May 20, 2024 | Virtual Event
Giorgia Sarais
University of Cagliari, Italy
Dr. Giorgia Sarais is a researcher at the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy. Her work focuses on environmental biology and conservation. Dr. Sarais has contributed significantly to the understanding of ecosystem dynamics and biodiversity. She is known for her interdisciplinary approach, integrating field studies with advanced analytical techniques to address ecological challenges
The disposal of food processing by-products represents a significant problem for industries, being a considerable cost for the food processing company and causing serious pollution problems. In recent years, scientific literature has demonstrated that agroindustrial by-products have a high content of nutrients and bioactive compounds, leading to a loss of valuable biomass and nutrients. Therefore, the recovery of food industry by-products from waste has acquired growing interest, becoming a promising source of potentially valuable bioactive compounds. At the same time, consumers’ increasing attention towards a balanced diet and healthy ingredients has led to an exponential growth in the market for plant-based products. Since potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are the fourth most consumed food in the world and the potato processing industry generates large quantities of waste, mainly consisting of peels, these are a candidate as an inexpensive by-product, becoming a valuable and economical raw material for the production of substances with high added value and the extraction of essential food products, including nutrients, fibres and antioxidants. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the biochemical and nutritional composition of the peels of different potato cultivars and evaluate them as a sustainable source of healthy ingredients.