By Sophia Busam
We are all familiar with seeing a variety of grapes in our local grocery store, but did you know that 60% of global grape production is used for wine making alone?1
Last year I participated in a small grape harvest, learning a bit about the wine making process and how grape pomace (the remaining residue of grape skins, stems, and seeds) is created. After harvesting the grapes, we threw them in a machine to separate out all of the stems. The grapes were then funneled into a basket press (pictured below), where the liquid was squeezed out and eventually fermented into wine. The remaining residue you see in the press is commonly known as pomace, and it is all that remains once the liquid is pressed out from the grapes. With such a high volume of grapes being used to make wine, this also means we are left with a significant amount of pomace as a byproduct of the process. Luckily, there are already a variety of old and new applications that leverage this product.
Let’s Talk About Grappa
Grappa is an Italian pomace brandy made by distilling leftover grape pomace. Typically clear in color, its flavor reflects the quality/freshness of the pomace used in the process.2 This means that higher quality grapes result in higher quality grappa. Originally, it was created by less wealthy individuals as a way to capture the remaining fermentable sugar leftover from wine grapes and minimize waste. It would be extremely strong and not very palatable, primarily serving as a source of extra calories and warmth.3 Yet, it brought about a tradition of an ‘upcycled’ spirit. Today, it is typically served as a digestive, or after dinner drink, to aid with meal digestion. Over the years, it has evolved to be more refined and holds traditional cultural value. You will certainly find it on the menu at most Italian restaurants and bars these days.
Have You Tried Grape Seed Oil?
Grape seed oil is another high volume, established side stream from wine. One study found that 150,000 metric tons of dried grape seeds are used to produce oil every year in the US.4 Comparatively, these seeds are the byproduct of processing about 5.8 million metric tons of grapes. Grape pomace used for grape seed oil is first sent to a mill for pressing. Then, the seeds are separated out from the remaining residue and cold pressed into a liquid oil. The resulting oil can be both a natural beauty product and an alternative to vegetable oils. As a beauty product, it can be used for both facial and body care for added moisture and antioxidants.5 For cooking, it can withstand high heat and provides added fatty acids and vitamin E.6
Can Pomace Be Turned Into A Value-Added Food Ingredient?
Companies like CrushDynamics are exploring a new use case for pomace by transforming it into bioactive food ingredients. They are taking advantage of the product’s rich antioxidants, natural preservative, and flavoring characteristics. These ingredients will help food manufacturers address challenges like shelf life, taste, and nutrition. Here, the naturally available polyphenols (healthy plant compounds) in grape pomace are taken advantage of to add value to a variety of different food products.
Upcycled Pomace Is Crushing It!
Evidently, there are diverse use cases for pomace. And that’s a good thing! As long as we continue to consume wine, we will continue to create it as a co-product. Having a variety of applications ensures that we are creating value across different industries and continuing to minimize waste. Interested in learning more about how to turn food waste into profit and drive innovation with value-added solutions? Reach out to us here.
Sources
- https://www.andersonintl.com/understanding-grape-seed-oil-extraction/ ↩︎
- https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/grappa-guide/?srsltid=AfmBOoqlWXPHKdcOQAGrKCHu__YkJy8AzGb1XhzE1MvjZlt1sydGlhCL ↩︎
- https://www.diffordsguide.com/encyclopedia/979/bws/grappas-origins-and-history#:~:text=Originally%20a%20poor%20Italian%20man’s,the%20precious%20grapes%20after%20winemaking. ↩︎
- https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=309145#:~:text=Technical%20Abstract%3A%20In%20the%20United,million%20metric%20tons%20of%20grapes ↩︎
- https://www.thegrapeseedcompany.com/100-pure-grapeseed-oil-4-4-oz/ ↩︎
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.4137/NMI.S32910?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed ↩︎
