Sustainable utilization of fruit waste in cereal-based breakfast foods: Pre-clinical and clinical perspectives on safety and nutritional benefits

Abstract

Several studies have documented the essentiality of breakfast as the most important meal and its significance for the overall wellbeing of human health. However, to accomplish receiving a healthy breakfast daily in reality is a dream for people residing in underprivileged countries along with those belonging to weaker sections, who find it challenging to get a single meal a day. The current review emphasizes on the utilization of fruit waste for enrichment of cereal-derived breakfast food. Various types of fruit waste, such as peels, seeds, and pomaces, are abundant source of phytochemicals, playing a critical role in human health. Enriching different types of cereal-based food products with fruit waste not only diminishes the likelihood of malnutrition but also enhances the affordability of food products in low-income countries. The findings from the review show that the inclusion of fruit pomaces, seeds, and peels improves the organoleptic properties and overall quality of the items served as breakfast. It is pertinent to mention that at certain instances, enrichment with fruit waste at higher concentrations could create some color differences. Numerous pre-clinical as well as clinical studies have shown that fortified cereal-derived breakfast food products help in diabetes management and enhance the antioxidant activities. Lastly, the review also summarizes the safety characteristics of these fruit waste while using them in various food products. © 2026 The Authors