Food Waste Bioconversion To High-value Products

During the last few decades, food remains a primary concern throughout the world as it is depleting day by day. On the other side, its residual waste is accumulating over time. Around one-third of food produced for human consumption is wasted which escalates the environmental issues and ecological burden. Management of waste food by current methods is cost-ineffective with adverse impacts on the environment. Therefore, attempts have been made to convert food waste into high-value by-products. Being a rich source of carbohydrates, proteins, sugars, and fats, it acts as a potential source for high-value products. The organic nature of food makes it a raw material for industries related to biofuel, bioactive compounds, prebiotics, livestock food, and biodegradable plastics. Bioconversion of food waste into valuable products not only provides economic advantage but reduces stress on landfills. The valorization of low-cost, abundantly available food waste into biofuel can decrease the demand for fossil fuels and economic loss for their manufacturing. Minimum food wastage and re-utilization of wasted food can be a sustainable approach to combating this problem. In this chapter, various techniques used for bioconversion and the valuable products produced by waste food processing have been discussed with their prospects. 

Keywords: Bioconversion, Food waste, Sustainable, Value-added products, Valorization.