Ms. Shilpa Omprakash Sunariwal will present her APS as per the detail below:
Date: 28th Feb 2024
Time: 1000 - 1100 hrs.
Venue: Ctara Conference Room 1
Guide: Prof. Amit Arora
RPC Members: Prof. Yogendra Shastri, Prof. Parameshwer Udmale
Title: Biorefinery based on Tomato Waste Valorisation: Scope in Food and Nutrition
Abstract:
In 2022-23, India was the second largest horticulture producer, with a production of 351.92 million tonnes, out of which the tomato production was 21.18 million metric tons and contributed 11% to global tomato production. In India, 150,000 tonnes of tomatoes are utilised by processing industries for making tomato-based products which generate tomato pomace as a by-product, which, despite potential applications such as bio-composting and animal feed, faces limitations due to its high moisture and nitrogen content. Improper disposal of these tomato waste poses environmental and economic concerns. To reduce these challenges, valorising tomato waste becomes imperative to unlock its potential for the food industry. Tomato waste has valuable nutrients such as lycopene, dietary fibres, seed protein, and seed oil. Therefore, the primary aim of this research is to develop a tomato-based biorefinery for extracting highly nutritious and value-added chemicals from tomato waste and by-products, employing innovative, environmentally sustainable methodologies. The scarce literature regarding the design of biorefineries specifically based on tomato waste renders this area of study relatively novel. This research also explores the potential utilisation of nutrients extracted from tomato waste as additives in developing specialised food formulations tailored for paediatric cancer patients experiencing malnutrition during anti-cancer treatments. The research includes life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) studies to explore the environmental and economic viability of tomato biorefineries. The main objective of the research emphasise a "zero waste" and "waste to health" approach and promotes a circular economy.