Development of a New Tomato Sauce Enriched with Bioactive Compounds Through the Use of Processing By-Products and Vegetables

In recent years, the development of nutritionally enhanced foods with reduced environmental impact has gained significant importance. This study aimed to produce four types of tomato sauces: traditional, whole (including peels and seeds), traditional with added vegetables, and whole with added veget...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Enrico Maria Milito, Lucia De Luca, Giulia Basile, Martina Calabrese, Antonello Santini, Sabato Ambrosio, Raffaele Romano
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/12/2037
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In recent years, the development of nutritionally enhanced foods with reduced environmental impact has gained significant importance. This study aimed to produce four types of tomato sauces: traditional, whole (including peels and seeds), traditional with added vegetables, and whole with added vegetables. The vegetables included in the latter two variations were pumpkin, carrot, basil, and oregano. The sauces were analyzed for various parameters, such as soluble solids content, viscosity, pH, reducing sugars, titratable acidity, color, sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium content, total polyphenols, lycopene, beta-carotene, antioxidant activity, dietary fiber content, vitamin C, and volatile organic compounds. Results showed that whole tomato sauces had up to 80% more polyphenols (270.40 vs. 150.30 mg GAE/kg f.w.) and 30% higher DPPH antioxidant activity (87.07 vs. 66.96 µmol TE/100 g) compared to traditional sauces. Vegetable enrichment, particularly with pumpkin and carrot, significantly increased β-carotene levels (up to 68.67 mg/kg f.w.). Incorporating peels and seeds boosted the bioactive components, and adding vegetables provided an additional nutritional benefit. These findings highlight how waste recovery can contribute to the development of products with enhanced health benefits, offering a sustainable approach to food production.
ISSN:2304-8158