Utilization of Bitter Orange Industrial Waste in Food Processing Field

This work was designed to throw some lights on the chemical characteristics of bitter orange manufacturing wastes including flavedo layer and seeds. Therefore, both flavedo and seeds of fresh bitter orange fruits were individually separated. Chemical composition and some phytocompounds of both seeds and flavedo were estimated. Moreover, antioxidant power of flavedo extracts (water and ethanolic aqueous solutions) was determined. Physical and chemical properties of bitter orange seed oil were also studied. Defatted bitter orange seed flour was subjected to physicochemical testes including foam and whipping properties, water and oil holding capacity. In addition, possibility of utilization of dried flavedo powder and its extracts as natural antioxidant as well defatted seed flour in the field of backing process (biscuit and balady bread) were also performed. The obtained results revealed that 80% ethanolic extract had high antioxidant properties. Bitter orange seed oil had chemical and physical properties close to corn oil. Also, the seed flour could be used at 2.5% to supplement the balady bread as a plant protein without any drawback in the organoleptic properties.