Value Added Products From Food Waste

Food is a precious commodity and its production can be resource-intensive. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 1.3 billion tons of food products per year are lost along the food supply chain, and in the next 25 years, the amount of food waste has been projected to increase exponentially. The management of food waste should follow certain policies based on the 3Rs concept, i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle. Currently, most food waste is recycled, mainly as animal feed and compost. The remaining quantities are incinerated and disposed in landfills, causing serious emissions of methane (CH4), which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) as a greenhouse gas and significantly contributes to climate change. Valorizing food waste components could lead to numerous possibilities for the production of valuable chemicals, fuels, and products. The present Special Issue compiles a wide spectrum of aspects of research and technology in the area of food waste exploitation, highlighting prominent current research directions in the field for the production of value-added products such as polylactic acid, hydrogen, ethanol, enzymes, and edible insects.

This book discusses one of the biggest challenges of the food industry, which is waste management. Food industries generate high amounts of waste, both solid and liquid, resulting from the production, processing and consumption of food. Stringent environmental legislators have made the task of waste management more challenging. Through the three sections of this book, the readers are introduced to the different types of wastes generated, utilization of waste through food processing industry and sustainable waste management technologies. The different chapters describe how the biomass and the valuable nutrients from food industry wastes could be used to develop value-added products. The book reiterates that food wastes and their by-products are an excellent source of sugars, minerals, dietary fiber, organic acids, bio active compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids and phytochemicals etc. This book is an excellent resource for industry experts, researchers and students in the field of food science, food processing and food waste management.

One billion tonnes of food wasted is generated around the world every year. This book seeks to address and mitigate this urgent problem by focusing on food valorisation through conversion to various value-added products. Contributions from a wide range of international experts draw attention to valuable, realistic, and exciting opportunities for science, business, and society to provide essential and substantial environmental benefits. This timely volume comprises 18 chapters dealing with different aspects of food waste treatment and management in different parts of the world. These chapters explore the fundamentals, trends, and future opportunities for food waste composting and anaerobic digestion, as well as how food waste can be converted to single-cell protein, animal feeds, and fertiliser. This book also addresses various value-added products that can be generated. These include products such as chemicals, synthetic alternatives, nanocellulose, construction materials, and biodegradable fibres.

Food is a precious commodity and its production can be resource-intensive. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, nearly 1.3 billion tons of food products per year are lost along the food supply chain, and in the next 25 years, the amount of food waste has been projected to increase exponentially. The management of food waste should follow certain policies based on the 3Rs concept, i.e., reduce, reuse, and recycle. Currently, most food waste is recycled, mainly as animal feed and compost. The remaining quantities are incinerated and disposed in landfills, causing serious emissions of methane (CH4), which is 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO2) as a greenhouse gas and significantly contributes to climate change. Valorizing food waste components could lead to numerous possibilities for the production of valuable chemicals, fuels, and products. The present Special Issue compiles a wide spectrum of aspects of research and technology in the area of food waste exploitation, highlighting prominent current research directions in the field for the production of value-added products such as polylactic acid, hydrogen, ethanol, enzymes, and edible insects.

In the past, food waste has been used to produce biogas and biofuels, fertilizers, and animal feed. Using it as a feedstock for innovative biorefineries is not only an ethical issue but also a smart application of the circular economy. This book explores the zero-waste concept in the thriving biobased sector, proposing technologies and procedures to meet the sustainable development goals. The volume categorizes food waste sources and proposes an impressive number of high value-added compounds (e.g., platform chemicals, enzymes, nutraceuticals, antioxidants, organic acids, phosphate, bioadsorbents, pectin, solvents, and pigments) that can be obtained in a sequential biocascade, via chemical, biochemical, thermal, and physical technologies. The synthesis of bioplastics from food waste, their copolymerization and blending, as well as the production of biocomposites and bionanocomposite with biofillers from food scraps, are presented: eluding the cost of waste disposal, reducing biobased materials price, and avoiding using edible resources as a starting material for biobased items are the main beneficial peculiarities of the process. The Authors illustrate challenging characteristics of new biobased materials, such as their mechanical and physico-chemical features, their biodegradability, compostability, recyclability, chemical compatibility, and barrier properties. The volume also delves into socioeconomic considerations and environmental concerns related to the upcycling of food waste, as well as the safety and life cycle assessment of biobased products. Finally, the authors address how advances in digital technology can make food waste upcycling a negative-cost process and discuss best practices to practically implement the biorefinery concept. Research gaps and needs are suggested, and recommendations for food waste handling and management during this COVID-19 pandemic are provided.

This volume is a comprehensive compilation of reviews that show how various waste products can be used to produce useful products. Thirteen chapters highlight the following topics: - applications of plant-derived and fruit waste for value-added product formation; - fuel and chemical production from lignin - food waste bioconversion to high-value products - organic residues valorization for value-added chemicals - valorization of waste plastics to produce fuels and chemicals - food valorization for bioplastic production and concepts of circular economy in the valorization process. Chapters are written in an organized and strategic manner and also include the references from recent years. It will help students and researchers to quickly learn about modern waste valorization practices and advance their knowledge on the subject. The book is suitable as a reference for courses in environmental science, chemical engineering and agriculture. It also serves as a guide for trainees, managers and readers involved in waste management, sustainability and value-added product supply chains.

This edited book discusses various processes of feedstocks bioconversion such as bioconversion of food waste, human manure, industrial waste, beverage waste, kitchen waste, organic waste, fruit and vegetable, poultry waste, solid waste, agro-industrial waste, cow dung, steroid, lignocellulosic residue, biomass, natural gas etc. Nowadays, the industrial revolution and urbanization have made human life comfortable. However, this requires excess usage of natural resources starting from food and food products, to energy resources, materials as well as chemicals. The excess use of natural resources for human comfort is expected to high fuel prices, decline natural resources as well as cause a huge hike in the cost of raw materials. These factors are pushing researchers to grow environmentally friendly processes and techniques based on inexpensive and sustainable feedstock to accomplish such worldwide targets. Bioconversion, otherwise called biotransformation, is the change of natural materials, for example, plant or animal waste, into usable items or energy sources by microorganisms. Bioconversion is an environmentally friendly benevolent choice to supplant the well-established chemical procedures utilized these days for the production of chemicals and fuels. A variety of alternatives advancements are being considered and are directly accessible to acquire diverse valuable end-products through bioprocesses. This book discusses in detail the process and techniques of bioconversion by focusing on the organic feedstock of animal and plant origin. It brings solutions to the bioconversion of various feedstock into value-added products.