A NOVEL PROCESS OF PRODUCING DEBITTERED EDIBLE FIBRE POWDER FROM THE COMPOSITE KINNOW JUICE PROCESSING INDUSTRY RESIDUES (EXOCARP, MESOCARP, ENDOCARP, JUICE SACS AND SEEDS) AND PULP RESIDUE AFTER JUICE CLARIFICATION
Utilization of residue and waste of food industries is extremely essential but it is difficult task all around the world. Kinnow is a hybrid between king and willow mandarins (Citrus nobilis Lour — C.deliciosa Tenora) and is one of the major citrus fruit crops in northern region of India, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. Its annual production in India is about 0.5 million tons (MT). Kinnow peel and pulp are the major by-products of the kinnow juice processing industry, which accounts for 55-60% of the fresh fruit weight, whereas around 30% of the produce of citrus fruits is processed to make juice. The present work discloses a method of producing debittered edible fibre powder from the composite kinnow juice processing industry residues like pomace (exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp, juice sacs and seeds) and pulp produced during juice clarification. The kinnow juice processing industry residues and pulp residue is treated with acetone and later on the waste is desolventized to obtain dried fibres that can be incorporated in various food products or can be used as such. The recovered solvent can be reused after distillation, this step of the process itself produces a phytochemical mixture as a co-product of use. Other useful components like flavonoids and carotenoids can be extracted from the solvent and further utilization.
