Umami enhancer as functional ingredient produced from tomato pomace using foam-mat technology

This research investigates foam-mat drying
process for producing health-promoting flavor
enhancers derived from tomato pomace (HFTM), a byproduct
of tomato processing. The influence of drying
conditions, including the drying temperatures (50, 60,
and 70 °C), and types and concentrations of foaming
agents (egg white: 0–50%; methocel: 0–0.45%) on the
physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of
the HFTM in the form of powder were analyzed. The
optimal condition was identified as 20°Brix tomato
extract combined with 0.30% methocel, dried at 70 °C
for 90 minutes in a hot air oven. The resulting flavor
enhancer powder had a yield percentage of 19.45, an aw
value of less than 0.3, and a solubility of more than 65%
and 4.37 mg GAE/g total phenolic content. In addition,
the HFTM can scavenge DPPH• (13.54 μM Trolox/g
sample) and ABTS•+ (22.76 μM Trolox/g sample). It
also contained glutamic acid (533.69 mg/g sample),
which is the most potent amino acid contributing to
umami. The results revealed that the HFTM can improve
the umami taste of food while also providing health
advantages. It could be used as a bioactive ingredient in
functional drinks or foods. Furthermore, the
physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant
capacity of HFTM, produced using 0.30% methocel as
a foaming agent and dried at 70°C in a hot air oven, were
compared to freeze drying. The results showed that
HFTM produced by hot air drying possesses antioxidant
activity and total phenolic content comparable to that
obtained by freeze-drying. Hot air drying had lower
processing costs than freeze-drying, indicating that it is
a cost-effective and scalable approach for industrial
applications.