Mango peel can be dried and ground into flour to be added to juices, according to Unal study
Scientists have come up with a novel solution for waste generated by the manufacture of tropical fruit juices. Researchers at the National University of Colombia (Unal) have discovered that mango peel, which is rich in fibre and antioxidants, can be ground into a flour and used to make healthy drinks.
Speaking to Novaciencia, Laura Sofía Arévalo Medina, a student of Unal’s Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, said: “Mango is an excellent source of dietary fibre, an essential component for the proper functioning of the digestive system, as it helps regulate intestinal transit, preventing problems such as constipation, and helps control blood cholesterol levels”.
The project, developed at the Institute of Food Science and Technology (ICTA) of the UNAL, had two main phases: the treatment of mango waste, and the sensory analysis of the finished products.
In the first phase, mangoes were immersed for 10 minutes in sodium hypochlorite to disinfect them, then blanched to facilitate the skin’s separation from the flesh. The pulps were juiced and the peel dried, ground and transformed into flour to be added to the juice.
A taste panel then tested different juice formulations made up of mango and passion fruit juice and the flour. The panel found that while the ground skin had undesirable attributes such as an earthy and metallic taste, juice formulations with 1 per cent of the peel were able to mask the negative attributes.
“The study demonstrated that mango waste can be successfully integrated into the drinks industry, especially when the percentages of addition are controlled and combined with ingredients that mask undesirable sensory attributes,” Arévalo said.
“This project shows that it is possible to use agro-industrial by-products such as mango peel in functional drinks, with a focus on sustainability and circular economy.”
The next phase of the project will be to explore how these results can be scaled up to an industrial level and evaluate acceptance in broader markets.
