Introduction to Novel Approaches in the Valorization of Agricultural Wastes and Their Applications

Abstract

Sustainable food production, waste minimization, and valorization are critical concerns for the agricultural and food industry considering their environmental, social, and economic impacts. Foods are processed to prolong shelf life, make products available out of season, produce new products, and improve nutritional value. During processing, a significant amount of waste is generated, which attracts the attention of scientists and industrialists to valorize the value-added components, including dietary fibers, proteins, and bioactive components. This special issue focuses on the latest developments in waste valorization, covering different industries and methodologies. Within the special issue, waste valorization of some specific food groups, including fruit juice wastes, honeybee byproducts, soybean processing waste, grape pomace materials, and olive mill solid waste, are evaluated. On the other hand, novel approaches to valorizing agricultural wastes and their applications, also covering the recovery of natural pigments with potential health effects, are considered. Besides, nanotechnological and microbial bioconversion methods are used to improve the bioavailability and bioactivity of phytochemicals derived from wastes. It can be concluded that there are still some challenges in waste management and valorization concerning economic, safety, sensory, consumer acceptance, and regulative aspects, and further research is required to overcome these challenges and improve the quality and quantity of value-added products obtained from agricultural wastes and byproducts.