Agro-Food Waste as an Ingredient in Functional Beverage Processing: Sources, Functionality, Market and Regulation

Waste generated from the agro-food industry represents a concerning environmental, social and economic issue. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations defines food waste as all food that decreases in quantity or quality to the extent that it is thrown out by food service providers and consumers. The FAO reports that 17% of worldwide food production may be wasted. Food waste may include fresh products, food close to the expiration date discarded by retailers and food products from household kitchens and eating establishments. However, food waste offers different possibilities to extract functional ingredients from different sources, such as dairy, cereals, fruits, vegetables, fibers, oils, dye and bioactive compounds. The optimization of agro-food waste as an ingredient will help in the development and innovation of food products to generate functional food and beverages to prevent and treat several diseases in consumers.

Automated summary

Waste generated from the agro-food industry is a significant concern in terms of environmental, social, and economic impact. The Food and Agriculture Organization defines food waste as discarded food that has decreased in quantity or quality. It is reported that 17% of global food production may be wasted. However, food waste also presents opportunities for extracting functional ingredients from various sources, which can be used to develop innovative food products and promote health and disease prevention in consumers.