Kagome Functional Powders: Innovation and Sustainability

Kagome manufactures LycoFibre® tomato powder from tomato skin, a natural, nutritious and sustainable ingredient that adds dietary fibre for pet food applications.

Embarking on a ground-breaking path, Kagome has launched a dedicated powder plant to transform fruit and vegetable by-products into valuable powders, destined for the consumer packaged goods sector, nutraceuticals, and pet food. Harnessing the latent value in our by-products, Kagome is pioneering the creation of high-value functional powders from carrot and tomato. The company’s continuous innovation in extracting vital bioactives from our produce underscores its commitment to fulfilling consumer health needs with every spoonful of our nutrient-rich powders.
 
Kagome Australia commissioned a proprietary dryer in the Australian winter of 2023 to dry both carrot and tomato pomace. The dryer is able to convert 10,000t of pomace into value added functional powders for the Petfood, Consumer Foods and Nutraceutical markets.
LycoFibre® is made from drying tomato skin waste after the skin and seed from pomace is naturally separated in the drying process.
 
Kagome Australia processes approximately 200,000t of tomato per year, from the start of February to the end of April. This year Kagome made its first production of LycoFibre® to satisfy pet food demand, from its 2,500t – 5,000t of tomato pomace generated in the production of tomato paste.

LycoFibre® is predominantly a source of insoluble dietary fibre, which acts as a broom for the digestive tract of both humans and pets, as it helps with transit and gut motility. 
 
Kagome Australia further analysed the effect of LycoFibre® on a large sample of dogs, finding palatability scored higher than the control and had no ill effects on the dog’s digestion. As a result, it is now supplying LycoFibre® to Australia’s major pet food companies.
 
Kagome Australia recently completed an antioxidant study of LycoFibre® and found that it contained the same level of antioxidants as Blueberry and Blackberry (the highest level in all fruits and vegetables) via an ORAC analysis.
Naturally abundant in Lycopene at 12mg/100g, a unique bioactive antioxidant, this score is of high interest to pet food companies as well as in human nutrition. As we know antioxidants can reduce oxidative capacity, delivering a positive effect for anti-ageing. It is also found in literature to potentially reduce inflammation associated with disease, potentially reduce the risk of cancer, and support skin and brain health.
 
Kagome Australia currently produces a pet food specification, and will offer in 2025 a human grade specification to the market. Capacity on the line is not a problem, Kagome is only limited by the amount of Tomato Pomace that it recovers from Tomato Paste production. It is anticipating sales of 500t per year into domestic and export markets (e.g. Thailand). What used to be a six-figure cost to remove from the plant, Kagome Australia is now turning its by-products into value-add revenue for the Kagome group.

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Source: Kagome Australia