Consumer Response to Tomato Pomace Powder as an Ingredient in Bread: Impact of Sensory Liking and Benefit Information on Purchase Intent

Tomato pomace as a source of valuable functional ingredients for improving physicochemical and sensory properties and extending the shelf life of foods: A review

Due to its nutritional and bioactive content, tomato pomace (TP) remains among the world's richest fruits and vegetables. Tomatoes and TP (generated coproduct) are a very rich source of lycopene and other carotenoid compounds and contain an essential amount of polyphenols, policosanol, phytosterols, organic acids, dietary fibers, minerals, and vitamins. TP is a promising source of significant bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial potential. Therefore, their consumption is known to be effective in preventing certain chronic diseases. For example, lycopene prevents prostate cancer and acts as a hepatoprotector and genoprotector against mycotoxins, pesticide residues, and heavy metals. Thus, the valorization of TP as a food ingredient can be of great health, economic and environmental interest and contribute to improving nutrition and food security. During the last decades, considerable efforts have been made to valorize TP as a crucial functional ingredient in improving: (i) the nutritional and functional properties, (ii) sensory characteristics and (iii) the shelf life of many foods. The current review aims to update and summarize the knowledge on the recent food applications of TP, particularly its use as a functional ingredient to improve the functional properties and shelf life of foods.

Influence of tomato processing by-product extract as dietary supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics and antioxidant status of growing rabbits under high ambient temperature

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of tomato processing by-product extract (TPBE) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and antioxidant status of growing rabbits under high ambient temperature. A total of eighty weaned New Zealand White (NZW) male rabbits (6-weeks-old; initial body weight, 730.28 ± 36.05 g) were randomly assigned to 4 groups. The first group was the control without supplementation; while the other groups were fed diets supplemented with 100, 200 and 250 mg TPBE/kg. The results showed that TPBE contained 211.85 mg/100g as total phenols and total flavones of 303.36 mg/100g. Rabbits fed a 250 mg TPBE-supplemented diet showed the heaviest body weight, the lowest feed intake and the best feed conversion ratio. TPBE diets reduced mortality percentage. Dietary supplementation of 250 mg TPBE had the highest dressing percentage. Plasma total protein, globulin, catalase and glutathione peroxidase of rabbits fed diets supplemented with 200 and 250 mg TPBE were high. Plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, plasma hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde concentrations were decreased with dietary levels of TPBE. Rabbits fed 250 mg TPBE had higher T-AOC than the other groups. TPBE supplemented diets improved net revenue and economic efficiency. Conclusively, TPBE is containing appreciable content of polyphenols and flavonoids and the dietary supplementation of TPBE (250 mg/kg diet) had a positive impact on growth performance, reducing mortality and enhancing the antioxidant status of rabbits reared under high ambient temperature.

Inulin as a Fat-Reduction Ingredient in Pork and Chicken Meatballs: Its Effects on Physicochemical Characteristics and Consumer Perceptions

Fat reduction in meat products represents a technological challenge, as it affects the physicochemical and sensory properties of foods. The objective of the present investigation was to develop reduced-fat pork and chicken meatballs. In the initial stage, a survey was performed on 387 individuals, in order to determine the consumer perception of the meaning of a healthy meatball and the likelihood that they would consume such a product. In the second stage, four pork and chicken meatball formulations were developed: control meatballs (AC), meatballs with inulin (AI), meatballs with fructo-oligosaccharides (AF), and meatballs with inulin and fructo-oligosaccharides (AM). In the third stage, physicochemical properties were evaluated (water activity, humidity, fat, protein, ash, weight loss, pH, color, and texture) and a sensorial profile was created with semi-trained panelists for the four meatball formulations. In the fourth stage, AI was selected as the meatball with sensorial and physicochemical characteristics most similar to AC. An analysis of nutritional characteristics and a home test (84 consumers) were performed. The present study established that the inclusion of inulin as a fat substitute in the preparation of pork and chicken meatballs, in the amount of 3.5 g of fiber/100 g of the mixture, imitates the technological properties characteristic of fat and showed acceptance by consumers.

