Study of the Mineral Composition of Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Food Waste

At present, there is a need to develop and implement effective waste management strategies for fruit and vegetables and to find opportunities for their future utilization. Vegetables from the Brassicaceae family have important economic significance and are consumed in many countries worldwide. The purpose of this article is to investigate the mineral composition of the waste portions of broccoli and Brussels sprouts. The establishment of the mineral composition of these wastes would provide guidelines for their further utilization. It was found that in the non-edible parts of broccoli and Brussels sprouts the highest content is that of potassium – respectively 3880 mg/kg in Brussels sprouts and 3254 mg/kg in broccoli, sulfur (1695 mg/kg in wastes from broccoli, and 1187 mg/kg in wastes from Brussels sprouts) and phosphorus – 1216 mg/kg in broccoli wastes and 686 mg/kg in Brussels sprouts wastes. The following elements in the reduction of their contents are: calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, copper, zinc, boron, manganese, aluminum.