Untapped Opportunities in Prairie Fruits presented by: Alphonsus Utioh, P. Eng. Manager, Research & Development Food Development Centre Portage la Prairie, Manitoba Western Canadian Functional Food Ingredient Conference June 11-12, 2014
Presentation Outline Introduction Emerging Small Fruits Basic Berry Process and Co-products Extraction of Berry Seed Oils Applications of Berry Seed Oils Summary
Selected Prairie Fruits Chokecherry Lingonberry Seabuckthorn Saskatoons Sour Cherry Black Currant
Berry Seed Characteristics Berry seeds contain oils Berry seed oils are rich in essential fatty acids, natural antioxidants and vitamins as well as plant sterols Oils are enriched with linoleic and α-linolenic acids, together adding up to 90 % of the total fatty acids Blackcurrant seed oil also contains ϒ-linolenic acid known for its anti-inflammatory properties Oils contain tocopherols and tocotrienols known for their antioxidant properties Sea buckthorn seed oil is rich in carotenoids Berry seeds are rich sources of proteins
Why the Concern? Large amounts of fruit pulp (seeds and skins) are discarded yearly at processing plants This creates disposal problems And wastes a potentially valuable resource No systematic collection and utilization of this material
Why the Concern? Challenges and Opportunities Some fruit seeds are difficult to collect because of direct consumption of fresh fruit by consumers Fruit processing plants are small in Western Canada; insufficient raw material For processed fruits, the seeds can be obtained as a by-product from fruit processing companies at a very low cost Thus, this valuable co-product with a large industrial potential should be exploited
Basic Berry Process Berry Fruit Pulper/Finisher Puree Juice 70-80% w/w Pulp (Skins and Seeds) 20-30% w/w
Fruit Pulp Fractions Seeds and Skin Drying Convection Air Drying Most basic yet effective and commonly used in the industry Equipment such as a tray dryer e.g. Proctor & Schwartz Dryer Dry Seeds and Skins Threshing and Sifting Seeds Skins Tray Dryer at FDC
Separation of Skins and Seeds Processing Steps: Drying of pressed cake using Proctor & Schwartz dryer at 60 C Threshing in Hobart mixer to separate seeds from pulp Sifting with Sweco vibratory screen separator with 8 and 14 mesh screens
Visual Images of Berry Seeds Black currants Saskatoons Seabuckthorn Average seed size (mm): Black currant 2.63±0.22 Saskatoons 4.44±0.17 Seabuckthorn 6.06±0.36
Yield of Seeds and Skins (Pulp) Berry Type Before Drying (%) After Drying (%) Seabuckthorn 6.17 4.25 Sour Cherry 3.2* 0.72 Black Currants 4.36 1.97 Saskatoons 21.15 7.40 Chokecherry 54.80 36.10 *skins only FDC experimental results
Proximate Composition (%) of Whole Berry Seeds Component Black Currant Chokecherry Sour Cherry Saskatoons Seabuckthorn Ash 4.19 1.39 4.4 3.25 2.31 Carbohydrates 47.00 67.60 34.5 70.00 48.00 Moisture and Volatiles 5.94 6.87 7.2 8.51 6.61 Oil 21.80 11.60 26.0 7.09 12.40 Protein 21.10 12.50 25.3 11.20 30.70
Berry Seed Oil Extraction Extraction Technologies: Cold Press Solvent Extraction Supercritical Fluid Extraction
Principles of Supercritical Fluid Extraction Supercritical Fluid Extraction Uses properties of gas or liquid above its critical temperature and pressure for extraction: high density for good solvent power low viscosity and diffusivity for appreciable penetrating power Commonly used gas is carbon dioxide Phase Diagram
Ground Seeds for Oil Extraction Black currant Chokecherry Saskatoons Seabuckthorn Ground seeds: 98 % smaller than 1.18 mm (16 mesh)
Supercritical Fluid Extraction Process parameters: Gas (carbon dioxide) Temperature (40 C) Pressure (300 bar) Gas flow rate (100 g/min) 300 g of ground seeds Extraction time (3 hours) Extraction vessel (1L) 2 x 5 L pilot scale equipment
Berry Seed Oils A B C D Seed oils: Black Currant (A) Saskatoons (B) Chokecherry (C) Seabuckthorn (D)
Seed Oil Yields Berry Type Oil Content (%) Oil Yield (%) Yield Based on Oil Content of Seeds (%) Black Currant 21.80 15.34 70.35 Chokecherry 11.60 9.65 83.21 Saskatoons 7.09 5.51 77.74 Seabuckthorn 12.40 10.49 84.58 Sour Cherry* 26.0 22.5 86.5 * Literature values
