Sustainable valorisation of tomato pomace: A comprehensive review

A large amount of tomato pomace is produced from industrial processing, most of which is not properly utilized. This not only causes a waste of valuable resources but also increases the environmental burden. Summarizing the proximate composition of tomato pomace, this review mainly discussed its comprehensive utilization in animal feed, as a food ingredient, and in recovering valuable components, such as lycopene, dietary fibre, tomato seed oil and protein. Tomato pomace, including peels and seeds, is produced as a by-product in the food industry. The peel component of tomato pomace is rich in dietary fibre and lycopene, while the seed component contains high levels of oil and protein. Smashed, fermented or silaged, all parts of tomato pomace can be used in animal feed to increase the nutritional value of daily ration. The fine powders of tomato pomace and its peel and seed component can be applied as functional food ingredients to be incorporated into wheat flour-based foods, meat products and tomato paste to improve the nutritive, textural and sensory quality of the involved foods. Furthermore, tomato pomace and its component are good sources of lycopene, dietary fibre, pectin, protein and oil through the specific extraction method, which is a current research hotspot that aims to make the industry sustainable. Further studies should expedite these technologies and products to a large-scale process and practical application.