Yellow Dragon Extracts - Sustainable Cosmetic Ingredients from Oranges Affected by Yellow Dragon Disease

What does currently happen to oranges that are damaged by Yellow Dragon disease (also known as huanglongbing or citrus greening)? Instead of disposing them as waste, using them as a valuable raw material for the cosmetics industry could offer a sustainable solution. “Yellow Dragon extracts” obtained from these oranges not only offer dermatological benefits, but also skin caring and odor-active properties. What innovative possibilities are opened up using these “damaged” fruits? Can this create a new source of sustainable and effective ingredients for cosmetic products while reducing waste in the citrus industry? The Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV is investigating these questions within the “Damaged Orange” project aiming to demonstrate how a sustainable value chain and forward-looking innovations can be combined.