Innovative Approaches to Obtaining Functional Compounds from Agri-Food Byproducts

Dear Colleagues,

The agri-food industry generates huge amounts of byproducts throughout the supply chain, from harvesting to processing and consumption. In particular, agri-food wastes are not considered to be either food loss or food waste; thus, they are not covered by the European Union’s action plan related to the SDG target 12.3. The management and disposal of these matrices represent a severe environmental load, and current regulations mainly allow for them to be exploited as land fertilizers and/or heat sources. However, they contain valuable functional compounds with potential uses in further production cycles, including food and nutraceutical fields. In this sense, sustainability and circular economy principles can be supported by facing environmental challenges while creating economic opportunities.

The growing interest in functional foods highlights the need for innovative, cost-effective, and eco-friendly strategies to recover and utilize these compounds, keeping in mind legal and nutritional compliance.

In this context, this Special Issue invites contributions focusing on the following topics:

• Innovative extraction methods recovering functional compounds from agri-food wastes;
• Advanced characterization of agri-food wastes and related extracts;
• Bioactivity studies for potential health benefits;
• Innovative food formulations, including gluten-free products, using compounds from agro-industrial byproducts;
• Integration of circular economy practices and waste management in valorizing agro-industrial byproducts;
• Applications of functional compounds in food and nutraceuticals to enhance functionality and health benefits;
• Regulatory and normative aspects concerning the use of functional compounds and their applications;
• Development of innovative delivery systems to improve the stability and functionality of bioactive compounds;
• Case studies on the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and consumer acceptance of products derived from agro-industrial byproducts.

Dr. Donatella Restuccia
Dr. Francesca Aiello
Guest Editors

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