Background. Currants are one of the most widely cultivated fruits in Poland and are used mainly for the production of fruit juices and concentrates. Fruit pomace, which is a by-product of the fruit industry, is rich in seeds which can be a valuable material in the food industry, as they contain polysaccharides and fat with a unique profile of fatty acids. The aim of the work was to assess the thermal properties of black and red currant seeds and assess the possible direction of their application in the food industry, so that fruit production would be consistent with the circular economy principles and in order to obtain new sources of nutrients. Black and red currant seeds were examined. The following methods were employed: differential scanning calorimetry, modulated differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis.
Results and conclusions. The methods selected proved to be a useful tool for assessing the thermal properties of currant seeds. Results obtained using differential scanning calorimetry provided information that the material contains polysaccharide compounds and fat. Glass transition temperatures determined in the modulated differential scanning calorimetry study may indicate reduced stability of the material during storage. The thermogravimetric analysis allowed to determine the scope related to weight loss in samples heated up to 700 °C. The test results obtained allow to conclude that black and red currant seeds obtained from fruit pomace can have a potential application in the food industry.