Fatty Acid Composition (%)of Berry Seed Oils Fatty Acid Black Currant 1 Chokecherry 2 Saskatoons 3 Seabuckthorn 4 18:3 Alpha Linolenic Acid - Omega 3 14.56 0.33 0.96 31.97 14.1-18.1 0.27 0.75-1.16 37.90 18:2 Linoleic acid - Omega 6 45.08 35.00 55.39 34.96 43.9-47.78 27.90 47.32-60.12 35.90 18:3 Gamma Linolenic Acid Omega 6 17.12 0.24 nd nd 10.9-16.7 nd nd nd 16:1 Palmitoleic - Omega 7 0.15 0.28 0.47 2.04 0.20-0.76 0.28 0.27-0.43 2.80 18:1 Oleic acid - Omega 9 8.79 54.90 31.11 14.78 11.00-12.30 61.90 26.27-38.08 13.10 1 Literature values reported by Helbig et al., 2008; Bakowska-Barczak et al., 2009b 2 Literature values reported by Anwar et al., 2008 3 Literature values reported by Bakowska-Barczak et al., 2007; Bakowska-Barczak et al., 2009a 4 Literature values reported by Cenkowski et al., 2006; Oomah, 2003; Gutierrez et al., 2008 nd: not determined
Fatty Acids Profile (%) of Berry Seed Oils Fatty Acids Black Currant 1 Chokecherry 2 Saskatoons 3 Seabuckthorn 4 Total Saturated 8.53 4.06 9.51 12.13 Total Monounsaturated (MUFA) Total Polyunsaturated (PUFA) 7.60-8.70 5.90 9.67-11.83 11.00 10.40 55.58 33.55 19.09 12.30-13.70 63.54 27.86-39.47 18.00 80.57 39.68 56.48 67.17 77.79-79.30 28.21 48.19-61.44 70-75 1 Literature values reported by Helbig et al., 2008; Bakowska-Barczak et al., 2009b 2 Literature values reported by Anwar et al., 2008 3 Literature values reported by Bakowska-Barczak et al., 2007; Bakowska-Barczak et al., 2009a 4 Literature values reported by Cenkowski et al., 2006; Oomah, 2003; Gutierrez et al., 2008
Comparing Fatty Acids Profile (%) of Berry and Commercial Oils Berry Type Fatty Acids MUFA PUFA Black Currant 10 81 Chokecherry 55 40 Saskatoons 34 56 Seabuckthorn 19 67 Olive 72 14 Hemp 11 80
Original and Defatted Seed Cakes A B C D Seed cakes: Black Currant (A), Chokecherry (B), Saskatoons (C) & Seabuckthorn (D)
Proximate Composition (%) of Defatted Seed Cakes Component Black Currant Chokecherry Saskatoons Seabuckthorn Ash 5.10 1.52 3.54 2.37 Carbohydrates 57.70 81.30 75.20 54.00 Moisture and Volatiles 4.23 4.60 6.90 5.89 Oil 7.17 0.68 2.26 0.44 Protein 25.80 11.90 12.10 37.30
Uses of Berry Seed Oils Cosmetics Provides hydrating and antioxidant benefits to products Can be used in variety of cosmetic and personal care applications, such as in soaps, creams, balms, lotions and tonics Food Can be taken as a dietary supplement for their antioxidant benefits Blackcurrant seed oil is taken for its anti-inflammatory properties Can be used in salad dressings or as dipping oil for bread
Typical Prices of Berry Seed Oils Berry Seed Oil Price per Litre (based on retail price) Sour cherry seed oil $320 Seabuckthorn seed oil $800 Saskatoon berry seed oil N/A Black currant seed oil $81 Raspberry seed oil $432 Blueberry seed oil $1,700
Berry Seed Oils Raspberry Seed Oil Sour Cherry Seed Oil Black Currant Seed Oil Blueberry Seed oil Seabuckthorn Seed oil
Seabuckthorn in Skin & Body Care Solberry Soaps Active ingredients: Canadian seabuckthorn puree, fruit oil, seabuckthorn leaf extract Solberry Moisturizing Cream Active ingredients: Canadian CO 2 extracted seabuckthorn fruit and seed oils, Omega-7 Solberry Lip Balm Active ingredient Canadian CO 2 extracted seabuckthorn oil
Summary A berry processing co-product (fruit seeds) provides a valuable raw material with large industrial potential for seed oils and proteins Berry seed oils are rich in essential fatty acids, natural antioxidants and vitamins as well as plant sterols Technology such as supercritical fluid extraction can be used to produce berry seed oils Product markets and raw material availability must be carefully examined to ensure business sustainability Food technology centres in Western Canada are equipped to work with growers and processors to maximize the use of prairie fruits
Thank you! Alphonsus Utioh, P.Eng. Manager, Research & Development Food Development Centre Adjunct Professor, Human Nutritional Sciences University of Manitoba Email: alphonsus.utioh@gov.mb.ca alphonsus.utioh@ad.umanitoba.ca www.manitoba.ca/fdc