Process for the recovery of a carotene-rich functional food ingredient from carrot pomace by enzymatic liquefaction

A novel process for the recovery of a carrot pomace hydrolyzate rich in carotene was developed on pilot plant-scale. The process includes techniques of fine grinding, enzymatic hydrolysis, finishing, homogenization, and concentration. An extensive optimization of the enzymatic hydrolysis on a laboratory scale was performed before scaling up. An enzyme mixture composed of pectolytic and cellulolytic activities at a 1:1 ratio achieved the best degradation, and with a dosage of 1500 ppm at 50 °C and pH 4, the hydrolysis time was reduced to 1 h on pilot plant-scale. Total carotene content (α- and β-carotene) of the concentrated hydrolyzate (3.8 °Bx) was 64 mg per kg.