Chapter 5 - Nutraceutical potential and utilization aspects of food industry by-products and wastes

Abstract

By-products generated by various food-processing industries such as fruits and vegetables, cereals, dairy, seafood, and meat processing represent a rich source of bioactive compounds. When disposed of without processing, these by-products create environmental issues caused mainly by microbial degradation. However, the commercial exploitation of these resources requires the development of appropriate strategies. Various studies have indicated that the bioactive compounds from food industry by-products can be extracted using novel or greener extraction techniques such as supercritical-fluid extraction, pressurized-liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, on so forth. These techniques have been the subject of increased attention in recent years due to their numerous benefits such as lower consumption of organic solvents, higher selectivity, and shorter time of extraction. Different secondary metabolites, minerals, vitamins, and other phytochemicals have been extracted from food by-products using these extraction approaches. The bioactive compounds extracted from food industry by-products can be used as nutraceuticals as well as ingredients for the development of functional foods and can prove helpful in the prevention of various lifestyle diseases by improving the nutritional status of society.