Recovery and utilization of bioactives from food processing waste

Abstract Food processing is a series of mechanical or chemical operations in which raw foodstuffs are made suitable for consumption, cooking, or storage. In addition to adding value to the food, it also produces a lot of waste product. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, one-third of the food is wasted during processing. The food waste produced during processing also leads to various social, economic and environmental problems. With the growing population and increase in demand for processed food, food waste is becoming a critical challenge in the food processing industry. Food wastes are full of many bioactive compounds such as carbohydrates (starch, cellulose, and hemicelluloses), lignin, proteins, lipids, organic acids, smaller inorganic parts minerals, phenolic compounds antioxidants, and vitamins. These potential bioactive compounds can be used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and textile industries. Therefore, in the present chapter, an attempt has been made to summarize the various studies conducted to recover the bioactive compounds from food wastes and their utilization as nutraceuticals as well as pharma products. In many countries, the food waste can be processed using a process called valorization which is essentially the process of converting waste materials into more useful products including chemicals, materials, and fuels such as conversion of orange peel into vanillic acid which has diverse application in food and cosmetic industry. Overall, the recovery and utilization of these compounds from food wastes will lead to achieving the goal of sustainability in food production and consumption.