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Different Strategies for the Reuse and Valorization of Food Waste

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A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Security and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 13 November 2026 | Viewed by 5483

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Dr. Lara Costantini

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Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Tuscia University, Largo dell’Università snc, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: applied nutrition; polyphenols; antioxidant activity; omega-3; retinoic acid; novel foods; food chemistry; cancer biology; hypertension; breast tissue microbiota; gut microbiota; omega-3 and microbiota
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Dear Colleagues,

It is estimated that in 2022, approximately 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted globally. Of the food available to consumers, 19% was wasted at the retail, food service, and household levels, in addition to 13% of global food lost in the food supply chain. This waste determines 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions and determines the waste of land, water, energy, and labor, with important economic repercussions. It should also be considered that waste materials are often rich in highly nutritional compounds, even higher than currently marketed products.

For these reasons, new strategies are urgently needed to reduce, reuse, and valorize food waste. This Special Issue aims to explore the issues related to the recovery of food matrices through new and different strategies with the objective of creating new products, ingredients, or methods to reduce food waste.

Dr. Lara Costantini
Guest Editor

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Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food waste
fibers
phytochemicals
food analysis
functional foods

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 2501 KB

Open AccessArticle

Upcycling Brewer’s Spent Grain and Barley Rootlets by Partial Substitution of Pea Protein Isolate in Extruded High Moisture Meat Analogues

by Ivana Salvatore, Robin Betschart, Claudio Beretta, Maria Rudel, Evelyn Kirchsteiger-Meier, Corinna Bolliger, Matthias Stucki and Nadina Müller

Foods 2026, 15(8), 1327; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081327 - 10 Apr 2026

Viewed by 1938

Abstract

This study evaluated how a partial substitution of pea protein isolate (PPI) with brewer’s spent grain (BSG) or barley rootlets (BRs) affects high-moisture meat analogues (HMMAs). PPI was substituted with 10% and 20% with BSG or BRs, respectively. Extrudates were produced on a co-rotating twin-screw extruder at maximum temperatures of 140 °C and 160 °C. Extrudates were assessed for colour, moisture, firmness and fibre morphology. Furthermore, the technofunctional and nutritional properties of the raw materials were determined. Extrudates with BSG produced the darkest colour, whereas PPI and BR formulations exhibited the lightest. A stronger reddish tint was observed at 160 °C, while the colour within the yellow–blue spectrum was largely temperature-independent. Firmness was generally higher at 160 °C, consistent with lower end-product moisture. Side stream addition lowered protein content and weakened fibre formation, with the effect most pronounced for BRs. Overall, formulation was the dominant factor influencing lightness, while temperature modestly increased redness and firmness. Preliminary sensory evaluation supported these trends. Extrudates produced at 140 °C were perceived as having a more fibrous structure. Higher substitution levels resulted in a weaker, more crumbly texture. With respect to the environmental assessment, a 20% replacement of PPI with BRs or BSG reduced overall environmental impacts by up to 19% and climate impacts by up to 16%. With regard to the novel food status, the EU Novel Food Status Catalogue classifies BSG as not novel, whereas BRs are not novel only when used in food supplements. Any other food uses, other than as, or in, food supplements, might considered to be novel and consequently might need to be authorised under the novel food regulation framework prior to market placement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Different Strategies for the Reuse and Valorization of Food Waste)

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16 pages, 2933 KB

Open AccessArticle

Pigskin Collagen-Derived Antifreeze Peptides as Clean-Label Cryoprotectants: Inhibition of Ice Recrystallization and Suppression of Oxidative Deterioration in Heme-Rich Pork Sausages

by Wentao Xuan, Huiqin Wang, Guanzhen Gao, Jianwu Zhou, Xiaomei Xie, Zhixin Lin, Qiren Chen, Yixin Chen, Qiuhui Zeng, Daohuang Xu, Pingfan Rao and Leiwen Xiang

Foods 2026, 15(5), 925; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15050925 - 6 Mar 2026

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 692

Abstract

Frozen red meat products face dual challenges: structural damage from ice recrystallization and subsequent oxidative deterioration driven by endogenous pro-oxidants in heme-rich matrices. This study investigated the efficacy of pigskin collagen-derived antifreeze peptides (APPs) as clean-label cryoprotectants in pork sausages. In vitro characterization confirmed distinct thermal hysteresis (0.51 °C) and potent ice recrystallization inhibition. In the sausage system, 6% APPs overcame ionic screening effects, reducing thawing loss to 4.87% (vs. 7.51% in control) and cooking loss to 14.59%, significantly outperforming commercial phosphates in moisture retention. Low-field NMR revealed that APPs stabilized the actomyosin hydration shell, maintaining the immobilized water proportion (P₂₁) at 93.67% (vs. 88.50% in control) and inhibiting conversion of immobilized water into free water. Furthermore, APPs suppressed oxidative deterioration, limiting protein carbonyl content to 3.08 nmol/mg (vs. 3.71 nmol/mg in control), supporting a “physical–chemical cascade” mechanism whereby superior microstructural preservation mitigates downstream oxidative deterioration. Despite a trade-off in textural resilience (0.37 vs. 0.44), APPs function as specialized “Ice-Structure Stabilizers” offering a robust clean-label strategy for preserving heme-rich meat products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Different Strategies for the Reuse and Valorization of Food Waste)

