ARS | Publication request: DIETARY FIBER AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES IN CITRUS PROCESSING WASTE

Submitted to: Annual Meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: June 1, 2003
Publication Date: July 1, 2003
Citation: WIDMER, W.W. DIETARY FIBER AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES IN CITRUS PROCESSING WASTE. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INSTITUTE OF FOOD TECHNOLOGISTS. 2003. p. 46. ABSTRACT NO. 19-6.

Technical Abstract: On an annual basis the Florida citrus juice industry processes in excess of 9 million tons of oranges and 1 million tons of grapefruit. Approximately one half of the fruit is waste. The bulk of the waste stream, containing about 1 million tons of dry matter, is processed into citrus pulp pellets and sold as cattle feed valued at just a few cents per pound. Production costs to process the waste stream often exceed the cattle feed value. While production of cattle feed eliminates a huge environmental waste disposal concern, citrus fruit growers and processors face increasingly narrow profit margins and need better value for fruit products to compete successfully in business. Citrus fruit waste contains a variety of components with high value if separated from other fruit parts. High quality pectin from citrus peel was produced in Florida until economic and business concerns forced closure of the plant. Presently, small amounts of washed peel are still produced and exported overseas for pectin manufacture. Small amounts of citrus peel are also processed into marmalades or extracted for bioflavonoids. Utilization of citrus waste as a dietary fiber supplement is hampered by the presence of bitter components and residual citrus oils that must be removed to make a palatable product. Additionally, processing waste from grapefruit also contains components known to interact with some prescription drugs. Removal of these components from the peel residue to produce a palatable fiber product will be discussed along with current research going on to transform citrus polysaccharides into commodities for industrial use.