Chemical and organoleptic characteristics of tomato purée enriched with lyophilized tomato pomace.

Epidemiological studies have proved that tomato consumption is associated with a lower risk of developing several diseases (for example, certain types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, macular degeneration, age-related eye disease). Many micronutrients and bioactive compounds are mainly present in peel and seeds and are lost during the processing into sauce, purée, paste and juice. The addition of lyophilized and powdered tomato pomace enhances the properties of purée. In this paper we report the chemical and physicochemical characterization of a purée enriched with 2% dry pomace. Comparison of the analytical data of starting purée with the enriched purée showed a significant increase of all micronutrients, without the taste and appearance being compromised or altered negatively. The product obtained is an example of a functional food rich in health-promoting phytochemicals, with the significant aspect of recovering a waste fraction of the tomato processing that would normally be disposed of in landfill, with associated costs and environmental impact.