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16 pages, 4609 KB

Open AccessArticle

Utilization of Turmeric Leaf Phenolic Extracts as Natural Antioxidants in Emulsion Systems

by Sorour Barekat, Sumanjot Kaur, Navam Hettiarachchy and Ali Ubeyitogullari

Foods 2026, 15(3), 602; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15030602 - 6 Feb 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 847

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of turmeric leaf phenolic extract (TLP) on lipid oxidation and physicochemical properties of oil-in-water emulsions. The dried leaves were first extracted using hydroethanolic solvents (0, 30, 50, 70%, w/w ethanol), and the total phenolic content and antioxidant properties were evaluated. Then, TLP was incorporated into emulsions at concentrations of 0, 250, 500, and 1000 µM (0, 0.46, 0.92, and 1.84 mg extract/mL emulsion). The characteristics, including appearance, size, polydispersity index, charge, lipid oxidation, viscosity, and microstructure, were evaluated both before and after heating at 85 °C. The results showed that all emulsions were stable up to 6 h at 85 °C. All fresh emulsions were nanosized with high negative zeta potential (−45.59 to −48.76 mV). With longer incubation time (6 h), the size (264–523 nm) and polydispersity index (0.32–0.43) increased, and the zeta potential decreased (−29.34 to −31.78). The oxidation values after 6 h were highest for the control (16.33 meq/kg oil and 7.03 mg MDA/kg oil) and lowest for the 1000 µM TLP emulsion (7.20 meq/kg oil, 0.74 mg MDA/kg oil). The samples containing 500 µM BHT showed the lowest oxidation and were comparable to the 1000 µM TLP emulsion. The polymerization and oxidation of the oil increased the viscosity during incubation, and the droplet size increased as observed in the CLSM images. Finally, it can be concluded that turmeric leaves, a major agricultural waste, are a potent source of antioxidants, capable of preventing oxidation and preserving the physicochemical properties of emulsions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Different Strategies for the Reuse and Valorization of Food Waste)

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15 pages, 1916 KB

Open AccessArticle

An Exploratory Study on the Impact of MIPEF-Assisted Extraction on Recovery of Proteins, Pigments, and Polyphenols from Sub-Standard Pea Waste

by Stella Plazzotta, Alberto Saitta, Sofia Melchior and Lara Manzocco

Foods 2026, 15(1), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15010128 - 1 Jan 2026

Viewed by 726

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable protein sources has intensified the need for efficient valorisation of legume by-products. This study investigated the application of moderate intensity pulsed electric fields (MIPEF; 5 kV/cm, 4 μs, 500 pulses) as a green technology for assisting the co-extraction of proteins, pigments, and polyphenols from industrial substandard peas (Pisum sativum L.). Aqueous pea dispersions (20 g/100 g) were subjected to alkalinization (pH 9–12), and MIPEF applied either before or after the pH adjustment. The highest protein recovery was achieved when MIPEF was applied after alkalinization at pH 9.0, due to the increased conductivity and energy input enhancing electroporation-driven protein release. Although higher pH levels increased energy delivery, they did not significantly improve protein extraction. Conversely, MIPEF application decreased total polyphenol and pigment concentrations in the extract, likely due to aggregation phenomena. Overall, these preliminary results indicate that combining mild alkalinization with MIPEF might represent a promising and energy-efficient approach for protein recovery from legume side-streams. Further optimization is required to improve protein recovery while preserving the stability of co-extracted bioactive compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Different Strategies for the Reuse and Valorization of Food Waste)

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Review

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37 pages, 2037 KB

Open AccessReview

Emerging Trends in Nanotechnology and AI-Driven Valorization of Agro-Industrial Waste in Circular Bioeconomy for Production of Biostimulants

by Ikhlas Laasri and Vaibhav Shrivastava

Foods 2026, 15(13), 2274; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15132274 - 25 Jun 2026

Viewed by 546

Abstract

The global agricultural sector faces the dual challenge of increasing productivity while mitigating environmental impacts caused by synthetic agrochemicals and massive agro-industrial waste. This review examines the transition to “Biostimulants 4.0,” a circular economy paradigm driven by the valorization of biomass residues into high-value biological inputs through nanotechnology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Our analysis highlights that green extraction methods, specifically enzymatic hydrolysis, preserve bioactive integrity and reduce carbon emissions by up to 23.2 times compared to synthetic nitrogen production. Furthermore, waste-derived formulations and nanoscale smart-delivery systems dramatically enhance crop performance; for instance, chitosan nanoparticles can achieve up to a 471% increase in specific growth metrics through sustained-release pathways. To move the industry beyond empirical trial-and-error, the integration of AI-driven predictive models now achieves up to 87% accuracy in forecasting biostimulant efficacy. Finally, we contrast global regulatory frameworks and evaluate the monetization of biostimulant-driven carbon sequestration, capable of generating high-integrity credits priced up to $35 per tonne, as a critical economic pathway to accelerate commercial adoption and incentivize a resilient, decarbonized agricultural system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Different Strategies for the Reuse and Valorization of Food Waste)

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