Food Processing Waste: A Potential Source for Bioactive Compounds

In the past, unfortunately, fruit processing wastes and by-products have not been taken seriously. However, in recent era, fruit processing industries have undergone rapid growth globally owing to the awareness of public and scientists. Fruit processing wastes are considered as valuable resource owing to the presence of a broad spectrum of bioactive moieties including polyphenols, antioxidants, proteins, dietary fiber, enzymes, flavoring aromas, organic acids, and minerals. Scientists are trying to recover various bioactive compounds from these wastes through specific extraction techniques, i.e., conventional and novel techniques. Applications of food processing wastes in food, textile, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries can be increased through the extraction of bioactive moieties by various methods. This chapter highlights the bioactive profiling of fruit waste material of different processed foods and guides how we can extract these bioactive compounds. Bioactive extraction techniques include conventional extraction and novel technologies are discussed. Utilization of fruit processing wastes in the production of high value-added products has increased the profitability of the fruit processing industry by reducing the cost of disposal of these wastes

Availability and suitability of agroindustrial residues as feedstock for cellulose-based materials: Brazil case study

Bio-based polymers have emerged as a feasible alternative to petrochemical polymers mainly due to their biodegradability and renewable feedstock. Brazil is considered one of the largest producers of agricultural commodities. Hence, the country is also distinguished by the large generation of this residue type, which can be potentially used as a source to obtain biopolymers, such as cellulose. Based on the Brazil agriculture market, the study aims to analyze the suitability of agroindustrial residues as raw material for cellulose-based materials. A methodology for the selection of the most suitable residues is proposed, which takes into account the chemical composition of residues, namely the cellulose content and the cellulose-to-lignin ratio, as well as, their availability. In order to meet conservation issues, the availability of residues is calculated as a function of sustainable removal rates and competitive uses. Taking as reference the main crops identified, the average amount of agroindustrial residues available in Brazil was estimated at 108 million tons/year. Among the most suitable residues to be used as cellulose feedstock are soybean straw, sugarcane top/leaves, maize husk and stover and sugarcane bagasse.This work was supported by the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (Grant Number 201940/2015-9)