Valorization of apricot and peach pomaces as sustainable ingredients for the formulation of carotenoid-enriched puddings

Abstract

Large-scale production of apricot and peach fruit juices leads to substantial amounts of pomaces, a by-product that is abundant in bioactive substances, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. This study investigated the valorization of apricot and peach pomaces for obtaining carotenoid-enriched puddings. By converting pomace into a powder form, a better flowability was achieved in the peach pomace powder than in the apricot pomace powder. Apricot pomace (AP)- and peach pomace (PP)-enriched puddings at different levels of pomace powders (0%, 10%, 20% and 30% w/w) were evaluated in terms of color, rheological behavior, total soluble solid content, pH, total phenolic content, carotenoid content, antioxidant activity and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content. The natural fruit sugars derived from AP and PP increased the °Brix values of the puddings. AP and PP provided higher total phenolic content (0.96–1.34 mg GAE per g dry basis), antioxidant activity (68.19–82.60%) and carotenoid content in puddings than the control. Redness and yellowness values increased with the addition of pomaces. The HMF content was the lowest (0.04 ppm) in the PP-enriched pudding at a 10% level; however, the content significantly increased in the AP-enriched puddings with increasing pomace ratio. The rheological behavior of the puddings was pseudoplastic (n < 1), and the consistency index of the puddings increased as the fruit pomace content increased. These results illustrate the applicability of incorporating by-products from fruit processing into value-added new food products, providing a sustainable approach to reducing food waste while improving functional properties.