The role of microorganisms in the use of food-waste

The growth in food production to meet the high population demands has led to a growing increase in food waste production. In recent years, efforts have been made to optimize food processing and agricultural waste management system, focusing on the bioconversion of these inputs into high-value products. In this context, bacteria and fungi have played an important role in obtaining new derivatives from food inputs. Microorganisms have been widely employed in industry to produce various products from renewable resources. Due to the success of bioprocesses and bioproducts, in recent years, there has been a growing interest from the industry in using the resources of microbial biotechnology. Among the various microbial biochemical processes, the importance of fermentation, electro-fermentation, anaerobic digestion and commercial products obtained from the biological conversion of food residues, such as enzymes, vitamins, and bioplastics, among others are highlighted. This chapter aims to present the advantages of using different microbial processes in the use of food, the diversity of bioproducts generated, and the importance of investments in this area for the development of biotechnological industries and the preservation of the environment.