Utilizing every portion of the avocado throughout the supply chain is a priority for Westfalia Fruit, a world leader in the avocado sector. Imported avocados are thoroughly examined before being sold to retail, food service, and wholesale clients. At Westfalia’s facilities, any undesirable avocados are processed into guacamole, avocado pulp, mashed avocado, and other items. Once mostly utilized in low-value applications like anaerobic digesters, the avocado peels and seeds from the process are increasingly finding new, creative, higher-value alternatives.
With the help of Efficiency Technologies, the entire avocado skin and stone byproduct channel is being evaluated for optimal use. The most recent advancement is a cutting-edge technique developed by SAGES London that extracts a sustainable, natural dye from avocado stones. Perseorangin, a rare and desirable natural pigment, is extracted from avocado stones collected at Westfalia’s UK facility, marking a substantial breakthrough in complete crop use. With eight different tones ranging from pale yellow to deep reddish-brown, the pigment opens up new possibilities for environmentally friendly coloring solutions in a variety of sectors. Perseorangin, which makes up around 3% of the avocado stone, is separated using a specific extraction process and turned into a dry powder with a longer shelf life.
“This breakthrough represents a significant step in our journey toward our total crop use strategy,” says Andrew Mitchell, Head of Group Innovation at Westfalia Fruit. “By transforming what was once considered byproduct into a valuable resource, we’re creating sustainable solutions that benefit multiple industries. The ability to produce eight distinct natural shades while maintaining our commitment to use the entire fruit demonstrates the potential of innovative thinking in sustainable agriculture.”
Expanding technology across industries
In addition to the dye extraction, the leftover materials from the avocado skins and stones are processed into other useful products. For instance, the starches are used to make paper, which is a step in the process of making packaging, and the ground materials are used in cosmetics as natural exfoliants and as substitutes for microplastics.
As companies increasingly look for alternatives to synthetic dyes, the natural dye extraction technique represents a significant development in sustainable practices. While the eight different natural hues provide diversity for a range of product requirements, the powder format guarantees stability and convenience of use across a variety of applications. This invention coincides with a growing consumer desire for sustainable, natural products in the packaging, cosmetics, and fashion industries.
Numerous well-known uses have previously shown the natural dye’s commercial potential and adaptability. The pigment’s successful London Fashion Week demonstration demonstrated its feasibility in sustainable fashion, and its continued partnerships with top packaging and cosmetics companies indicate its attractiveness across other industries.
Since plans are in place to determine how the technology could be extended to other Westfalia facilities in Europe, where more avocado byproducts could be processed using the same techniques, the process demonstrates scalability outside of the UK. It is obvious that this same application could be expanded to Westfalia’s global operations.
The company’s integrated operations guarantee the effective collecting and processing of avocado skins and stones from various production locations, which will enhance the initiative’s sustainable impact and further Westfalia’s dedication to sustainability and the circular economy.
