Edible Dishes from Fruit and Vegetable Waste

Authors: Grażyna Budryn, Ilona Gałązka-Czarnecka, Joanna Grzelczyk, Agnieszka Hejduk, Julia Materka

The Institute of Food Technology and Analysis at the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences of the Lodz University of Technology has developed fully edible dishes replacing plastics and coated cardboard, which are widely used in food service. The dishes can withstand 50 minutes of contact with hot beverages. They are made from apple pomace, which is waste in the production of applee juices and ciders. The large-scale processing of apples in Europe, including Poland, poses a major ecological and economic challenge in terms of managing production waste in the form of pomace, although some of it is already used to produce pectins. In addition to apple pomace, three other vegetable and cereal raw materials were used to produce the dishes. In order to achieve spectacular durability of the dishes, it was necessary to develop methods for grinding and dehydrating each of the plant raw materials, as well as a method for combining and pre-processing the mixture obtained from these raw materials. The mutual proportions of the raw materials used were selected as a result of advanced rheological and strength tests. Heat preservation of the dishes can be carried out using available wafer baking lines provided that the time and temperature parameters developed by the team are met.

The raw materials used to produce the dishes are known for their health-promoting properties, thanks to which the dishes obtained from them are a very good source of antioxidants, fiber and minerals supporting the acid-base balance of the body. The dishes have an attractive color and the desired taste, and at the same time they are brittle and do not pose a problem to chew and swallow. The dishes, as mentioned, are edible and can be an excellent healthy snack after drinking coffee or tea. They can also be composted within a month, and the enriched compost obtained, when used for growing plants, has a more beneficial effect on the growth rate, compared to traditional compost.

The invention was developed under grant no. 00087.DDD.6509.00234.2022.12 received from the Programme Action M16 Cooperation financed from European structural funds by the Agency for Development and Modernisation of Agriculture, entitled “Strengthening the potential of Polish apples through the full use of the fruit in the production of innovative pro-ecological products – development of fermented juice and compostable disposable packaging”. The grant was awarded to an operational group (consortium), which, in addition to the Lodz University of Technology, includes an orchardist and a food processor. Due to the high commercial value of the results of the invention, it is planned to be patented, the patent application will be submitted at the beginning of 2025.