Chapter 8 - Valorization of food waste biomass and biomaterials from a circular economy approach

Abstract

Nowadays, productive systems and manufacturing processes result inefficient due to the huge volume of residues they generate. These wastes create environmental issues, directly related to their disposal, and economic losses, related to correct waste management and the primary products that are not fully exploited. Food loss and waste remain the major liability concerning this inefficient production and management of biomass at the production, processing, and retail level. This complex context has raised global concern, especially in agri-food industries since the population is expected to continue growing in the next decades together with the nutritional demand. Thus, in recent years, the implementation of circular economy systems is gaining relevance since it is considered an alternative exploitation model. The circular economy is based on the reutilization of discards for their later introduction into the production chain. Recovered molecules from residues may have different industrial applications. In the case of biomass wastes generated by the agri-food sector, the circular economy model may represent an alternative to reduce the exploitation of more natural resources and palliate the production of massive amounts of biological residues. As a result, beneficial biomolecules recovered from wastes can be used to create high-value products which will provide economic profit. In this review, the potential exploitation of discarded biomass as a source of natural compounds and components will be discussed, exploring diverse recovery and application strategies.