Valorizing Food Waste – Interesting Ways to Utilize your Mango Fruit

Food waste is a pressing global issue with far-reaching implications for the environment, economy, and food security. Globally, around one-third of the food intended for human consumption, roughly 1.3 billion tonnes, is lost or wasted annually. This dire situation calls for innovative solutions that can transform food waste into valuable resources, and one such approach is food waste valorization or upcycling.

Food waste valorization involves repurposing and refurbishing food waste into various useful forms, rather than simply discarding it. By understanding the chemistry and potential uses of food waste, its value can be harnessed effectively.

For instance, mango fruit, a popular tropical fruit, offers a multitude of opportunities for upcycling its different parts. From the fruit pulp and peels to the seed and seed oil, each component contains a rich array of nutrients, bioactive compounds, and biochemicals that can be utilized in diverse industries and products.

This article explores the possibilities of mango fruit waste utilization, highlighting the nutritional composition and potential applications of its different parts.

By tapping into the potential of mango fruit, we can not only reduce food waste but also unlock economic opportunities, promote sustainable practices, and contribute to a more resilient and resource-efficient agri-food system.

From skin-care products and dietary supplements to animal feed and functional ingredients in food products, mango fruit waste holds the key to transforming waste into wealth.

Join us on this journey of discovering the hidden potential within mango fruit and learn how we can make a difference in reducing food waste while creating valuable products.

Food Waste Problem

All parts of fresh produce (including the plant itself) contain useful biochemicals that might make them useful in various areas/industries. Thus, “waste’ food products may be upcycled by converting them into various forms of useful food and other products. 

Yet, a worrisome percentage of food produced ends up in waste. Did you know that in the US alone an estimated 30-40% of the total food produced is wasted each year?  (Food and Drugs Administration).

In Canada, the statistics are even worse. Various sources including the Circular Innovation Council estimate that about 58% of food produced in Canada, costing more than $48 Billion, is wasted.

Globally, roughly one-third of the food produced for human consumption every year – approximately 1.3 billion tonnes – gets lost or wasted (UNEP).

The Benefits of Reducing Food Loss

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the benefits of reducing food loss include increased food availability, boosted productivity and economic growth, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced pressure on land and water resources, and making agri-food systems more resilient and sustainable.

Food waste valorization aims to reduce food waste through creative and innovative ways of giving old or unwanted food products and materials a new life by adding value to them. Also known as food waste upcycling, it is the act of refurbishing or repurposing food waste rather than just abandoning it.

To start, we need to understand the chemistry and possible uses of the food of concern. Let’s use mango as an example.

FROM MANGO FRUIT WASTE TO WEALTH

Now let’s dive in.

Plant foods like mango fruit are important sources of useful biochemicals. These include the commonly known carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water. But there are more.

Other types of components called bioactive compounds are present in plants and are responsible for better health, youth, and longevity in animals that consume them. They include carotenoids, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and tocopherols.

The content of these compounds provides more opportunities for food waste upcycling because they are highly priced for their health-promoting properties.

Composition of Mango Fruit

Mango fruit is composed of flesh /pulp, seed, and peel.

Mango Fruit pulp and its uses

In mango fruit pulp, you’d find the basic components of food namely, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water as well as dietary fiber. But there are more. Mango pulp is rich in bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, phenolic acids, tocopherols, and organic acids.

According to USDA Food Central, the vitamins present in mango fruit pulp include Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Vitamin B-6, Folates, Choline, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.

A look at the functions of these vitamins to the body can tell you why you should consume mango and its products – and why you should find ways to utilize them instead of discarding them as waste.

Vitamin A is needed for vision, healthy skin and mucous membranes, bone and tooth growth, and immune system health. Vitamins C and E are powerful antioxidants, which promote healthy skin, general good health, and longevity. Please read more about the functions of the other vitamins in mango here.

Further, the minerals present in mango pulp include Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, Zinc, Copper, Manganese, and Selenium. Please read about the health benefits of these minerals here.

Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that promote heart health, skin health, healthy aging, glucose metabolism, bone health, and cognitive health.

The most abundant carotenoid in mango pulp is beta-carotene. Others are alpha-Carotene, Cryptoxanthin, Lutein-zeaxanthin, and Lycopene. Click here to learn about the essential functions of carotenoids in living organisms.

The most abundant phenolic acid in mango pulp is mangiferin (a powerful antioxidant extracted and sold as supplements), along with at least nine other compounds. Check out the health benefits of phenolic acids here.

