CHARACTERIZATION OF FIBROUS FRACTIONS FROM WINE INDUSTRY BY-PRODUCTS AND THEIR USE IN BAKED GOODS

The consumption of natural bioactive compounds, such as dietary fibre and polyphenols, offers health benefits including protection against cardiovascular disease, cancer and other degenerative diseases. Indeed, a relevant challenge for food innovation is the development of foods with optimal dietary fiber and antioxidant contents. One of the recent directions in the cereal sector is the use of flours deriving from other cereals or non grain plants (vegetables and oily seeds) in the baking industry, in order to produce composite flours. In this context, the potential use of wine-industry by-products (mainly grape-skins and seeds) as a source of dietary fibre and polyphenols in breadmaking, has been investigated in this research. In particular, two grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties were considered: Barbera (red wine) and Chardonnay (white wine). The recovery processes of grape skins and seeds were designed to maximize the fibre content while preserving the antioxidant substances. Correlations between the composition of wine industry by- products and their NIR-MIR spectral data, together with the creation of predictive quality model, have been established, and the ability of these models in terms of ‘sample classification’ was tested. These wine-industry by-products were then adopted at high integration levels (10-30% w/w), for the production of baked goods, such as bread (both by straight-dough and sourdough process) and biscuits. Baked goods, in fact, represent an interesting model system for studying the rheological, macro- and micro-structural effects of fiber fortification on a food matrix, and they are also characterized by a worldwide consumption. They could be therefore a potential vehicle for important amounts of fiber and antioxidants. Positive and encouraging results were obtained from the use of grape-skin powders in breadmaking and biscuit production, highlighting their potential use for the production of innovative and nutritionally convincing baked goods.