Universidad Veracruzana student develops bread using fruit seed flour

Rubén Hernández Barradas, a Master's student in Food Sciences at the Universidad Veracruzana (UV), is developing a way to produce bread with higher fiber and nutritional content by using fruit seeds. The research focuses on partially substituting wheat flour with flours derived from jobo, nanche, and pomegranate seeds—materials typically discarded as waste by the food industry during juice production.

By utilizing these industry residues, the project aims to create a more nutritious product without significantly increasing costs. To date, the researcher has successfully substituted up to 20% of wheat flour with jobo seed flour, a limit set to maintain the bread's texture and prevent excessive fiber intake. The resulting flour is noted for containing antioxidants and fatty acids while remaining low in carbohydrates.

The project involves drying and milling the seeds in the laboratories of the Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Alimentos (Cidea). The process includes a hydrolysis step to make the fiber more digestible. The methodology is designed with the potential to be scaled for industrial application.