Flour from 'fruits and vegetables' waste with addition of a South‐American pepper (Capsicum baccatum) proposed as food ingredient

Summary The objective of this work was to evaluate the physicochemical properties of previously characterised flours obtained by milling the solid waste from the manufacture of an isotonic drink produced with various fruits and vegetables ( FVR ) to which powdered pepper fruits ( PF ) were added. Aqueous extracts were also prepared and encapsulated for protecting their functional compounds and improving their solubility. The encapsulation yields of the spray‐drying processes were 90% and 64% for PF and FVR ‐ PF , respectively. The addition of PF to FVR improved antioxidant capacity, stability and appearance, providing reddish colour. FT ‐ IR spectra reflected the addition of PF by changes in the absorbances at wave numbers typical of carotenoids, acylglycerols, chlorophylls and those related to antioxidant capacity. The encapsulated extracts could be applied when solubility is needed in hydrophilic media. The obtained flours with PF addition are suitably cheap, stable functional food ingredients for industrial uses, such as breading or seasoning ingredients.