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Economic and Environmental Impact Analysis of Innovative Peeling Methods in the Tomato Processing Industry

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Peeling is a key step in the industrial production of canned peeled tomatoes, vital for optimizing efficiency, yield, product quality, waste reduction, and environmental impact. This study presents a comparative assessment of the economic and environmental impacts of adopting innovative peeling technologies, including infrared (IR), ohmic heating-assisted lye (OH-lye), and ultrasound-assisted lye (US-lye) peeling, relative to conventional steam and lye peeling methods. Focusing on a medium-sized Italian tomato processor, the impacts of these methods on productivity, water and energy consumption, wastewater generation, and environmental footprint using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, were evaluated. Findings indicated that adopting IR, OH-lye, and US-lye methods enhanced peelability (ease of peeling > 4.5) and increased production capacity by 2.6–9.2%, while reducing solid waste by 16–52% compared to conventional steam and lye methods. LCA results showed IR as the most environmentally favorable method, followed by steam, OH-lye, and US-lye, with conventional lye peeling being the least sustainable. OH-lye and IR methods also significantly reduce water and energy use, while US-lye shows higher demands in these areas. Additionally, OH-lye and IR methods require little or no NaOH, minimizing chemical consumption and wastewater production, which offers notable environmental and cost advantages. Overall, this preliminary study underscores economic and environmental potential for novel peeling technologies, encouraging industry consideration for adoption.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su162411272

Authors: Elham Eslami, Giovanni Landi, Miriam Benedetti, Gianpiero Pataro

Institutions: University of Salerno, National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, ENEA Portici Research Centre, ENEA Casaccia Research Centre

Language: English

Topic: Environmental Impact and Sustainability

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Responsible consumption and production, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,728