Physicochemical, microbiological, and nutrimental quality of tomato industrial by-product and its valorization as source of carotenoid rich oil

Objective: To valorize an industrial tomato byproduct from Northwest Mexico, based on the evaluation of its physicochemical, microbiological, and nutritional quality and it’s potential as a functional ingredient to obtain a carotenoids rich oil.Design/methodology/approach: Tomato by-product was collected from the food industry and oven-dried. The fresh and dry tomato by-product quality was evaluated through physicochemical, microbiological, proximal composition, dietary fiber, and minerals analysis. HPLC carotenoids analysis was performed from Soxhlet n-hexane extracted oil and dry-byproduct.Results: The by-product showed 81 and 9.7% of humidity; 0.26 and 0.53% meq of citric acid for titratable acidity in fresh and dried, respectively, and 4.74 °Brix in fresh. Their color got paler due to the drying process, turning less red. The aerobic mesophylls, total coliforms, fungi and yeasts microbiological analysis in a fresh by-product (170, 10, 10 CFU g1, respectively) and dried (180, 10, 95 CFU g1, respectively), proved their acceptable microbiological safety. Their dietary insoluble (52%) and soluble (9%) fiber stands out, protein (14%), lipids (9.09%) content, as well as Mn Zn FeCu, and K P Ca Mg Na. The carotenoids rich oil was 13 times more concentrated in lycopene (4.98 mg g1) and twice -carotene (0.48 mg g1) content compared to the dry by-product from which it comes (0.38 mg g1 and 0.22 mg g1, respectively).Limitations on study/implications: Great efforts were required to dry high amounts of the tomato industrial by-product.Findings/Conclusion: The tomato industrial by-product from Northwest Mexico possesses suitable physicochemical, microbiological, and nutritional quality to be used as a functional ingredient to generate new products, for example, a carotenoid-rich oil.