Non-Thermal Hydrodynamic Cavitation for Surplus Fruits and Vegetables: Improved Vitamin C and Bioactive Preservation

This study evaluated the impact of hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) versus conventional thermal processing (TT) for the valorization of fruit and vegetable surpluses, using optimized purees of carrot, banana, yacón, beetroot, and gulupa. HC-treated purees consistently preserved bioactive compounds, with vitamin C retention in purple carrot puree reaching 6.8 ± 0.6 mg/100 g, compared to only 0.6 ± 0.0 mg/100 g after thermal treatment. Total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity (FRAP up to 2580 ± 126 μmol Eq-Trolox/100 g, DPPH inhibition up to 88.72% ± 0.80) were similarly superior with HC. While HC resulted in noticeably higher grumosity and fibrosity, limiting acceptance, TT improved sensory sweetness but degraded nutritional quality, causing up to 80% losses of vitamin C and bioactives. The findings confirm that HC is an effective non-thermal strategy for converting agri-food surpluses into functional ingredient bases, maximizing nutritional retention and energetic efficiency and supporting sustainable circular food systems.