Fresh artichokes cut without sulfites
The artichoke is a characteristic of the Mediterranean diet with important culinary and nutritional qualities. However, their consumption is deprecated due to tedious which is its preparation. This new technology allows to market cut fresh artichokes without that deteriorates or is dark.
On the other hand, the same group researchers have developed a procedure to obtain compounds bioactive and dietary fiber in high quality from the waste of the industry of processing of artichokes and other vegetables. The by-products of the industry's manipulation of vegetables, as well as waste of industrialization of these products represent many tons a day in the producing areas, causing environmental and management problems.
These wastes are generally very rich in substances bioactive, responsible for the claims attributed "fruit and vegetables and diets that are constituent relevant, as it is the case of the Mediterranean diet", explains Francisco a. Thomasresearcher at the CSIC and responsible of the Group of research quality, safety and bioactivity of foods of plant origin of the CEBAS. "Through relatively simple procedures we can obtain extracts enriched in these constituent bioactive, mainly antioxidants and anticarcinogénicas". Dietary fiber that is obtained is also quite superior to the those that are currently on the market.
Extracts and obtained ingredients can be incorporated into other foods to provide them with the character of functional food. In this way artichoke processing industries can enhance their by-products as a source of functional ingredients, eliminating the problem of environmental management that they are at the same time.