Introduction to food waste valorization

The issue of food waste has attained unprecedented scale in today’s globalized world. Despite efforts to alleviate poverty and enhance food security, a significant quantity of food is wasted throughout the supply chain, from production to consumption. It additionally contributes to the deterioration of the environment and the ineffectiveness of the economy. Across the world, up to 40% of food is wasted globally during the food supply chain. This vast percentage comes from food that is either thrown away, decayed, or infested from the time it is grown to the time it is eaten. A large quantity of waste is made every year because of the food processing stages, particularly in the agro-food industries. It has been hard to control, dispose of, and treat these food wastes because of a lot of economic problems. Considering this, efforts have been made to turn food waste into useful products that are too many to name. The concept of food waste valorization, therefore, presents a tremendous opportunity for innovation and sustainable practices amidst this challenge. Though many researchers have documented how these food wastes can be turned into other value-added products, most of their reports do not go into enough detail to cover all of the different fields of specialization that are involved in the process. It is important to note that food waste valorization is an interdisciplinary issue and as such allows different research experts such as agriculturists, engineers, scientists, and economists. Food supply chains have grown more complicated in recent years because of globalization, which has resulted in a wider variety of foods and longer distances between their origin and destination. In addition, food waste is a major issue with environmental, economic, social, and ethical ramifications. It must be addressed. In the first place, it wastes resources and fills up landfills, and it emits greenhouse gases that contribute to warming the planet and causing it to change its climate. First and foremost, it is a huge undertaking that requires a significant amount of money to produce, store, transport, and treat the products. The third way to help fight hunger is to donate usable food that has been thrown out because doing so will help ensure the food security of a growing population while also promoting social equality. Because of this, food waste must be prevented and reduced to increase the supply chain’s resource efficiency, make food more readily available, and lessen hunger.