|
February 13, 2004
Recent EU research discovered that tomato waste is full of untapped,
nutritious goodness, and suggested how to make the most of it. Instead
of using the excess tomatoes for animal feed or simply discarding them,
the EU TOM(ato) project suggests using the tomato waste as a natural
food additive. Every year, around 4 million tonnes of tomato by-products
are disposed of in Europe alone. These dregs, especially the seeds, are
an excellent source of nutrient-rich substances such as carotenoids,
proteins, sugars, fibre and oils. The TOM(ato) project will help treat
tomato leftovers in a cleaner and cheaper way, without using chemicals
to extract valuable nutrients, and reducing the overall amount of waste.
To help with this two-year project, which kicked off last May, the
European Union has contributed €425 000 towards the total costs of over
€861 000. Participants include ten partners from the Netherlands, Spain,
Germany, Ireland and Portugal. Final results are due in April next year.
"We have for a long
time known the nutritional benefits of eating tomatoes", says European
Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. "Now, with the TOM project we
are set to maximise the potential of this juicy fruit. Every year
millions of tons of tomatoes are destroyed, and large amounts of tomato
by-products in manufacturing are treated as waste. Instead of simply
discarding this material, it will be possible to benefit all European
citizens with a wide range of alternative uses. This is an example of
how technology can help enhance European citizens' quality of life and
turn sustainable development into reality."
Making better
use of Europe's food products
Tomatoes are rich
in a wide range of nutrients. But a large percentage of this healthy
fruit ends up as waste or animal feed. A consortium of European research
organisations, backed by the European Union, is keen to put this tomato
residue to better use as natural food additives.
Waste not, want
not
Around 8.5 million
tonnes of tomatoes are cultivated every year in Europe. Nearly 18% (1.5
million tonnes) is sold directly to consumers and the rest is processed
into foods, such as ketchup, pasta sauce and canned goods. However,
during processing, up to 40% of the raw material ends up as residue,
mainly skin and seeds.
Of the waste
products, the oils, in particular, are highly valued for their
unsaturated fat content, according to the Spanish research centre AZTI,
which is participating in TOM along with ten other partners from the
Netherlands, Germany, Ireland and Portugal.
Nutritious
secrets
The project's main
aim is to develop new food additives and extracts from tomato processing
industry leftovers. Before the residue can be converted into a
high-value nutritional compound suitable for use in health-giving
foodstuffs, the scientists found ways of removing impurities from the
tomato sludge left after initial processing. Solvents have commonly been
used for this, but they tend to be less effective and leave chemical
traces.
Cleaning up the
waste
Using a two-fold
cleaning process, TOM's researchers expect to be able to produce a much
purer compound extract. First, they obtain a crude extract using the
conventional but environmentally clean method of washing the tomato
residue with water and supercritical CO2. Next, they use 'affinity
chromatography' to raise the quality of the extract to a level of 98%
purity.
Improving
productivity
As well as
providing a new, nutrient-rich food additive, the process should cut, by
up to 30%, the volume of residue generated in the tomato processing
industry.
For further
information on the TOM project, which is coordinated by Dr. Peter
Sijmons from the Dutch biotech company CatchMabs (info@catchmabs.com)
see:
News release
P2049 |
