Clean, cost-effective technology to recover and stabilize phytoactive fruit compounds from waste streams

This project focuses ontechnology innovations which streamline the valorization of fruit/vegetable processing wastestreams (pomaces) and recovery of health-relevant phytoactive constituents into shelf-stableprotein-polyphenol colloidal aggregate particles (ingredients) which have versatility for multipleapplications in soft-solid foods and beverages.This project will specifically address:1) The aqueous recovery of highly concentrated fruit phytoactive constituents (e.g. polyphenols)from pomaces (residual seeds skins and fibers after juicing) using continuous microwave-assistedextraction (MAE) and no solvents except water;2) The concentration and stabilization of fruit phytoactives by sorption to plant proteins(pulses/grains) to produce a protein-polyphenol colloidal aggregate matrix (paste format);3) the further processing of the protein-polyphenol matrices via a) microwave-assistedpasteurization (MAP) b) microwave-assisted sterilization (MAS) or c) spray-drying to powderedformat (SD) to produce ready-to-use ingredients for multiple product platforms;4) Assessment of processing (MAP MAS or SD) influence on phytoactive chemical integrityprotein solubility and digestibility of the colloidal ingredient;5) Testing of food functionality enhancements (foam stabilization emulsifying capacity andgelation characteristics) conferred by the protein-polyphenol ingredient in model foods and6) Sensory evaluation of a model food prepared with the stable protein-polyphenol ingredients.The protein-polyphenol ingredients offer a strategy for increasing access to and consumption ofphytoactive fruit/vegetable phytochemicals and proteins via introduction of clean-labelconvenient and good-tasting fortified products for the American public.