Apple Pomace: Source of Dietary Fibre and Antioxidant for Food Fortification

Abstract

In present context of depletion of natural renewable resources, management and profitable utilization of bioresources like apple pomace will be the key to development. The left-over solid biomass after extraction of juice from fresh apple fruits is called ‘Apple Pomace’. It has high moisture content (75–85 %) and biodegradable organic matter. It is being generated in huge volume (25–30 % of the total fresh apple fruits processed) across the world [1–3]. Owing to presence of fermentable carbohydrates, it is prone to microbial degradation, thus generating foul smell causing environmental pollution around the dumping sites. Apple pomace is attracted a lot of attention from scientific as well as industrial community; however, still its beneficiations seems to be a dream too far. It also poses economic loss to the industry, as waste disposal cost is quite high [1]. Around the world efforts are being made for its utilization in many ways and forms (Fig. 2.1). Apple pomace is highly nutritious and contains variety of carbohydrates, protein, amino acids, polyphenols and some aromatic compounds. The extraction of these compounds from apple pomace is well studied [2]. Food enrichment or fortification using these compounds especially non-starch cell wall polysaccharides (dietary fibre) and antioxidants along with their specific role in human health will be discussed in this chapter. Food fortification is adding one or more essential nutrients to a food, whether or not usually present in the food, for the purpose of preventing or correcting a demonstrated deficiency of one or more nutrients in the population or specific population groups. The increasing awareness among the people about the natural food and its components, exhibiting health-promoting properties, led to development of dietary food supplements. In recent years, scientific communities are rapidly accumulating supportive evidence about the role of such food ingredients in both health promotion and disease prevention.