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Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses
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Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 12710

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Vita Di Stefano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, 90123 Palermo, Italy
Interests: food analysis; bioactive compounds; antioxidants; polyphenols analysis; functional foods; dietary supplements; quality control; HPLC–MS and GC–MS analysis; biophenols in olive oils; fatty acids
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, great quantities of food waste are generated worldwide, and for each type of food, different percentages are generated along the food chain and during industrial processing. Food waste and byproducts must be considered a renewable source of added-value components with potential health benefits to be used in the industrial food sector or even for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.

The use of byproducts is increasingly gaining attention, as they offer a significant and sustainable source of high-value biocompounds suitable for biotechnological or pharmaceutical applications and with high market value.

The main topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • classification and cataloging/categorization of main food waste and byproducts derived from vegetable and animal origin matrices;
  • nutritional characterization and bioactive compound profile evaluation of food waste and byproducts;
  • in vitro and in vivo studies on evaluation of biological properties from extracts/active components from food waste and byproducts;
  • conventional and modern extraction and analytical procedures;
  • uses and applications in several fields, i.e., nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors;
  • ongoing and future research trends and needs.

This Special Issue will provide an overview of the extraordinary potential of agrofood byproducts, listing the possible applications found so far for the most interesting compounds. We invite authors to submit to this Special Issue, and all types of papers are welcome, e.g., original research articles, reviews, opinions.

Dr. Vita Di Stefano
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food byproduct valorization
  • bioactive compounds
  • phytochemicals
  • antioxidants
  • polyphenols
  • circular economy
  • waste valorization
  • plant secondary metabolites
  • bioactivity
  • food processing industry

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 167 KiB  
Editorial
Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses
by Vita Di Stefano, Alessandra Durazzo and Massimo Lucarini
Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010234 - 27 Dec 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2308
Abstract
Food waste is a major environmental and social concern, and its impact will most likely increase as the population grows [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

