Platform chemical production from food wastes using a biorefinery concept

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), one-third of food produced globally for human consumption (nearly 1.3 billion tons) is lost along the food supply chain. Food waste has often been incinerated with other combustible municipal wastes for possible recovery of heat or other forms of energy, and the residual ash is disposed of in landfills. However, incineration is not cost-effective, and can potentially cause air pollution. Therefore, green technology is urgently needed for appropriate management of food waste with a focus on material recovery. Due to its organics- and nutrients-rich nature, food waste could be viewed as a useful resource for production of high-value platform chemicals through fermentation. Compared with animal feed or traditional fuel for transportation, platform chemicals obviously have higher economic value, i.e. more profitable. Recently, technologies for production of value added bio-products (e.g. organic acids, biodegradable polymers, etc.) from various kinds of food wastes have gained more and more interest. This review attempts to examine the state of the art of the fermentation technologies of food waste for production of platform chemicals, with emphasis on the Asia-Pacific region. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry