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Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 10937

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alessandra De Bruno

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Sciences and Promotion of the Quality of Life, San Raffaele University, 00166 Rome, Italy
Interests: antioxidant activity; polyphenols; chromatography; food analysis; antioxidants; food chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonio Gattuso

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of AGRARIA, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, 89124 Reggio Calabria, RC, Italy
Interests: antioxidants; food analysis; food chemistry; food processing; recovery of waste and by-products
Dr. Federica Flamminii

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine and Dentistry, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Interests: food technology; bioactive compounds; antioxidants; encapsulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food waste has become a critical issue globally, with significant environmental, economic, and social implications, and the sustainable management of food waste requires innovative approaches that go beyond mere reduction and recycling efforts. This Special Issue aims to explore the challenges and opportunities associated with the recovery, valorization, and development of new foods from food wastes.

This Special Issue will complement the existing literature on sustainable food systems and waste management by focusing specifically on the recovery, valorization, and development of new foods from food wastes. While the literature available on food waste reduction and recycling is already considerable, there remains a growing need to explore innovative approaches to utilizing food waste as a valuable resource in food production. By gathering together contributions from researchers across various disciplines, this Special Issue will offer fresh perspectives, novel insights, and practical solutions to enhancing the sustainability of the agri-food sector. Additionally, it will provide a comprehensive overview of current state-of-the-art technologies, regulatory frameworks, and consumer attitudes regarding the utilization of food waste.

Dr. Alessandra De Bruno
Dr. Antonio Gattuso
Dr. Federica Flamminii
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability 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 2400 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
  • sustainable management of food waste
  • valorisation of food waste
  • new foods
  • food waste recycling
  • technologies for food waste recovery
  • food sustainability

