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Comparative Evaluation of Drying Methods for Vegetable Waste Aimed at Producing Natural Functional Food Ingredients
Tamara Tultabayeva1, Umyt Zhumanova2, Kadyrzhan Makangali2
1International School, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 14, 2026
Summary
Ultrasound pretreatment combined with vacuum-microwave drying (US + VMD) efficiently transforms vegetable waste into functional food ingredients. This method significantly accelerates drying, preserves bioactive compounds, and enhances powder quality compared to conventional drying.
Area of Science:
- Food Science and Technology
- Agricultural Science
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Vegetable pomace represents significant processing waste, rich in valuable bioactive compounds.
- Valorization of this waste aligns with circular bioeconomy principles and sustainable agricultural practices.
- Developing functional food ingredients from waste supports deep processing of agricultural raw materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comparatively evaluate four drying methods for carrot, red beet, and pumpkin pomace.
- To assess the impact of drying methods on physicochemical, functional, and bioactive properties of the resulting powders.
- To identify the most effective drying strategy for producing natural functional food ingredients from vegetable waste.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of convective drying (CD), ultrasound pretreatment + convective drying (US + CD), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD), and ultrasound pretreatment + vacuum-microwave drying (US + VMD).
- Evaluation of drying kinetics, water activity, bioactive compound retention, powder properties (flowability, dispersibility), color, thermal stability, and sensory attributes.
- Fitting drying kinetics using Midilli et al., Page, and Weibull models.
Main Results:
- Ultrasound pretreatment + vacuum-microwave drying (US + VMD) demonstrated the highest drying acceleration (6-11 times faster than CD), achieving low moisture and water activity.
- US + VMD resulted in high retention of bioactive compounds (90-95%), superior powder flowability and dispersibility, and enhanced thermal stability.
- Drying acceleration varied by raw material, influenced by their specific composition (sugars, nitrates, fibers, pectins, carotenoids).
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound pretreatment + vacuum-microwave drying (US + VMD) is a highly effective method for producing functional food powders from carrot, red beet, and pumpkin pomace.
- This method offers a sustainable route for valorizing vegetable waste into high-quality ingredients, potentially replacing synthetic additives.
- Optimal method selection and parameter adjustment should consider the specific characteristics of the raw vegetable material.
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