Emerging opportunities for the effective valorization of wastes and by-products generated during olive oil production process: Non-conventional methods for the recovery of high-added value compounds

Abstract

BackgroundA large amount of wastes and by-products are generated during olive oil production process. Traditionally, these products have been considered as a problem. However, they constitute a great source of high-added value compounds, which have the potential to be used as food additives and/or nutraceuticals. Therefore, valorization of wastes and by-products from food industry kills two birds with one stone and addresses both the use of waste and by-products and societal health, thus greatly contributing for a sustainable food chain from an environmental and economical point of view. Scope and approachIn the present review, current and new insights in the recovery of high-added value compounds from wastes and by-products generated during olive oil production process will be discussed. Several conventional (solvent, heat, grinding) and non-conventional methodologies (ultrasounds, microwaves, sub- and supercritical fluid extractions, pressurized liquid extraction, pulsed electric fields and high voltage electrical discharges) have been investigated for the recovery of high-added value compounds (polyphenols, fatty acids, coloring pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), tocopherols, phytosterols, squalene, volatile and aromatic compounds) from wastes and by-products generated during olive oil production process. Key findings and conclusionsNon-conventional technologies can constitute a promising tool to recover high-added value compounds from olive oil wastes and by-products. However, the content of these valuable compounds can vary greatly depending on the matrix and the efficiency in the recovery of these compounds is highly dependent of the technology used for extraction.