 Yanyun Zhao, a professor in Oregon State University's department of food science and technology and her team of researchers have already been experimenting in turning pomace into end products like antioxidant-rich flour for baked goods, biodegradable containers and nutritious methods to preserve fruit, yogurt and salad dressing.
In their latest research, Zhao and her students turned fiber extracts into gluten-free powders by drying and grinding pomace. They were able to replace up to 15 percent of the flour. ‘That's a significant substitution in muffins and brownies with their antioxidant- and fiber-rich substance,’ claims Zhao according to a report in Wine Spectator. They're now seeking the right mix for bread with formal taste tests slated this month.
You could get a healthier brownie by adding a touch of red wine pomace powder for antioxidant-rich fiber. That bottle will also stay fresh longer because the phenolic compounds slow the deterioration of lipids, according to a study published this year. With just one percent addition in yogurt, the testers still liked the taste and texture. One could even use it in a salad dressing like Thousand Island. A bakery in southern California makes wine flour. Their Cabernet wine flour brownies and even the pasta that uses it, are reportedly quite delicious. Several such uses are coming up in other wine producing areas.
It's not as if pomace hasn't already been put to other uses. The seeds are used to produce grape seed oil for cooking. Constellation Brands established an R & D division over a decade ago in California. The team patented a water-based method of extracting polyphenols from grape seeds and skins, which it sells to companies like General Nutrition Centers and Costco for use in nutritional supplements.
The extracts go into cosmetics, like the well known French skin care company Caudalie created by the owners of Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux France, which also runs Vinotherapie spas in several countries. Esdor brand of cosmetics from Spain's Matarromera winery group, built its own polyphenol extraction plant a couple of years ago to tap into the powerful polyphenols by using a patented process and blending them with other natural ingredients to create nourishing cream, moisturizer cream and eye contour products. Anti-aging, anti-wrinkling and improved skin elasticity are some of the benefits the company claims for the Esdor line as a result of its antioxidant ingredients. It uses about 1.5 tons of skins to make 1 kilogram of extract.
Abhay Kewadkar, Business Head of Four Seasons Winery has been talking about a Vinotherapie Spa at the integrated guest house at the winery in Roti, Maharashtra for some time now. With almost the total quantity purchased from contracted farmers and with production constantly growing, the time is ripe perhaps for them to think of a better usage of the pomace or encourage someone to work with them. Grover-Zampa could perhaps find a better usage for their pomace in Bangalore as they buy most of their grapes and have no vineyards where it could be used even as compost. It would be surprising if the ingenious brain of Rajeev Samant of Sula Vineyards has not already thought about the possibilities. He might even be already looking for an alliance secretly with some cosmetic company or even set up on his own, following the Caudalie example.
 The most logical and obvious way of using the pomace might be compost in their own vineyards-what comes from the land goes back to it with little transportation or energy required. But a higher value can be added to the leftovers; most of the wineries anyway buy grapes from other vineyards and discard or sell at throw away prices. They are the ones that can benefit from alternate uses even more. For every ton of grapes crushed, about 65-70% is used as juice and the balance is left over as pomace.
Zhao has plenty of other ideas. She talks about the waxy coatings on supermarket sold fruits to keep microbes out and moisture in. Edible film made from pectin, cellulose and sugars extracted from grape skins can serve a similar purpose with the bonus of providing an extra antioxidant boost, says Zhao, as demonstrated in research published in 2011.
Researchers could also work with nurseries to customize plantable pots, molded from a pomace bio-composite fiberboard, to match different plants' needs. In a 2010 study, red grape skins produced stronger, more water-resistant board. White grape skins-rich in soluble sugar, a plasticize-produced more flexible board that biodegrades more quickly.
Pic: Wine Spectator
Resource: Oregon State University
http://sustainablebusinessoregon.com
Subhash Arora
Tags: National Research Center for Grapes, Four Seasons Winery, Grover, Zampa, Sula |