Valorization of industrial artichoke by-products via solid-state fermentation: development of a sustainable, additive-free vegetable seasoning

The design and development of healthy foodstuffs and the adoption of circular strategies are crucial for the food industry. This research focuses on the revalorization of artichoke by-products from the canning industry by proposing an additive-free innovative food application as a miso-like flavoring paste. The industrial by-products were stabilized (convection and freeze-drying) to preserve their valuable bioactive compounds. Following a solid-state fermentation process, miso-like pastes were produced based on rice and both stabilized artichoke by-products. The resulting miso-like pastes were used to flavor a traditional vegetable broth based on leek and carrot. A consumer sensory evaluation was carried out to determine the acceptability of the broths, and the results were favorable for those flavored with miso-like paste. Therefore, the processing of artichoke by-products into novel miso-like pastes has great potential to be used as additive-free, sustainable flavor enhancers for food products.