HARNESSING GRAPE POMACE: NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS, RECOVERY AND EXTRACTION TECHNIQUES FOR HEALTH BENEFITS

Abstract

Nowadays, grapes represent the third most widely cultivated horticulture crop in the world. For the Republic of Moldova, grapes have been recognized as the most culturally important crop. About 70% of the total production of Moldovan grapes is processed in the wine industry, 30 % of which are by-products that tend to be not fully exploited, being frequently burned or landfilled. Due to its chemical composition, grape pomace is one type of agricultural waste that can be used to achieve sustainability in the food business by converting waste into useful resources. In this sense, the pomace chemical composition, with demonstrated antioxidant potential, is a viable source of biologically active compounds, as a cheap agricultural waste product, for the development of functional products. This paper is an overview of the characteristics and potential uses of wine industry waste, namely grape pomace and explores the implementation of eco-friendly technologies that have the potential to convert this perishable material into a unique ingredient, unveiling fresh opportunities for the grape pomace's utilization and consumption.

Keywords

• extraction
• grapes
• polyphenols
• pomace
• sustainability