Finely ground, freeze-dried apple leftovers may become a sustainable secret ingredient in many meat dishes. In recent taste tests at Cornell University, more than 100 volunteers could barely tell the difference between 100-percent pure meatballs and alternatives featuring as much as 20 percent fruit waste. As the food researchers behind this culinary concoction explained in their study published in the Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, the supplemental additive may also help close a glaring gap in the food industry’s circular loop.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates the United States produced around 10 billion pounds of apples during the 2023-24 growing season alone. Most of that fruit goes directly to grocery stores and farmer’s markets, but about 35 percent is destined for processing facilities for jam, jelly, cider, vinegar, and other products. Today’s juice extraction methods are relatively efficient, but manufacturers must still deal with the remaining 25 to 30 percent of the apple in the form of leftover skin, core, pulp, and seed waste.
Those apple remains are often freeze-dried and milled into a powder known as pomace, which has its own uses as animal feed and compost. However, a lot of decaying fruit still inevitably winds up in landfills, where they release a potent greenhouse gas called methane, and transporting pomace still generates carbon emissions.
For food scientists like Peter Gracey, finding new ways to recycle pomace offers tangible, eco-friendly solutions that finally account for all every part of an apple.
“I’ve always had a passion for sustainability,” Gracey said in a statement.
Gracey recently worked with Cornell University researcher Elad Tako to devise other uses for apple waste. Although previous experiments explored the viability of grape and apple pomace as meat additives, there was still a lot to learn. And perhaps most importantly, it remained to be seen if anyone could taste the difference.
After picking up bulk orders of Empire, Cortland, and Red Delicious apples, Gracey and Tako pressed their pounds of fruit using a commercial juicer. They then freeze-dried the remains for 48 hours before milling them into a consistent powder. Once finished, they rehydrated the pomace before blending it into 80 percent lean ground beef at inclusion rates of 10 and 20 percent.
Next, it was time for a critical taste test. As over 100 participants sampled the pomace-infused meatballs, researchers analyzed the dishes’ texture, composition, color, and cooking yields. Although an addition of 20 percent pomace reduced the amount of meatballs that could be made and slightly altered their internal coloration, the sensory panel reported “no significant differences” in their meals.
The new recipes aren’t only more sustainable—they may also be more nutritious. Introducing pomace into ground beef simultaneously boosts its levels of fiber, micronutrients, polyphenols, and pectin, all part of a balanced diet.
“It’s a win-win-win,” said Tako. “It could mean more natural, better-for-you products for meat companies and the people who care about getting enough protein and other nutrients, but also provide a new income stream for apple and cider producers.”
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