Sustainable food production: a case study of Brazilian orange juice industry waste application.

Abstract

According to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) data, by 2050 the world's population will increase by 34% and to supply world food, production will have to increase by 70% (How to feed the world 2050, FAO, 2009). Thus, it is evident that in order to meet food evolution, it is necessary to improve the productive indexes, where on the other hand, there is constant concern with lower environmental and socioeconomic impacts. This is the principle of sustainable food production where the use of different technologies are very important. The use of ingredients from by-products and / or wastes from the food industry is still scarcely used. On the other hand, several studies have shown that these residues, for the most part, are rich in nutrients and could therefore add nutritional and functional value to different products. Orange is known as a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and therefore its consumption is associated with several health benefits. Brazil is the largest producer of orange juice in the world, resulting in a high amount of waste, since the production of orange juice generates a residue of approximately 50% of the amount of processed fruit. On the other hand, several researches have highlighted that this residue is rich in several nutrients, justifying the need for studies that could show best application, in order to better target these residues, and to avoid the waste and reduction of disposal of the material that would be accumulated in nature. Thus, the objective of this project is to produce a flour from the orange by-products (orange albedo), to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of the flour produced (fiber content, resistant starch, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and ashes), physical properties and functional, and then apply this flour in baking products such as French type bread and cookie type biscuit, evaluating the effect on the physical properties, sensorial and also the glycemic activity of the products. The study will be of extreme importance in the technological area, since: (1) it involves the valorization and use of residues of the Brazilian orange juice industry, which may represent an important economic strategy for the country, (2) with possible functional attributes. (AU)