Australia turns 'trash' cauliflower and broccoli into herbs

The demand for nutritious starches and supplements will create a new market for fruits and vegetables, helping to solve the agricultural waste problem.

Mr. John Said, a vegetable farmer in Australia, was the one who helped realize this idea. Said said every harvest, up to 15% of cauliflower and broccoli must be removed, not sold to retailers. Those are not beautiful flowers, not evenly blooming. Vegetable growers like him are always worried about food waste, about production, but never really have a market or a specific way to solve that waste.

Australia is hoping soon to be able to produce supplements from broccoli and cauliflower.(Photo: abc.net.au).

Two years ago, Australia's Science and Technology Research Organization (CSIRO ) came to him and asked if he could turn his discarded broccoli into pills when cauliflower and especially broccoli contained lots of nutrients. CSIRO scientists start with broccoli because this is the most nutritious vegetable, rich in protein, especially dry broccoli with up to 30% protein. However, it took 18 months for the scientists to develop a powder that contains almost all the same nutrients as fresh broccoli.

The team then used the powder to test some snacks such as broccoli snacks and snacks, and omega 3-boosting supplements. The project leader, Luz Sanguansri, confirmed. CSIRO is working with a number of food companies and hopes to have these products in supermarkets within a year.

In parallel with the development of food products, CSIRO conducted a study to find out how much fruit and vegetables were wasted and the results showed that up to 1.5 million tons were discarded before Vegetables reach the supermarket shelves. The results of the study have also identified the largest waste disposal areas across the country and selected locations to build establishments that process waste vegetables into food production materials. CSIRO is currently building two processing plants in Gippsland, Victoria, and Townsville, Queensland.

Not only CSIRO, Kagome company specializing in processing tomatoes and carrots in Victoria is also pursuing the idea. The company's Echuca plant has a processing capacity of 18,000 tons of carrots per year, of which up to a quarter is eliminated. Kagome's Brad Free said that during the process of making carrot juice, the company separates the fiber from the carrot juice and then the fiber is discarded. However, carrot fiber is now used in meat pies and sausages, and the company is developing higher value products to sell to the supplement market.

In terms of dietary supplements, local Australian pharmaceutical companies such as Swisse are currently importing many ingredients, including grapes. Swisse's Justin Howden says fruits and vegetables grown in Australia are likely to replace some imported items and that his company will be at the forefront of creating new pharmaceuticals.

It can be seen that a new industry is being formed for vegetable farmers in Australia, helping to solve the current situation of waste of vegetables and fruits.