Biotechnological upcycling of fruit pomace into prebiotic food ingredients

Research Project, 2026 – 2028

BIOPOM intends to produce health-promoting food ingredients from pomace from applejuice and cider production - 20% of the apple´s wet mass and a total of 4 Mt per year inEurope. The pomace contains interesting complex polysaccharides and polyphenols. Challenges are rapid microbial degradation, content of toxic cyanogenic glycosides and bitter substances and insufficient colloidal properties. Through a combination of precision fermentation, metabolomics and colloidal science, cyanogenic glycosides and tannins can be neutralized and modified, a biopreservative effect is achieved and successful integration into food structures is enabled through finely controlled interaction with starch and proteins. The bioactive content of the pomace is expected to outperform conventional dietary fibers in promoting intestinal health. Assessments of bioactivity, prebiotic effect, food safety and environmental, economic and social sustainability ensure consumer-friendly products that meet EFSA regulations and are inline with the EU´s Green Deal. The Swedish project part assesses sustainability. Industry partners provide pomace and scale up and demonstrate technology and products. The project provides, among other things, new economic opportunities (up to €800/t pomace) for cider producers and industrial bakeries. The solutions also provide a replicable model for other plant-based waste streams - for the transition to more sustainable, integrative and circular food systems