Emerging technologies for extraction of bioactives and polysaccharides from tropical fruit waste

The use of emerging technologies to valorize food waste is of growing interest, as the amount of food waste globally is very high. Useful bioactive compounds and functional ingredients can be liberated with the application of sequential separation and extraction processes as outlined in the Universal Recovery Strategy. Here we detail initial work done on analysing the yield of bioactive compounds and pectin from tropical fruit wastes via a control of thawed frozen waste compared with 2 processes: 1. Freeze drying combined with aqueous, solvent, and acid extraction, 2. Hydrodynamic shockwave technology, combined with aqueous, solvent and acid extraction. Our waste materials came from tropical fruit processing lines based in Queensland, Australia, and included both mango and pineapple skin and adhered flesh. Compounds of interest from the mango skin and flesh included polyphenols, carotenoids, anthocyanins and pectin, while compounds in pineapple skin and flesh included carotenoids, polyphenols and bromelain. The byproduct of all extractions was primarily cellulose and was of interest for bioplastic development. We present here our initial conclusions on whether hydrodynamic shockwave technology can enhance accessibility of bioactive compounds and separation of the different components of tropical fruit wastes

Sustainable food systems

Food systems encompass all the activities, knowledge (and related cultural routines), relating to the production, processing, transport, consumption, and disposal of food. Food systems also include supporting enabling mechanisms, such as economic and political systems, and the technologies to allow food to travel from producer to consumer. As a result, they tend to be shaped by the societies in which they are formed, consisting of complex linkages between food supply chain points. Historically food systems have been linear in nature, which can pose issues regarding their capability to provide enough food for future generations. In order to develop sustainable food systems (SFS) into the future, there needs to be a focus on social, economic, and environmental sustainability (SEES). To achieve this, supply chains must be modified through the development of new supply chain management strategies, and more efficient, flexible processing technologies. These types of modifications can potentially optimize food, energy, and water resource usage to minimize waste and also optimize population health. Ideally this occurs while maintaining economic health of the food systems and their surrounding environment. These are very lofty targets, but with dedicated food engineers, food technologists, and food scientists, many of these goals can be attained. This chapter will focus on considerations for SFS implementation, and how food engineering innovations may assist