Food Waste and By-products Recovery

Food production and processing in developing countries generate high levels of food waste and by-products may causing a negative environmental impact and significant expenses. For instance fruit by-products such as bagasse peels trimmings stems shells bran and seeds account for more than 50% of fresh fruit and present nutritional or functional content higher than the final processed product. Also fruits and vegetables are also generated by damage during transportation storage and processing increasing the accumulation of food waste. Many of these biomaterials are a source of valuable compounds such as proteins lipids starch dietary fibers micronutrients bioactive compounds and natural pigments. The existing body of work has shown that by-products food waste and their extracts may be successfully incorporated into foodstuffs as natural pigments potentially used as a multifunctional natural additive with antioxidant antimicrobial and colorant properties. The aim of this review is to provide insights into food waste and by-products and their potential as new sources of carotenoids as natural colorants.