What are the health benefits and uses of wine industry byproducts in the food industry?

What are the health benefits and uses of wine industry byproducts in the food industry?

The wine industry produces 20 million tons of by-products annually, which is about 30% of the total volume of grapes. Healthy bioactive molecules (e.g. polyphenols) are abundant in these byproducts. This opens a promising avenue for the production of nutritional foods in the future.

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A recent one Antioxidants This article explored the various health benefits and uses of the wine industry by-products in the food industry.

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Grape pomace (GP) and wine lees are the most important waste streams with nutritional significance. GP consists of stems, peels and seeds and is a great source of phenolic compounds. The liquid phase is also rich in ethanol and organic acids. Wine yeast also has important biological and antioxidant properties.

Given the high nutritional value of wine by-products, these compounds should be reused in the food industry and for fortification of Mediterranean Diet (MD) products. MD consumes few animal products and eats a predominantly plant-based diet. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions are low and the environmental impact is low. The use of by-products such as polyphenols from GP has the dual advantage of being good for human health and also environmentally friendly.

Applications in the food industry

Wine by-products have good taste and attractive color, which facilitates their use in developing novel food products with numerous health benefits. The new foods could also be a replacement for conventional synthetic additives.

Grape roots, leaves and seeds are often used as food preservatives and flavorings. In some cultures they are also part of traditional medicine. The high polyphenol content is responsible for the antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory effects. These compounds can also be extracted from wine byproducts and used in the food industry to ensure product safety, extend shelf life, and prevent microbial spoilage.

The addition of GP powder as a flour replacement during the process of wheat bread fortification has improved the physical properties and bioactive potential of pasta and bread. The bioactivity of GP was also evaluated for fortified waters and infusions.

In the context of dairy products, GP served as a coagulant in the production of tofu and reduced the fat content of cheese. More broadly, wine byproducts serve, among other things, as a source of functional compounds in the formulation of yogurt, ice cream and fermented milk.

Research has shown that adding GP powder to cookies increases protein content and reduces the amount of free fatty acids. GP is an essential source of fiber and polyphenols, and the addition of GP could be an alternative to gluten-free products. For non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, there are limited studies on the role of wine by-products. Nevertheless, GP extracts have recently been used to produce a functional coconut drink. Despite beer's controversial health effects, white GP beers have been shown to have higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties. Additionally, these beers also contain smaller amounts of a toxic compound, acetaldehyde.

Health Benefits

Several in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies have documented the health benefits of fortifying foods with wine industry byproducts. In particular, research has shown that food products containing wine by-products or extracts have anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, antioxidant and anti-cancer properties.

The ability of wine byproducts to modulate the inflammatory process and scavenge free radicals has been demonstrated in preclinical studies. This is achieved by inhibiting the key inflammatory mediator NFκB. Pro-inflammatory enzymes such as MAPK, COX-2 and protein kinase-C are also inhibited.

Wine byproducts increase anti-inflammatory cytokines and have a mitigating effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines. Food products containing these compounds show promise in preventing chronic diseases. It is important to understand the molecular mechanism of action, the nature of wine byproduct compounds and their appropriate combinations to trigger bioactivity. Further epidemiological, preclinical and follow-up studies are required to explore the maximum nutraceutical potential of wine by-products.

Diploma

The implementation of sustainable practices is rare, even though scientists, winemakers and politicians talk about sustainability. The use of wine by-products is a unique opportunity to fortify food and achieve economic, social and environmental benefits. The current study argued that producers and the scientific community need to look for profitable and sustainable options by maximizing the use of by-products and minimizing disposal of the waste stream.

Winery management must consider the recovery and recycling of valuable ingredients as well as the production of new products. The aim of this review article is to bring together all relevant participants and inspire them to develop real commercialized applications.

Reference:

Ferrer-Gallego, R. and Silva, P. (2022) The byproducts of the wine industry: food industry applications and health benefits. Antioxidants.doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11102025 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/10/2025

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