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 1809 KiB  
Article
Environmental Impact Assessment of Vineyard and Winery Using Life Cycle Analysis on Volcanic Island: Tenerife
by Santiago M. Barroso Castillo, Ignacio de Martín-Pinillos Castellanos, Noelia Cruz-Pérez, Juan C. Santamarta and Pablo Alonso González
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4649; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104649 - 19 May 2025
Viewed by 619
Abstract
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of viticulture in the Tacoronte-Acentejo Designation of Origin was the primary goal of this research, aiming to examine and quantify the environmental impacts generated by viticulture and winemaking processes. Data for the investigation were collected through tailored questionnaires [...] Read more.
A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of viticulture in the Tacoronte-Acentejo Designation of Origin was the primary goal of this research, aiming to examine and quantify the environmental impacts generated by viticulture and winemaking processes. Data for the investigation were collected through tailored questionnaires administered to viticulturists and winemakers affiliated with the Regulatory Council of the Tacoronte-Acentejo Designation of Origin. These surveys were designed to gather detailed information on the inputs used in both viticulture and winemaking processes, encompassing all stages of production. The results were classified into the following four environmental impact categories: carbon footprint, human toxicity, depletion of fossil energies, and ozone layer depletion. In viticulture, the major contributors to environmental impact included vehicle fuel consumption, pesticide application, and the use of copper sulfate. In the winery phase of production, electricity consumption and glass bottle production were the primary factors with significant environmental implications. These findings provide valuable insights for vineyard and winery managers in favor of implementing more sustainable practices, such as reducing fuel for vehicles and machinery and the use of pesticides in the vineyard phase, and reducing glass bottle usage and electricity consumption in the winery phase. Through this research, they will be able to focus their efforts on the inputs that generate the greatest environmental impacts in order to reduce them. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)
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15 pages, 1102 KiB  
Article
Exploring Regional Food Futures in Peri-Urban Austria—Participatory Generation of Scenarios and Policy Recommendations
by Niklas Gudowsky-Blatakes and Mahshid Sotoudeh
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 3800; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17093800 - 23 Apr 2025
Viewed by 308
Abstract
Current food systems provide relative food security but compromise planetary health and largely fail to address climate change challenges. Regional food supplies can contribute to sustainable production and consumption, reducing the dependence on global supply chains. However, food systems’ complexity and rigidity hinder [...] Read more.
Current food systems provide relative food security but compromise planetary health and largely fail to address climate change challenges. Regional food supplies can contribute to sustainable production and consumption, reducing the dependence on global supply chains. However, food systems’ complexity and rigidity hinder the implementation of climate-conscious, healthier practices. The City.Food.Basket project explored regional food baskets in urban and peri-urban settings in Austria for the City of Graz and its surroundings, developing models for regional, healthy, and low-climate-impact diets. Against this background, we present a qualitative study that generated three explorative scenarios for promoting regional diets using a Delphi-based expert-stakeholder survey method with participatory elements. A scenario workshop elaborated on interconnecting actions to strengthen regional food supply, including making regional food a tender criterion, reducing waste, ensuring affordability, and shifting subsidies to climate-conscious practices for Graz. While the method successfully provides socio-technical futures for policy orientation, its direct policy impact remains low due to time constraints, short project duration, limited project resources, and differing rationalities between research and policymaking. This study highlights the need for improved connectivity between transdisciplinary research, foresight methods, and regional policy cycles to enhance such projects’ effectiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)
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21 pages, 2143 KiB  
Article
Physicochemical Characterization and Extrusion Effects on the Optimization of Agro-Industrial Byproduct Flour Formulation
by Diana Paola Navia-Porras, Carolina Franco-Urbano, Laura Sofía Torres-Valenzuela, José Luis Plaza-Dorado and José Luis Hoyos-Concha
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 1950; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051950 - 25 Feb 2025
Viewed by 474
Abstract
During the post-harvest of coffee and plantain, organic residues with high potential for utilization are generated. This work aimed to measure the effect of extrusion on the nutritional, physicochemical, and functional properties of mixtures of coffee pulp (CP), rejected plantain (RP), and plantain [...] Read more.
During the post-harvest of coffee and plantain, organic residues with high potential for utilization are generated. This work aimed to measure the effect of extrusion on the nutritional, physicochemical, and functional properties of mixtures of coffee pulp (CP), rejected plantain (RP), and plantain rachis (PR) flours. The residues were dehydrated, milled, and mixed according to the simplex reticular experimental design. Subsequently, the mixtures were extruded. The properties before and after extrusion were determined. It was found that the effect of extrusion reduced the crude fiber and lipid content composition, but protein and ash content were not changed. A positive relation was found between coffee pulp flour and rachis plantain flour in response to total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA). Some blends increased the TPC and AA but others reduced it. At the same time, water activity and water and oil absorption capacity showed a significant extrusion effect, while the pH did not. It was determined that the optimum mixture extruded was 0.364:0.333:0.303 of CP, RP, and PR, respectively. Extrusion reduced all pasting properties of the optimized blend. The flours studied presented a relevant nutritional and functional contribution, which favors their viability for use in the food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)
