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Review
. 2021 Oct 12;13(20):3503.
doi: 10.3390/polym13203503.

Progress in the Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes: Active Packaging, Biocomposites, By-Products, and Innovative Technologies Used for Bioactive Compound Extraction

Mohd Salahuddin Mohd Basri  1   2   3 , Nor Nadiah Abdul Karim Shah  1   2 , Alifdalino Sulaiman  1   2 , Intan Syafinaz Mohamed Amin Tawakkal  1   2 , Mohd Zuhair Mohd Nor  1   2 , Siti Hajar Ariffin  1   2 , Nur Hamizah Abdul Ghani  1 , Faiqa Shazeaa Mohd Salleh  1
Affiliations
Review

Progress in the Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Wastes: Active Packaging, Biocomposites, By-Products, and Innovative Technologies Used for Bioactive Compound Extraction

Mohd Salahuddin Mohd Basri et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

According to the Food Wastage Footprint and Climate Change Report, about 15% of all fruits and 25% of all vegetables are wasted at the base of the food production chain. The significant losses and wastes in the fresh and processing industries is becoming a serious environmental issue, mainly due to the microbial degradation impacts. There has been a recent surge in research and innovation related to food, packaging, and pharmaceutical applications to address these problems. The underutilized wastes (seed, skin, rind, and pomace) potentially present good sources of valuable bioactive compounds, including functional nutrients, amylopectin, phytochemicals, vitamins, enzymes, dietary fibers, and oils. Fruit and vegetable wastes (FVW) are rich in nutrients and extra nutritional compounds that contribute to the development of animal feed, bioactive ingredients, and ethanol production. In the development of active packaging films, pectin and other biopolymers are commonly used. In addition, the most recent research studies dealing with FVW have enhanced the physical, mechanical, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties of packaging and biocomposite systems. Innovative technologies that can be used for sensitive bioactive compound extraction and fortification will be crucial in valorizing FVW completely; thus, this article aims to report the progress made in terms of the valorization of FVW and to emphasize the applications of FVW in active packaging and biocomposites, their by-products, and the innovative technologies (both thermal and non-thermal) that can be used for bioactive compounds extraction.

Keywords: active packaging; bioactive compound; biocomposites; by-product; extraction; fruit waste; non-thermal processing; thermal processing; vegetable waste; waste valorization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Food waste management practices and the novel or emerging valorization methods. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [17]. Copyright 2021 Elsevier.
Figure 2
Figure 2
A significant amount of fruits and vegetables (in MMT) are produced globally.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Valorization of FVW and potential products.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Visual appearance of SPS and SPS/SPP films at CA of 0, 1, 1.5, and 2%. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [52]. Copyright 2021 Taylor & Francis.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The process includes (a) fiber treatment followed by layering of fibers to form (b) fibrous bed, composite sample preparation through (c) compression molding, and (d) final composite samples. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [69]. Copyright 2021 Taylor & Francis.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of (a) unbleached jackfruit skin powder (JSP) and (b) bleached jackfruit skin powder (BJSP). Reproduced with permission from Ref. [79]. Copyright 2021 Elsevier.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Development of edible coatings from banana peel. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [100]. Copyright 2021 Elsevier.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Fabrication of thin polymer films from mango peel waste. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [112]. Copyright 2021 Elsevier.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Gelatin films with various concentrations of mango peel extracts. Reproduced with permission from Ref. [114]. Copyright 2021 Elsevier.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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