Recovery of High Value-Added Compounds from Food By-Product

Currently, large amounts of food by-products, with a high economic value, are discarded every year by processing industries. What's more, these companies are paying to get rid of their by-products, which can account for up to 60% of the total weight in some cases and lack commercial value, and therefore, can be considered as plentiful and cheap resources. However, these by-products contain free sugars, minerals, fatty acids, carbohydrates, lignin, fiber, protein and phenolics, along with vitamins and other bioactive compounds, that exert beneficial effects on health, since they exhibit several biological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammation, anticancer, cardio-protective, antimicrobial and prebiotic activities. Among the greatest challenges for food by-products upgrading it is worth mentioning the variability of the samples together with the fact that are perishable, but the wide range of novel applications of their bioactive compounds in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries make them have great potential as raw materials for the development of integrated multi-product biorefineries, in line with the circular economy and thus improving the economic competitiveness of the industry.

Pagina's: 154, Hardcover, MDPI AG