New research has shown that the parts of vegetables many growers and manufacturers throw away contain valuable levels of vitamins and minerals.
Researchers from the Food Group at Lincoln University have looked at the stalks of common vegetables as possible sources from which to develop new value-added foods.
Dr Alaa El Din Bekhit says less than a third of some vegetables are used for human consumption, with the rest going to waste
On a weight basis, Bekhit says broccoli stalks contain four times the amount of antioxidants as a tomato.
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He says it would be possible to extract the nutrients from the stalks and leaves to make supplements, or pickling them to sell as a food product.
