Overview of Waste Utilization of Food and Agro-Waste: Rational, Valorization, Applications, and Bio-Economy Publisher



Soltani M ; Shokri S ; Mazaheri Y
Source: Sustainable Kernel Utilization: Chemistry, Processing, Health Functionality, and Bio-Economy Published:2026

Abstract

Substances like apple peels and watermelon seeds, celery stalks, and, more recently, the pulp that is not used during juicing, are thrown away, even though they contain beneficial and health-promoting compounds. They contain a high amount of nutrients, vitamins, fiber, and also bioactive compounds, which can be reused in a sustainable way. In the food industry, substances such as peels or pulp can be converted into nutrient-rich materials that promote health in various products. Additionally, vegetable waste has significant potential for producing biofuels. The wastes can be successfully converted into byproducts such as biogas or bioethanol, which are most often used to make compost or biochar, thereby greatly improving soil health and fertility in agriculture. The cosmetics sector is also entering this arena-for example, processing tomato pomace to use compounds such as lycopene in skincare products. Of course, there are challenges in converting byproducts into value-added products. For example, there are costs, technical issues, and regulations that often prevent byproducts from being converted into useful applications. This chapter outlines the research gap and proposes ideas on how to address these barriers, enabling the full exploitation of the food waste sector and a transition towards a circular economy. © 2027 selection and editorial matter, Mohd Aaqib Sheikh, Nisar Ahmad Mir and Mohd Khalid Gul; individual chapters, the contributors.