Uses of Mango Fruit Pulp

• Use it as an ingredient in skin-glowing body wash.
• Convert them to juices, juice concentrates, mango purees, smoothies, jams and jellies, and mango wine, or use them in confectionery products, sweets, and pickles.
• Make and sell mango pulp powder and dried puree.
• Produce fresh-cut mangoes and dried mango slices.
• Prepare skin-care products for the treatment of blackheads and for overall skin health due to the contents of vitamins B, E, C, and antioxidants.
• With Vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants, use mango pulp to make hair care products and dandruff treatment products.
• Develop mango extracts for use in nutraceuticals and medicine.
• Use mango pulp fiber to feed animals and fish.
• Extract pectin from the pulp fiber for use as a gelling, emulsifying, thickening, coloring, and stabilizing agent in food and other products.
• Make extracted carotenoids and phenolic acids for sale as supplements.
• Produce and sell mangiferin supplements.

Mango Fruit Peels and its uses

In mango peels- yes, that part that is usually discarded, you will find good amounts of proteins, dietary fiber, lipids, some vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, and pectin. It is also rich in bio-active compounds/ antioxidants such as phenolic acids, flavonoids and anthocyanins, and carotenoids.

Uses of Mango Peels

• Use it to produce valuable ingredients/supplements such as dietary fiber, carotenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids.
• Produce mango peel flour for use as a functional ingredient in food products such as noodles, bread, sponge cakes, biscuits, and other bakery products.
• Make food-grade pectin used for gelling, emulsifying, thickening, coloring, and stabilizing food.
• Create mango peel extract containing odor-active compounds for food flavoring.
• Produce organic extracts from mango peels possessing strong antibiotic properties for use in food preservation and medical purposes.
• The peel and peel extracts can also be used in food and cosmetic industries as a flavoring and aromatic compound and as an active ingredient for healthy skin.
• Feed it to animals as a source of protein and other nutrients.

Mango Seed and its uses

The seed contains proteins, lipids/oil, carbohydrates, minerals, and water. They are rich in phenolic acid and flavonoids.

However, the mango kernel contains anti-nutritional factors and must be preprocessed by dehulling, washing, soaking, boiling, and drying to remove the anti-nutrients.

Uses of Mango Seed

• Produce antioxidant-rich seed extracts, which may be used in food preservation and medicine.
• Use it as a functional ingredient in bakery products due to the presence of essential vitamins such as provitamin A and vitamin E and antioxidant properties.
• Create value-added products such as mango kernel oil and butter.
• Produce mango kernel butter for use in cosmetics, body washes, and aromatherapy for hair care and skincare. It is also used for medicinal purposes.
• Make Mango kernel flour, which can serve as a wheat flour substitute in baking.

Mango Seed Oil and its Potential Uses 

Mango seed oil contains Mangiferin, a plant compound with antioxidant benefits. It has unique physical and chemical characteristics, which are like those of cocoa butter and shea butter.

Uses of Mango Seed Oil

• Utilize Mango seed oil in skin care products to improve skin elasticity, maintain collagen production, moisturize, and nourish the skin, and in hair care to improve hair thickness.
• Produce skincare products such as body butter, face oil, massage oil, face wash, soap, and hair products like shampoo, conditioner, hair mask, and hair oil.
• Being rich in stearic and oleic acids, the oil can be fractionated to give olein and stearin.
• Use it to make various aroma products, such as candles, air fragrances, and perfumes to give the sweet scent of fresh mango.
• Use as an ingredient in pharmaceuticals and as a cocoa butter substitute.

Seed Press Cake and its uses   

After pressing for oil extraction, the seed cake of mango retains a significant amount of protein, minerals, and carbohydrates. Like the seeds, mango kernel press cake contains a lot of nutrients.

Uses of the Seed Cake

• You can use mango seed as a good source of protein after the removal of antinutrients.
• Use the press in animal feed production.

The Bottom Line

This article demonstrates how you can utilize the various parts of your food product to generate income and contribute to food waste reduction.

Are you a farmer or a processor? Please stay tuned to this website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for information on the valorization of other food products.

Sources

1. Food Waste FAQs, United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
2. Food Waste in Canada: The Facts. Circular Innovation Council.
3. Why should we care about food waste? United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
4. Stop Food Loss and Waste. United Nations Environmental Programme.
5. USDA Nutrition Database.