<b style="">Solid state fermentation of apple pomace for the production of value added products</b><b style=""></b>

289-296Food industry in general, generates a large quantity of waste (i.e. peel, seed, pomace, rags, kernels, etc.) which is biodegradable in nature. Due to richness in carbohydrates, dietary fibres and minerals, such wastes have the potential to support the growth of microorganisms involved in the production of various products. Laboratory scale solid state fermentation (SSF) of waste from apple processing industry revealed the possibility of production of several value added products. Solid state fermentation of apple pomace by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and removal of ethanol followed by drying increase the nitrogen and fat content in the fermented and dried apple pomace for use as an animal feed. S. cerevisiae, in sequential interactive culture improve the soluble protein content of the fermented apple pomace. The product (animal feed) could successfully be fed to the poultry after mixing with standard feed in the ratio of 1:1. SSF of apple pomace using Aspergillus niger yield pectin esterase enzyme much more than submerged fermentation. Production of different biocolours by fermentation with Chromobacter sp., Sarcina sp., Rhodotorula sp. and Micrococcus sp. is possible along with citric acid production in SSF by A. niger, all having commercial value. Apple pomace utilization can become a model for the value addition of similar wastes and development of solid state fermenter and downstream processing will go a long way in developing technology from laboratory to pilot scale. In present paper authors have summarized various research reports and their work on solid state fermentation of apple pomace and the production of value added products