Fruits and vegetables are not only delicious but also packed with essential vitamins and nutrients that are beneficial for people of all ages. With the development of the fruit and vegetable processing industry, an increasing number of processed fruit and vegetable products are appearing in people's shopping carts. Currently, there are several promising fruit and vegetable products with development prospects, including freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, vegetable juices, fermented vegetable beverages, lactic acid fermented vegetable juice drinks, ready-to-eat vegetables, vegetable snacks, fruit and vegetable powders, vegetable crisps, specialized functional vegetable products like beauty vegetables, vegetable noodles, vegetable bread, vegetable tofu, etc. In recent years, fruit and vegetable processing has shown several new trends.
Processing functional foods with extracted components from fruits and vegetables
With in-depth research, many fruits and vegetables have been found to contain bioactive substances. Blueberries are known as the "number one antioxidant" in fruits and vegetables, as they exhibit strong oxidative effects and have the ability to prevent functional disorders. Furthermore, blueberry extract has been found to have reversing effects on functional disorders, not only improving short-term memory but also enhancing balance and coordination in the elderly. In Europe, blueberries have long been believed to improve vision, mainly due to their anthocyanin content. Additionally, red grapes contain resveratrol, which can prevent the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein, inhibit cholesterol deposition in blood vessels, prevent platelet aggregation in arteries, and have anti-cancer effects.
Many fruits and vegetables contain physiologically active components with functional effects. Researchers are isolating, extracting, and concentrating these functional components from fruits and vegetables using various methods and adding them to various foods or processing them into functional foods.
Promising prospects for minimal processing
Traditional processed foods have gradually been abandoned by consumers due to their intense heat treatment, resulting in loss of freshness, destruction of nutritional components, and changes in flavor. Therefore, the concept of minimal processing (MP) has emerged in the food industry. MP of fruits and vegetables differs from traditional processing techniques such as canning, freezing, drying, and pickling. It is a processing method that falls between storage and processing, avoiding intense heat treatment of fruit and vegetable products. Through appropriate pre-processing, including peeling, cutting, and trimming, the raw fruits and vegetables remain alive, capable of respiration, and exhibit characteristics of freshness, convenience, and being 100% edible.
New developments in the fruit and vegetable juice processing industry
Fruit and vegetable juices, often referred to as "liquid fruits and vegetables," effectively preserve the nutritional components of the raw materials. With increased focus on health and changing consumer awareness, beverage consumption has shifted from indulgent drinks to nutritious beverages. Fruit and vegetable juice beverages meet this demand, and the market is gradually expanding. Currently, the market offers primarily orange juice, apple juice, pineapple juice, grape juice, and vegetable juices such as tomato juice, carrot juice, pumpkin juice, and various fruit and vegetable blends.
In recent years, the fruit and vegetable juice processing industry in China has experienced significant growth. With further development in fruit and vegetable juice processing, new product trends are emerging:
- Concentrated juice: Smaller volume and lighter weight, reducing storage, packaging, and transportation costs, making it favorable for international trade.
- NFC (Not From Concentrate) juice: This type of juice is not reconstituted by diluting concentrated fruit and vegetable juice with water. Instead, it involves direct sterilization of the extracted juice, eliminating the need for concentration and subsequent sterilization processes.
- Composite fruit and vegetable juice: Utilizing the characteristics of various fruit and vegetable raw materials, comprehensive blending is done considering nutrition, color, flavor, etc., creating more desirable fruit and vegetable juice products.
- Pulp beverages: These beverages retain dietary fiber from fruits, resulting in higher utilization of raw materials.
- New types of juice beverages for future markets: Fruit and vegetable juice beverages have been growing rapidly in economically developed countries, with a wide variety of popular options in foreign markets. Examples include pineapple fruit juice and vegetable juice blends composed of tomato juice, carrot juice, celery juice, beetroot juice, lettuce juice, spinach juice, etc., combined with salt, spices, citric acid, etc. In the US market, beverages combining two or more different fruit juices are considered innovative drinks.
Processing of Fruit and Vegetable Powder
Fresh fruits and vegetables generally have high moisture content, more than 90%, making them prone to spoilage and inconvenient for storage and transportation. However, processing fresh fruits and vegetables into fruit and vegetable powder reduces the moisture content to below 6%. This not only allows for the efficient utilization of raw materials but also makes the dried and dehydrated product easy to store, significantly reducing costs associated with storage, transportation, and packaging. Furthermore, fruit and vegetable powder processing has low requirements for raw materials. Importantly, it expands the application range of fruit and vegetable ingredients.
Fruit and vegetable powder can be applied in various fields of food processing, contributing to the enhancement of product nutrition, improvement of color and flavor, as well as diversification of product varieties. It is primarily used in the production of flour-based products, puffed snacks, meat products, dairy products, confectionery, baked goods, etc.
Processing of Fruit and Vegetable Crisps
Fruit and vegetable crisps are made from fresh and high-quality natural fruits and vegetables. They are dehydrated by using edible vegetable oil as a hot medium and heating them under low-temperature vacuum conditions. The core technology behind this process is vacuum drying. As a new type of fruit and vegetable snack, fruit and vegetable crisps retain the original color, aroma, and flavor of the fruits and vegetables while having a crispy texture. They are low in calories, high in fiber, rich in vitamins and various minerals, and free from preservatives. Fruit and vegetable crisps are also convenient to carry and have a long shelf life. They are highly popular in countries such as Europe, America, and Japan, and have broad prospects.
International Development of Zero Waste in Fruit and Vegetable Processing
During the process of fruit and vegetable processing, a significant amount of waste is often generated, such as fallen fruits, unqualified fruits, as well as fruit peels, cores, seeds, leaves, stems, flowers, roots, and other byproducts. However, these waste materials actually contain valuable resources. In Japan, for example, dried asparagus is ground into fine powder and used as a food filler in biscuits to enhance crispiness and nutritional value. It is also added to caramel candies to impart flavor and nutrition. Carrot residues are processed to create orange vegetable paper, which can be used for food packaging or consumed directly. In New Zealand, kiwi skins are used to extract proteolytic enzymes that prevent turbidity formation during beer cooling. They are also used as meat tenderizers and commonly employed in the pharmaceutical industry as digestive aids and enzyme preparations.
The development of zero waste has become a new focus in the international fruit and vegetable processing industry.
HSF Biotech Fermtek™ Fermentation Series- Fermented Vegetable & Fruit Powder
HSFbiotech is a company that specializes in the production of fermented fruit and vegetable powders using probiotics. These powders are widely used in the food processing industry.
By employing lactobacillus fermentation technology, HSFbiotech harnesses the power of beneficial bacteria to transform fruits and vegetables into highly nutritious and functional powders. The fermentation process enhances the bioavailability of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants present in the raw materials, making them easier for the body to absorb and utilize.
The fermented fruit and vegetable powders produced by HSFbiotech find extensive applications in the food processing field. They can be incorporated into various food products such as beverages, baked goods, snacks, sauces, and supplements. These powders not only enhance the nutritional profile of the final products but also contribute to their flavor, texture, and overall quality.
HSFbiotech's fermented fruit and vegetable powders offer a convenient way to incorporate the goodness of fruits and vegetables into everyday diets. They provide a natural and sustainable solution for improving the nutritional content of food products without compromising on taste or functionality. With their wide range of applications, HSFbiotech's products are helping to meet the growing demand for healthier and more innovative food options in the food processing industry.
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