Valorization of lipid by-products

Industrial food production generally leads to the generation of several “lateral” products, apart from the main target product, which are commonly classified as wastes and discarded, or redirected to low-value applications such as feed. However, these “lateral” products can be regarded as alternative rich sources of high-valuable compounds. This chapter provides an overview of the main bio-resources that can be used to recover edible added-value lipids, with emphasis on food by-products from fish, meat, and plant processing. Each source is analyzed in terms of the typical by-products generated, their geographical relevance, composition of representative by-products, recovery technologies, potential problems, and applications. Although the sustainable and environmentally friendly processing of such by-products is still demanding in terms of financial costs, their distinctive properties might enable new developments in their value-added application, leading to a significant reduction in pollution, as well as generating an extra income for industries, contributing toward their economic stability and competitiveness.