18 pages, 2172 KiB  
Article
Co-Treatment of Winery and Domestic Wastewaters in Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants: Analysis of Biodegradation Kinetics and Process Performance Impacts
by Melody Blythe Johnson and Mehrab Mehrvar
Sustainability 2023, 15(8), 6741; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086741 - 17 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 924
Abstract
Winery wastewater (WWW) handling strategies often include co-treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Despite this, definitive information regarding oxidation kinetics and process and performance impacts due to co-treatment is lacking. A combined Michaelis–Menten–University of Cape Town kinetic model has been found to [...] Read more.
Winery wastewater (WWW) handling strategies often include co-treatment at municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Despite this, definitive information regarding oxidation kinetics and process and performance impacts due to co-treatment is lacking. A combined Michaelis–Menten–University of Cape Town kinetic model has been found to best describe the pH-inhibited aerobic biological oxidation of WWW by heterotrophs in activated sludge from four municipal WWTPs. The specific rate of substrate consumption was highest in biomass that had been exposed to WWW (57.3 mg COD/g MLVSS·h) compared to biomass that had not (20.7 mg COD/g MLVSS·h). Bench-scale aerobic co-treatment trials confirm that sorption is a key removal mechanism, with up to 98% chemical oxygen demand and 97% total organic carbon removal after 6 h of reaction time. The WWW solids are quickly incorporated into the biological floc and may improve settleability at loading rates above 75 mg WWW suspended solids/L bioreactor volume at the expense of significantly increasing the observed yield. The aerobic-activated sludge system at municipal WWTPs can effectively co-treat WWW, provided the organic loading rates are limited and the WWTP is designed to accommodate the seasonal loadings of winery wastewater. The identified mitigation measures can be used by co-treating facilities to optimize the co-treatment performance of WWW along with domestic wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)
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18 pages, 3104 KiB  
Article
Adding Value to Stalked Barnacles from Berlengas Nature Reserve (Portugal) by the Development of a New Food
by Joaquina Pinheiro, Wilson Fernandes, Hugo Sá, Raul Bernardino, Sérgio Miguel Leandro and Rui Ganhão
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3149; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043149 - 09 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1380
Abstract
In this work, a new and natural food product, stalked barnacle (Pollicipes Pollicipes) pâté enriched with blackberry, was developed to valorise the rejected stalked barnacle. To evaluate the addition of blackberry fruits (Rubus ulmifolius Schott.) as a natural preservative on [...] Read more.
In this work, a new and natural food product, stalked barnacle (Pollicipes Pollicipes) pâté enriched with blackberry, was developed to valorise the rejected stalked barnacle. To evaluate the addition of blackberry fruits (Rubus ulmifolius Schott.) as a natural preservative on pâté quality, four pâté sample groups were considered: a negative control without a synthetic additive (CTR), a positive control with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a group with blackberry extract (blackberry), and a group with a mixture of BHT and blackberry (blackberry + BHT). In addition, the effect of pasteurization (80 °C for 30 min) versus sterilization (121 °C for 30 min) on the pâté quality were evaluated. The bioactive evaluation expressed by the total phenolic content (TPC) and antiradical activity by the DPPH radical scavenging associated with oxidative stability determined by thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) were performed. The impact of packaging opening followed by refrigerated storage (4 ± 1 °C) simulating the consumer behavior at home, was assessed. All the heat-treated stalked barnacle pâté samples were found microbially safe with an interesting content of total phenolic, the highest ones being the CTR and Blackberry + BHT, ranging from 58.79 to 55.38 mg GAE/100 g. After the package opening of the barnacle pâté sample of Blackberry + BHT, it revealed a superior inhibition of TBARS (0.46 mg MDA/100 g) after 7 days at refrigerated storage compared to the other samples. These results state the efficacy of blackberry in minimizing the lipid oxidation of stalked barnacle pâte. This study showed the potential for rejected stalked barnacle to be valorised and improve the sustainability of resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)
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13 pages, 1284 KiB  
Article
Spatial Variation of Phytochemical and Antioxidant Activities of Olive Mill Wastewater: A Chemometric Approach
by Hamza El Moudden, Yousra El Idrissi, Chakir El Guezzane, Zineb Lakhlifi El Idrissi, Hicham Harhar, Hamza Assaggaf, Khang Wen Goh, Long Chiau Ming, Abdelhakim Bouyahya and Mohamed Tabyaoui
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14488; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142114488 - 04 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1281
Abstract
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) was obtained during the extraction of olive oil. It is typified by an elevated concentration of sugars, acids, proteins, polyphenols, and organic matter. This makes the removal of OMW problematic for all olive oil-producing countries. Due to their high [...] Read more.
Olive mill wastewater (OMW) was obtained during the extraction of olive oil. It is typified by an elevated concentration of sugars, acids, proteins, polyphenols, and organic matter. This makes the removal of OMW problematic for all olive oil-producing countries. Due to their high concentration in polyphenols, these wastewaters are a source of danger to the environment. This research aimed to study the spatial distribution effect in terms of geographical origin production of olive oil on the phenolic content and the antioxidant activity of the OMWs. A chemometric approach using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was utilized. Physico-chemical characterization of OMWs was performed to evaluate their pollutant load by setting the following parameters: pH, dry matter, conductivity, and chemical oxygen demand. Quantitative analysis of the phenolic compounds shows that the extract of all samples had a high content of phenolics varying from 238.26 ± 5.67 to 534.16 ± 3.83 mg GAE/g of extract, flavonoids varying from 179.89 ± 1.64 to 421.47 ± 3.42 mg QE/g of extract, and tannins varying from 101.66 ± 0.65 to 216.28 ± 3.41 mg CE/g of extract. Antioxidant activity was determined by two testing systems: DPPH and ABTS assay. The IC50 DPPH varied from 0.30 ± 0.08 to 1.93 ± 0.34 µg/mL, while it varied between 2.04 ± 0.16 and 6.11 ± 0.25 µg/mL for the IC50 ABTS method. The principal component analysis indicated that the two methods DPPH and ABTS are strongly correlated. Furthermore, important correlations were shown by the principal component analysis (PCA) on the one hand between the phenolic compounds and on other hand between their antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)
