From food waste to functional component: Cashew apple pomace

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Nutritional Science
• Agricultural Waste Valorization

Background:

• Significant global undernourishment and food insecurity exist alongside substantial food loss and waste.
• Cashew nut processing generates large volumes of cashew apple waste, despite the cashew apple's rich nutrient profile.
• Current utilization of cashew apples is limited, primarily to juice production, with the majority treated as waste.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the potential of cashew apple pomace as a functional food ingredient.
• To examine the impact of incorporating cashew apple pomace into food products on their chemical composition, physical properties, and sensory attributes.
• To highlight the economic, resource-utilization, and sustainability benefits of transforming cashew apple waste into a valuable food component.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on cashew apple pomace utilization in food products.
• Analysis of studies investigating the effects of pomace incorporation on food matrices.
• Evaluation of sensory data and consumer acceptability of foods containing cashew apple pomace.

Main Results:

• Cashew apple pomace can be successfully incorporated into food products in optimized amounts.
• Inclusion of pomace can enhance the chemical composition and nutritional value of food products.
• Optimized incorporation yields palatable results with high consumer acceptability.

Conclusions:

• Transforming cashew apple pomace from a processing by-product into a functional food ingredient offers significant potential.
• This valorization strategy contributes to economic benefits, improved resource utilization, and enhanced food sustainability.
• Incorporating cashew apple pomace can increase the nutritional value of foods, addressing food insecurity challenges.