Food waste and by-product valorization as an integrated approach with zero waste: future challenges

Several authors have pointed out valorization of food wastes and by-products as a solution to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of the food production chain. Numerous valorization schemes have been proposed to explore food wastes and by-products as biomass suppliers to obtain different bio-based products. Among them, integrated value chains have been identified as one of the most promising pathways to achieve the zero-waste goal and accelerate the transition of the food industry to a circular bioeconomy. This chapter applies a mixed-method review methodology to identify the main food waste and by-product streams and to recognize the most promising value-added uses and integrated valorization approaches developed to date for the application of food wastes and by-products. The proposal of new valorization schemes and the indication of the main challenges that need to be addressed to guarantee their implementation in the food industry are also pointed out.