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10 pages, 275 KiB  
Article
Polyphenol Characterization and Antioxidant Activity of Grape Seeds and Skins from Sicily: A Preliminary Study
by Vita Di Stefano, Carla Buzzanca, Maria Grazia Melilli, Serena Indelicato, Manuela Mauro, Mirella Vazzana, Vincenzo Arizza, Massimo Lucarini, Alessandra Durazzo and David Bongiorno
Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6702; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116702 - 30 May 2022
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2625
Abstract
The interest in the consumption of health-promoting foods has led to identifying derivatives of the wine industry as products to increase the functional properties of different foods or to design new functional foods. The main goal of this study is to characterize and [...] Read more.
The interest in the consumption of health-promoting foods has led to identifying derivatives of the wine industry as products to increase the functional properties of different foods or to design new functional foods. The main goal of this study is to characterize and valorize byproducts and wastes of Sicilian grapes as new sources of bioactive components, from the perspective of a circular economy and a biorefinery approach. In particular, this research investigated: 1. the total phenolic content and antioxidant activities and 2. the phenolic profiles of free and bound fractions of defatted grape seeds and red grape skins from Sicily. Defatted grape seeds (DGS) and red grape skins (RGSK) are rich in phenolic compounds. Twenty biophenols were found in the defatted seeds and red grape skins. Particularly interesting were the results obtained after basic hydrolysis, which allowed the release of biophenols from the matrix. The degreased grape seeds showed p-coumaric acid levels at 4641.65 µg g−1, gallic acid at 2649.23 µg g−1, and caffeic acid at 1474.13 µg g−1, along with appreciable quantities of myricetin, epicatechin, and quercetin. As a sustainable approach, the reuse and the value added of the byproducts and wastes of grapes grown in Sicily is shown, which makes possible new applications in different fields, i.e., nutraceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)
14 pages, 697 KiB  
Article
Chitosan Film Functionalized with Grape Seed Oil—Preliminary Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity
by Manuela Mauro, Paola Pinto, Luca Settanni, Valeria Puccio, Mirella Vazzana, Branwen L. Hornsby, Antonio Fabbrizio, Vita Di Stefano, Giampaolo Barone and Vincenzo Arizza
Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5410; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095410 - 30 Apr 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2105
Abstract
Although the fishing and wine industries undoubtedly contribute significantly to the economy, they also generate large waste streams with considerable repercussions on both economic and environmental levels. Scientific literature has shown products can be extracted from these streams which have properties of interest [...] Read more.
Although the fishing and wine industries undoubtedly contribute significantly to the economy, they also generate large waste streams with considerable repercussions on both economic and environmental levels. Scientific literature has shown products can be extracted from these streams which have properties of interest to the cosmetics, pharmaceutical and food industries. Antimicrobial activity is undoubtedly among the most interesting of these properties, and particularly useful in the production of food packaging to increase the shelf life of food products. In this study, film for food packaging was produced for the first time using chitosan extracted from the exoskeletons of red shrimp (Aristomorpha foliacea) and oil obtained from red grape seeds (Vitis vinifera). The antimicrobial activity of two films was analyzed: chitosan-only film and chitosan film with the addition of red grape seed oil at two different concentrations (0.5 mL and 1 mL). Our results showed noteworthy antimicrobial activity resulting from functionalized chitosan films; no activity was observed against pathogen and spoilage Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, although the antimicrobial effects observed were species-dependent. The preliminary results of this study could contribute to developing the circular economy, helping to promote the reuse of waste to produce innovative films for food packaging. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)
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8 pages, 500 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Local Food Evaluation by Dosage of Some Metallic Pollutants in Wild Insect Species Consumed in Togo
by Fègbawè Badanaro, Narcis Barsan, Amivi Tété-Benissan, Valentin Nedeff and Mirela Panainte-Lehadus
Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1892; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031892 - 07 Feb 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1136
Abstract
In tropical countries, where human consumption of insects is a traditional practice, insects are mainly harvested in the natural environment. These insects are thus exposed to all forms of pollution, particularly metallic pollutants. However, an inventory of scientific knowledge on the risks related [...] Read more.
In tropical countries, where human consumption of insects is a traditional practice, insects are mainly harvested in the natural environment. These insects are thus exposed to all forms of pollution, particularly metallic pollutants. However, an inventory of scientific knowledge on the risks related to the consumption of insects is missing in the international scientific literature. It is therefore essential to conduct research on the trace metals (TMEs) contained in insects caught in the wild. The objective of this work is to evaluate the level of accumulation of TMEs by insect species commonly consumed in Togo to estimate the health risk related to insect consumption. To do this, 12 species of insects consumed in their adult stage were collected across the whole territory of Togo. These samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to determine TMEs. It appears that traces of different metallic elements exist in the samples at variable rates. The aquatic species Cybister tripunctatus is the most contaminated, with levels of cadmium (0.504 mg/kg) and lead (0.501 mg/kg) at the limit of edibility threshold. The concentrations of all TMEs in insects during this study are within acceptable limits for human consumption. The risk of human contamination with TMEs through insect consumption is therefore low. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Waste: Treatments, Environmental Impacts, Current and Potential Uses)
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