Valorization Potential of Oil Industry By-Products as Sources of Essential Fatty Acids

The oil industry generates a high number of by-products which have the potential to be used in food formulation after they are properly treated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional potential of 14 different vegetable by-products from the oil industry (flour, meals, and groats) in terms of fatty acid composition and to investigate the effect of theoretical fortification of the bakery products with by-products high in ω-3. Results showed that some of the analyzed samples contain significant amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Organic walnut flour and grape seed flour had a linoleic acid content higher than 60%. By-products obtained from thistle and sesame had a linoleic acid content ranging between 47.32% and 54.72%. Higher linolenic content was obtained for hemp flour (33.22%), red grape seeds meals (33.62%), and golden flax meals (64.65%). By theoretical fortification of wheat and wholemeal flours with high ω-3 by-products in a proportion of 5, 10, and 15%, the ω-3 content increased (2.2- to 22-fold higher) while the ω-6/ω-3 ratio decreased from 5.22 to 0.52–2.86 for wheat flour, and from 16.80 to 0.81–5.53 for wholemeal flour. These vegetable by-products from the oil industry could represent valuable sources of essential fatty acids for the food application, representing valuable ingredients that could be added for the production of functional foods.