Zero waste integrative approach: recovery of bioactive compounds from lemon by-products

Food waste is a significant global concern, with fruits and vegetables accounting for around 45% of all waste. Lemon fruit generates significant by-products during processing, which are normally discarded. However, lemon by-products contain valuable bioactive compounds, such as essential oils, phenolic compounds and pectin/dietary fibers, that offer potential uses in food preservation and health-promoting foods. Extracting these compounds effectively could boost the value of these by-products in the market. Additionally, consumer trends are increasingly favoring natural, healthy, and sustainable food choices, which align with the SDGs for 2030. This book chapter addresses issues of food losses/waste throughout the food supply chain, it proposes a sustainable strategy for reducing this problem by focusing on an integrated approach to recovering bioactive compounds from lemon by-products to achieve the zero-waste concept.