Apple pomace as food fortification ingredient: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The present review aimed to investigate and analyze the use of byproduct apple pomace as a fortification ingredient in different types of foods. The data obtained from English published articles found on Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar in the period from 2007 to 2019 were used for making the table overview and meta-analysis of results described in those studies. The systematic review confirmed the importance of apple pomace use in the food industry due to the beneficial nutritional profile and ecological issue (waste management). The main attributes of apple pomace are high content of antioxidant compounds and dietary fibers. Dietary fibers from apple pomace significantly increased total fiber content in enriched products-meaning that the transfer of the fortification can be declared health beneficial. The conducted meta-analysis showed unambiguously the different influence of apple pomace addition according to fortified food commodity. The fortification drawbacks were noticeable in plant food products because darker and brownish color was not evaluated positively by panelists. Oppositely, color, as one of the main sensory characteristics, was beneficially affected in animal origin food. The sensory properties, including color, play an important role in product acceptance by consumers. Besides color, animal origin products fortified by apple pomace showed the most acceptable textural properties and oxidative stability.