Short answer

Designers can explore the use of fruit and vegetable pomace as a sustainable ingredient to enhance the nutritional value and reduce waste in processed food products.

Field: Resource Management
Source: Discover Food (2025)
Method: Experimental design and sensory evaluation
Evidence: Strong effect

Incorporating apple and carrot pomace powders into food bars significantly boosts nutritional content, particularly protein and fiber, while utilizing a food processing byproduct. This resource management research insight is drawn from a 2025 study published in Discover Food. Using Experimental design and sensory evaluation, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers can explore the use of fruit and vegetable pomace as a sustainable ingredient to enhance the nutritional value and reduce waste in processed food products.

Study

Resource ManagementNew This WeekStrong effect

Valorizing Apple and Carrot Pomace: Enhancing Food Bar Nutrition and Sustainability

Incorporating apple and carrot pomace powders into food bars significantly boosts nutritional content, particularly protein and fiber, while utilizing a food processing byproduct.

Discover Food · 2025

Key Findings

01Apple pomace is richer in moisture, fiber, fat, and NFE; carrot pomace is richer in ash and protein.
02Incorporation of pomace powders increased protein, ash, and fiber content in food bars.
03Higher levels of pomace powder led to a slight increase in microbial counts (total plate count, yeast and mold), but remained within safe limits.
04A food bar formulation with 4% combined apple and carrot pomace powder replacement achieved the highest organoleptic scores and consumer acceptance.

Application

Design takeaway

Designers can explore the use of fruit and vegetable pomace as a sustainable ingredient to enhance the nutritional value and reduce waste in processed food products.

How to apply

When developing new food products, investigate the potential of using readily available agricultural byproducts as functional ingredients to improve nutritional content and sustainability.

Project actions

01Consider using local food waste streams as a source of raw materials for your design project.
02Document the nutritional changes and sensory feedback thoroughly when incorporating novel ingredients.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the feasibility and impact of using apple and carrot pomace powders as ingredients in food bars to enhance nutritional value and consumer acceptance.

MethodExperimental design and sensory evaluation

ProcedureApple and carrot pomace powders were incorporated into food bar formulations at varying levels, replacing a portion of rice flour. The resulting food bars were analyzed for their nutritional composition (protein, ash, fiber, moisture, fat, NFE) and microbiological safety. Sensory properties (taste, color, flavor, overall acceptability) were evaluated by a consumer panel.

ContextFood product development, sustainable food systems

Variables

IV["Percentage of apple pomace powder in food bar","Percentage of carrot pomace powder in food bar"]

DV["Nutritional content (protein, ash, fiber, moisture, fat, NFE)","Microbial load (total plate count, yeast and mold count)","Sensory scores (taste, color, flavor, overall acceptability)"]

CV["Base food bar ingredients (e.g., rice flour)","Processing methods","Storage conditions (implied)"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Directly addresses waste valorization in the food industry.
+Combines objective nutritional analysis with subjective sensory evaluation.

Limitations

The sensory panel might not represent a diverse consumer base, and the microbiological analysis might not cover all potential spoilage factors.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability could be enhanced by repeating the sensory evaluation with a larger and more diverse participant group. Validity is supported by the objective nutritional and microbiological analyses, though further investigation into specific microbial spoilage pathways would strengthen it.

Think critically

What are the potential challenges in scaling up the use of pomace powders in commercial food production, considering factors like supply chain consistency, processing costs, and consumer perception?

Design Principles

"Valorize byproducts to create sustainable and nutritious products."

This research demonstrates a practical approach to waste valorization within the food industry. By transforming agricultural byproducts into nutrient-dense ingredients, designers can develop more sustainable and healthier food products, addressing both resource efficiency and consumer demand for nutritious options.

What This Means for Your Design

You can make healthier snacks by using the leftover pulp from making juice (like apple or carrot pulp) as an ingredient, and it's good for the environment too.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the use of waste materials for product development and the impact on product nutrition and appeal.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research by Kausar et al. (2025) highlights the potential of valorizing fruit and vegetable pomace, such as apple and carrot pomace, into nutrient-rich food products like food bars. Their findings indicate that incorporating these byproducts can significantly enhance protein and fiber content while maintaining consumer acceptance, offering a sustainable approach to food product design.

Source

Discover Food

Development and evaluation of food bar utilizing the valuable waste in the form of apple and carrot pomace powders

journal · 2025

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about valorizing apple and carrot pomace: enhancing food bar nutrition and sustainability?: Designers can explore the use of fruit and vegetable pomace as a sustainable ingredient to enhance the nutritional value and reduce waste in processed food products. Evidence: Discover Food (2025).
Why does "Valorizing Apple and Carrot Pomace: Enhancing Food Bar Nutrition and Sustainability" matter for design?: This research demonstrates a practical approach to waste valorization within the food industry. By transforming agricultural byproducts into nutrient-dense ingredients, designers can develop more sustainable and healthier food products, addressing both resource efficiency and consumer demand for nutritious options.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers can explore the use of fruit and vegetable pomace as a sustainable ingredient to enhance the nutritional value and reduce waste in processed food products.
What were the main findings?: Apple pomace is richer in moisture, fiber, fat, and NFE; carrot pomace is richer in ash and protein.. Incorporation of pomace powders increased protein, ash, and fiber content in food bars.. Higher levels of pomace powder led to a slight increase in microbial counts (total plate count, yeast and mold), but remained within safe limits.. A food bar formulation with 4% combined apple and carrot pomace powder replacement achieved the highest organoleptic scores and consumer acceptance.
What research method was used?: Experimental design and sensory evaluation.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2025 journal from Discover Food.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing new food products, investigate the potential of using readily available agricultural byproducts as functional ingredients to improve nutritional content and sustainability.
What are the limitations?: The study focused on specific pomace types (apple and carrot) and a single product type (food bar). The long-term shelf-life and stability under various storage conditions were not extensively detailed. The microbiological analysis indicated safe limits but did not explore the specific microbial species or potential spoilage mechanisms in detail.