Pomegranate by-products as clean-label food ingredients: green extraction, stabilization, applications, and industrial bottlenecks

Silvera-Otañe G.P.; Díaz-Llocclla M.; Asto-Rodriguez E.; Silvera Otañe J.; Cano M.; Morales-Aredo J.; Llanos Pérez A.; Salvador-Reyes R. · Applied Food Research (2026) · DOI: 10.1016/j.afres.2026.102668

Resumen

Pomegranate processing generates substantial quantities of peel, internal membranes, seeds, and pomace that retain polyphenols, dietary fiber, pectin, punicic acid, and other compounds with potential food functionality. Despite increasing research on their valorization, the relationships among extraction and stabilization conditions, functional performance in food matrices, sensory compatibility, technological readiness, and industrial feasibility remain insufficiently integrated. This review addresses this gap by critically synthesizing recent evidence on the recovery, stabilization, and utilization of these by-products as candidate clean-label food ingredients. Conventional extraction is compared with ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction, pressurized liquid and subcritical water extraction, supercritical carbon dioxide extraction, hydrodynamic cavitation, and deep eutectic solvents, considering compound recovery, solvent use, product stability, scalability, and food-grade applicability. Stabilization strategies, including spray drying, encapsulation, nanoemulsions, edible films, and coatings, are examined in relation to their capacity to control degradation, mitigate bitterness and astringency, and facilitate incorporation into food matrices. Applications in meat, dairy, bakery, edible oils, beverages, and active packaging demonstrate potential antioxidant, antimicrobial, texturizing, lipid-stabilizing, and fiber-enrichment functions. However, most available evidence remains at the laboratory or pilot scale, with few direct comparisons with conventional additives and limited validation of sensory acceptance, shelf life, bioaccessibility, safety, regulatory compliance, and techno-economic and environmental feasibility. Specific technological bottlenecks include energy attenuation and non-uniform cavitation during UAE scale-up, as well as the high viscosity and difficult downstream recovery of DES/NADES. Raw-material variability and the absence of standardized quality markers further constrain reproducibility and commercialization. Industrial implementation will require food-grade extraction and stabilization protocols, validation under realistic processing and storage conditions, and integrated techno-economic and life-cycle assessments. Pomegranate by-products therefore represent promising multifunctional resources for circular food systems, although their clean-label positioning must be supported by demonstrated safety, technological efficacy, consumer acceptance, and scalable production. Copyright

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional de Trujillo; Universidad Nacional de Huancavelica; Universidad Tecnológica del Perú; Universidad Nacional del Santa; Universidad Privada del Norte