NEW BIOPRODUCTS FROM SOLID WASTE OF TOMATO PROCESSING INDUSTRY

Food canning industries represent an important area of the Italian economy, in particular the industrial conversion of tomatoes into tomato purée, pulp and tomato minced from seed-firms. One of the main problems of the food industry is the management of waste and their conversion into products of higher value. Modern technologies eco-compatible, promote the use of food waste to obtain biopolymers that can be re-used in the same sector of the raw materials. We have studied the adjustment of extraction and purification procedures of wood-cellulose material coming from products and by-products of farm and food production, and finally their physical-chemical characterization. The achievement of biodegradable and thermoplastic materials by using chemical and enzymatic processes from polysaccharides is also reported. The realization of three and more manufactured articles, for example flowerpots or rigid packing vases, film for agriculture use and ensiling film will be in progress.