry pomace in cereal-based foods:
 We take advantage of pressing residues from berry processing that would otherwise be
discarded, and
 We increase the nutritional value of the target products because of the transfer of its fiber
and beneficial phytochemicals.
In side tasks we will systematically evaluate whether processed berry pomace can be used to
substitute sugar, flour or fat in baked products to obtain reduced energy foods.

2.2. Specific Approaches of the Research Proposal

2.2.1. Pomace Processing and Extraction

The first part of the project delivers the basic compositional data for berry pomace of selected
origin. Berries are rich in fiber from cell wall compounds, and in compounds with antioxidant capacity
such as ascorbic acid, carotenoids and phenolics [9]. The respective aim is to develop procedures for
the thermal and mechanical processing and fractionation of berry pomace to obtain functional fiber and
other components of nutritional value. Methods for the production of non-perishable fiber extracts
enriched with polyphenols will be elaborated, and processing parameters will be optimized. It is also
necessary to analyze the influence of thermal and mechanical stress on antioxidant capacity and
polyphenols content as, for example, the anthocyanins content in blueberry pomace is significantly
reduced between 60 and 125 °C [10]. Rodriguez-Mateos et al. [11] also observed a heat-induced
anthocyanins reduction in blueberries but no significant changes in the procyanidins content.
Furthermore, processed berry pomace will be milled and size classified to determine the influence of
the length of the fiber on its techno-functional properties.
Berry pomace is primarily composed of dietary fiber; in chokeberry and blackcurrant pomace,
a content >90% in dry matter was observed [12]. The evaluation of the physical properties of the
processed berry pomace (e.g., particle size, bulk volume, porosity, water and oil binding) will help to
evaluate the technological value of the respective systems for their further use in cereal-based foods,
and to establish the optimum conditions during processing.

2.2.2. Application of Processed Berry Pomace in Cereal-based Products

In this section we incorporate processed pomace in different cereal-based foods (i.e., bread, cakes,
cookies, extruded snacks) to obtain fiber-enriched products. Cereal-based foods are an important fiber
source, and the addition of supplemental pomace helps to achieve the recommended intake of dietary
fiber. Fiber added to cereal-based baked or extruded foods also provides a technological bulking
Foods 2015, 4 694

function [13] so that part of the sugar, flour or fat content may be reduced, and low-energy high-fiber
bakery products can be provided for the consumer. A challenge is that problems may arise from
changes in product characteristics: a decrease in volume and height, an increase in crumb hardness,
both caused by altered microstructure and batter or dough rheology [14,15], or changes in appearance
and taste [16,17]. Flavor and color of processed berry fiber have also to be considered. Consequently,
the respective development of formulations has to be the first step to ensure a successful enrichment of
cereal-based foods with this material. While clarifying the limits of processed pomace incorporation,
the experiments will also deliver important information concerning the processing of the products
before and during baking, and concerning their physico-chemical and sensory properties.

2.2.3. In-depth Characterization of Processed Berry Pomace and Technological Influence

To gain information on the effects of berry pomace incorporation in cereal-based foods,

fiber-enriched products will be analyzed. The nutritional relevance of berry pomace in these foods will
be evaluated by focusing on starch digestibility and polyphenols bioaccessibility using in vitro
digestion and enzymatic assays [18–20]. The amount of bioavailable phytochemicals with antioxidant
capacity depends on the digestive stability, and the release from the food matrix [21]. A recent review
concluded that the bioaccessibility of fiber-bound phytochemicals in the intestine is lower than the
bioaccessibility of their extracted counterparts [22]. This will be verified by extraction and purification
of polyphenols and fiber, and by individual addition to cereal-based foods. The effects will be
compared to effects caused by the incorporation of processed berry pomace where polyphenols are
bound to fiber. The extraction and analysis of polyphenols and other phytochemicals will be performed
by “green” techniques using pressurized hot water [23], gas expanded liquids and supercritical CO2 as
solvents [24,25]. Finally, we will be able to specify: thermal stability of phytochemicals during
processing, the impact of processed berry pomace on carbohydrate digestibility and polyphenol
bioaccessibility, and the implications on product microstructure. These data are essential for the
transfer from scientific knowledge to the manufacture of cereal-based foods.

2.2.4. Environmental Management

We also interpret economic challenges and feasibilities that arise from strategies for processing
berry pomace as (techno) functional ingredient in cereal-based products. The increase in berry
processing sustainability is achieved by the reduction of processing waste, and process and resource
efficiency by the re-use of organic by-products (Figure 2). Whereas recycling of pomace from berry
processing helps to create additional benefit to up-to-now waste material and contributes to process
efficiency improvement in the food manufacturing business, the production of fiber-enriched cereal
products represents an innovative way to incorporate by-products in foods and to generate a product
with additional nutritional value. Economic feasibility and environmental aspects of the re-use of
pressing residues from berry processing will be assessed by performing Material Flow Cost
Accounting, Carbon Footprinting, and Life Cycle Assessment [26,27].
Foods 2015, 4 695

Figure 2. Flow chart for berry pomace incorporation in cereal-based foods.

3. Discussion and Expected Output

We expect developments that allow the tailored, value-added processing of berry pomace to be used
in various types of cereal-based foods, improving their nutritional significance whilst reducing waste
from berry processing. The utilization as food ingredient helps to improve the supply chain efficiency,
and adds value to the berry processor, companies specialized in fiber or other functional food
ingredients, the producers of cereal-based foods, and the health-conscious consumer. The project aims
to establish new pathways for berry pomace by generating a model for the innovative transfer of
a waste material into a food ingredient. This will increase resource efficiency of berry processing, and
add to the consumer’s supply with healthy foods. The processing quality of the respective raw and
intermediate materials, and chemical, physical and sensory quality of the final foods will be also
considered. When necessary, technological drawbacks must be overcome by innovative formulation
adjustment. The project therefore integrates research on the potential of a waste stream that is not
regularly used as food, and on strategies to incorporate valuable materials in the human diet.
The transnational cooperation gives additional value to the project as implications on product
characteristics can be evaluated in markets that differ in the food supply chain. To facilitate general
conclusions, it is also possible to tailor formulations to local market requirements. The fact that we
focus on pomace of different regional origin ensures that each contributing country is able to take its
respective advantage.

Acknowledgments

The research project was approved during the 2nd SUSFOOD ERA-Net call (www.susfood-era.net).
The funding of the project, assured through the national partner organizations, is gratefully
acknowledged: BMBF via PTJ in Germany (grant 031B0004), FORMAS in Sweden, DEFRA in UK,
and INIA in Spain (grant 291766).

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Foods 2015, 4 696

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