Valorization of black carrot pomace: Production, characterization and techno-economic analysis of probiotic powder and snack bar

This study aimed to develop an encapsulated probiotic powder system combining Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 with bioactive compounds from black carrot pomace using ultrasonic extraction to improve stability and bioaccessibility. Microcapsules were produced using spray drying, freeze-drying, and foam-mat freeze-drying. Freeze-dried powder exhibited the highest probiotic stability, while phenolic and antioxidant retention varied among methods. When incorporated into milk, the powders significantly enhanced total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity, demonstrating their potential as functional ingredients in dairy matrices. In the second phase, probiotic-enriched snack bars were produced using hot air (HA), freeze-drying (FD), and hot air assisted-radio frequency (HA-RF) drying, and the process was optimized using RSM-CCD. HA-RF at low bar thickness markedly reduced drying time while preserving phenolics, antioxidant activity, and probiotic viability at levels comparable to FD, outperforming conventional HA drying. Techno-economic evaluation showed that both microcapsule and snack bar production are feasible at competitive processing costs, highlighting the practical potential of valorizing black carrot pomace into functional and commercially scalable food products.