Valorization of Tomato Surplus and Waste Fractions: A Case Study Using Norway, Belgium, Poland, and Turkey as Examples

Abstract

There is a large potential in Europe for valorization in the vegetable food supply chain. For example, there is occasionally overproduction of tomatoes for fresh consumption, and a fraction of the production is unsuited for fresh consumption sale (unacceptable color, shape, maturity, lesions, etc.). In countries where the facilities and infrastructure for tomato processing is lacking, these tomatoes are normally destroyed, used as landfilling or animal feed, and represent an economic loss for producers and negative environmental impact. Likewise, there is also a potential in the tomato processing industry to valorize side streams and reduce waste. The present paper provides an overview of tomato production in Europe and the strategies employed for processing and valorization of tomato side streams and waste fractions. Special emphasis is put on the four tomato-producing countries Norway, Belgium, Poland, and Turkey. These countries are very different regards for example their climatic preconditions for tomato production and volumes produced, and represent the extremes among European tomato producing countries. Postharvest treatments and applications for optimized harvest time and improved storage for premium raw material quality are discussed, as well as novel, sustainable processing technologies for minimum waste and side stream valorization. Preservation and enrichment of lycopene, the primary health promoting agent and sales argument, is reviewed in detail. The European volume of tomato postharvest wastage is estimated at >3 million metric tons per year. Together, the optimization of harvesting time and preprocessing storage conditions and sustainable food processing technologies, coupled with stabilization and valorization of processing by-products and side streams, can significantly contribute to the valorization of this underutilized biomass.

Chemical Characterisation and Antihypertensive Effects of Locular Gel and Serum of Lycopersicum esculentum L. var. “Camone” Tomato in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

“…The daily amount of tomato extract administered to the rats was quite high, corresponding roughly to 100 g of fresh tomatoes per day. This may make it feasible to recover waste products of the tomato processing industry [41] to prepare dietary supplements to combine daily with a healthy diet and lifestyle.…”

Valorization of Tomato Waste as a Source of Carotenoids

“…Over 130 million tons are processed every year, and approximately eight million tons represent the waste generated as estimated by the World Processing Tomato Council (WPTC) [ 3 ]. In fact, a considerable number of produced tomatoes are not suitable for fresh consumption due to unacceptable color, maturity, or shape, thus representing an economic loss for producers and a negative environmental impact [ 4 ]. Additionally, large quantities of tomato peel residues are generated from the processing industry.…”

Valorization of Greenhouse Horticulture Waste from a Biorefinery Perspective

“…Among the market products, tomatoes were by far the main vegetable product, with 16.6 million tons and occupying 10% of the total vegetable cultivated area, with Spain and Italy as major producers (60% of the total produced volume) [ 6 , 7 ]. After harvesting, this crop generates annually over 3 million metric tons of waste [ 8 ], mainly including plant waste (leaves and branches generated from pruning and maintenance operation, as well as the main stem, branches, and leaves collected at the end of the growing cycle) and the discarded tomatoes that do not meet the required quality standards for sale. In the particular case of Almería, Spain, where more than 75% of the country’s total greenhouse production occurs, the amount of tomato plant waste comes to around 470,000 tons/year, considering both data from the area for growing tomato in greenhouse crop and the estimated value of waste generation (49 t tomato plant waste per ha) [ 9 ].…”