Valorization Potential of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Seed: Nutraceutical Quality, Food Properties, Safety Aspects, and Application as a Health-Promoting Ingredient in Foods

The tomato is a member of the Solanaceae family and is a crop that is widely cultivated around the world due to its sweet, sour, salty, juicy, and nutritious berries. The processing of tomatoes generates a significant amount of waste in the form of tomato pomace, which includes seeds and skin. Tomato seeds are reservoirs of various nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. These components make tomato seeds an important ingredient for application in food matrices. This review discusses the functional food properties of tomato seeds and their scope of utilization as major ingredients in the functional food industry. In addition, this review describes the development of tomato seeds as a potential nutritional and nutraceutical ingredient, along with recent updates on research conducted worldwide. This is the first review that demonstrates the nutritional profile of tomato seeds along with its diverse functional food properties and application as a functional food ingredient.

Impact of sustainability and nutritional messaging on Italian consumers' purchase intent of cereal bars made with brewery spent grains

This work focuses on the reuse of brewery spent grains (BSGs), the most abundant by-product of the beer industry, today mainly used as animal feed. BSGs are rich in fibers and proteins as well as phenolic compounds, all of which are beneficial for human nutrition. Cereal bars containing 12% BSG were formulated and characterized instrumentally. Moreover, 159 panelists representative of young Italian consumers evaluated the bars in a central location test, along with a commercial cereal bar. Products were first evaluated blind, and then in an informed condition where additional product-specific nutritional and sustainability information was revealed, thus the purchase intent was determined. While the control product outperformed the BSG bar in most of the hedonic and sensory measures, the BSG sample was perceived as "natural/made with natural ingredients" by a significantly higher number of panelists (49%) compared to the control (30%). Additionally, even in the lower performing formulation, a significant positive effect on purchase intent was observed when providing either nutrition (fiber content) or sustainability (use of upcycled ingredients) information. The acceptable price range for the BSG and the commercial bar was very similar, whereas the optimal pricing point for the BSG was lower than the control. For the BSG product, sustainability information had significantly higher impact on purchase intent than nutrition-based information. Results highlight the importance of understanding consumer attitudes toward upcycling and the use of byproducts as ingredients in new food formulations. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Results show how providing information on product nutrition and sustainability can increase purchase intent in the context of a cereal bar containing upcycled ingredients. The findings of this study can help food and consumer researchers to develop acceptable products that include BSG as an ingredient, potentially replacing other cereals in the recipe. The use of this brewery by-product could add value to the beer supply chain and to the final product as well, being also aligned with the current market trend of sustainability and functional health benefits.

Platelet Anti-Aggregant Activity and Bioactive Compounds of Ultrasound-Assisted Extracts from Whole and Seedless Tomato Pomace

Tomato paste production generates a residue known as tomato pomace, which corresponds to peels and seeds separated during tomato processing. Currently, there is an opportunity to use tomato pomace to obtain a functional extract with antithrombotic properties, such as platelet anti-aggregant activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield and inhibitory activity of different extracts of tomato pomace on in vitro platelet aggregation, comparing this activity with commercial cardioprotective products, and quantify bioactive compounds. Aqueous or ethanolic/water (1:1) extracts of whole tomato pomace, seedless tomato pomace, tomato pomace supplemented with seeds (50% and 20%), and only seeds were obtained with different ultrasound-assisted extraction times. The inhibition of platelet aggregation was evaluated using a lumi-aggregometer. The quantification of bioactive compounds was determined by HPLC-MS. From 5 g of each type of tomato pomace sample, 0.023-0.22 g of a dry extract was obtained for the platelet aggregation assay. The time of sonication and extraction solvent had a significant role in platelet anti-aggregant activity of some extracts respect the control. Thus, the most active extracts decreased adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-induced platelet aggregation from 87 ± 6% (control) to values between 26 ± 6% and 34 ± 2% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, different ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions of tomato pomace fractions had varied concentration of flavonoids and nucleosides, and had an effect on extract yield.