Beneficiation of avocado processing industry by-product: A review on future prospect

Abstract

Avocado processing industries generate a significant quantity of by-products such as avocado seeds. Four million metric tonnes of avocado fruit production are estimated annually, and avocado seed constitutes 13–18% of the fruit part. Many of these by-products are currently underutilised and does incur waste disposal costs through on-site incineration, disposal to landfill and in addition, they will pollute the environment and have health concerns. The need for alternative sustainable renewable bioenergy, environmental protection and production of biomaterial have caught the attention of researchers to study the various opportunities to generate products with greater value-adding from these wastes to promote a green economy sustainably. Avocado seed constitutes about 66.3% of starch, 4.9% of protein, 4.12% of arabinose and 3.3% of pentosanes which can be converted to high-value products. In this review, possible valorisation routes of waste avocado seeds are discussed. The recommendations made in this study could inform the possible investment areas by identifying which technologies and processes; in order to address various technical, economic and market-related barriers that may hinder R&D progress to commercialisation. Further research is required to undertake such a prioritisation exercise; followed by detailed feasibility studies on the proposed options.

Keywords

• Avocado seed
• Beneficiation
• Utilisation
• Avocado oil
• By-product
• Starch