Thermal and Non-thermal Technologies in Food Waste Processing

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, food waste has received considerable attention as a social, economic, and environmental issue. Every year, billions of tonnes of food are wasted, with 54% of that wasted during production and 46% wasted during post-market operations. Food waste and byproducts possess great potential for producing valuable components. Most of them consist of cereal residues, fruit pomace, and peels, which are rich in bioactive compounds like carotenoids, polyphenols, vitamins, oils, etc. Depending on the nature and type of component/matrix, the processing of food waste involves one or more steps of pretreatment, separation, extraction, isolation, and purification to produce high-value products. Various technologies can be used to treat these byproducts, thereby contributing to sustainable development. These aspects contribute to the efficient use of available resources to drive the circular economy.

In this case, the Special Issue provides a distinctive overview of the latest developments in emerging technologies for the treatment of food waste, as well as an in-depth analysis of each process. Topics include separation, extraction, isolation, modification, and purification. Also, applied technologies include, but are not limited to, various thermal (ohmic heating, microwave heating, etc.) and non-thermal (magnetic field, electric field, ultrasonic, high-pressure, etc.) processing.

Dr. Na Yang
Guest Editor

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