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13 pages, 1338 KiB  
Article
Bergamot Pomace Flour: From Byproduct to Bioactive Ingredient for Pasta Production
by Antonio Gattuso, Alessandra De Bruno, Amalia Piscopo, Simone Santacaterina, Maria Josè Frutos and Marco Poiana
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7784; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177784 - 6 Sep 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1143
Abstract
Contemporary consumers demonstrate an increasing preference for foods formulated with sustainable ingredients and health-promoting benefits. In this study, both demands were addressed by formulating enriched pasta using by-products derived from the processing of bergamot, a typical Calabrian citrus fruit. Wheat flour was replaced [...] Read more.
Contemporary consumers demonstrate an increasing preference for foods formulated with sustainable ingredients and health-promoting benefits. In this study, both demands were addressed by formulating enriched pasta using by-products derived from the processing of bergamot, a typical Calabrian citrus fruit. Wheat flour was replaced with different percentages of exhausted bergamot pomace flour (BPF: 1.5%, 2.5%, and 5%). The results indicated that bergamot pomace is a source of various phytochemical compounds, such as minerals, fibers, and polyphenols, which are beneficial to human health. The enriched pasta samples showed a significant increase in antioxidant properties, measured as a total polyphenol and flavonoid content and through chromatographic analysis. From the latter, it emerged that phenolic compounds, particularly flavonoids, were resistant to cooking. The best qualitative characteristics were shown by the sample formulated with 2.5% BPF, as also confirmed by the sensory analysis; indeed, sample C exhibited a similar level of acceptability to the control sample (A) in terms of general acceptability by the panelists. Hence, BPF can be considered as a functional ingredient for the formulation of pasta, enhancing the product’s functionality, or as an addition as flour in gluten-free products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)
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26 pages, 6469 KiB  
Article
Hazelnut Cultivation in the Campania Region: Environmental Sustainability of the Recovery of Pruning Residues and Shells through the Life Cycle Assessment Methodology
by Maria Pergola, Angela Maffia, Antonietta Picone, Assunta Maria Palese, Gessica Altieri and Giuseppe Celano
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7533; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177533 - 30 Aug 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1938
Abstract
Promoting sustainable agriculture is one of the challenges of our century. Thus, this research aimed to estimate the environmental sustainability of hazelnut cultivation in the Campania region (Southern Italy), both in quantitative and economic terms, by estimating the social cost of the pollution. [...] Read more.
Promoting sustainable agriculture is one of the challenges of our century. Thus, this research aimed to estimate the environmental sustainability of hazelnut cultivation in the Campania region (Southern Italy), both in quantitative and economic terms, by estimating the social cost of the pollution. The evaluation of the recovery of pruning residues and shells, from a circular economy perspective, represents the novelty of this paper. The lifecycle assessment methodology was used to analyze and compare twenty-one hazelnut systems that are very different from each other. The results showed that the impacts per kg of unshelled hazelnuts varied among the systems, depending on the impact category considered, and with respect to climate change, the lowest value was 0.32 kg CO2 eq (in BIO4 system), while the highest was 2.48 kg CO2 eq (in INT8 system). Moreover, organic management was more environmentally friendly for almost all impact categories, and ordinary cultivation techniques were the most impactful. Cultivation on embankments or terraced soils had a greater impact when compared to flat soils, especially due to the greater fuel consumption during farm–field transport. Emergency irrigation did not cause an increase in impact if the overall management was sustainable. In economic terms, the total cost of pollution of the agricultural phase varied from a minimum of EUR 0.11 per kg of hazelnuts to a maximum of EUR 0.70. Post-harvest operations up to vacuum packaging did not make any systems more impactful than others since their agricultural management was more sustainable than many others. In accordance with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the recovery of pruning material and shells on farms has proven to be very important for reducing impacts, especially if they are used to replace methane and diesel oil, hence the importance of pursuing this research to make hazelnut cultivation ever more sustainable. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)
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Review

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14 pages, 376 KiB  
Review
Acorns: From an Ancient Food to a Modern Sustainable Resource
by Leonardo G. Inácio, Raul Bernardino, Susana Bernardino and Clélia Afonso
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9613; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229613 - 5 Nov 2024
Viewed by 4288
Abstract
Acorns, the seeds of oak trees, are pivotal in the Mediterranean region, historically serving as vital sustenance for wildlife and humans. Although traditionally used for livestock, in times of scarcity, acorns were also used in human diets together with their use in traditional [...] Read more.
Acorns, the seeds of oak trees, are pivotal in the Mediterranean region, historically serving as vital sustenance for wildlife and humans. Although traditionally used for livestock, in times of scarcity, acorns were also used in human diets together with their use in traditional medicine. In this review, we explore and deepen the multifaceted significance of oak species, consolidating nutritional data while emphasizing sustainable practices for modern dietary integration and potential applications in other areas, promoting long-term ecological balance. In the Mediterranean region, notable species are Quercus ilex, Q. faginea, Q. suber, and Q. coccifera, which differ in flavor, texture, and nutritional content. Rich in carbohydrates, acorns can contain up to 50% starch as well as amino acids, proteins, and lipids. This nutritional composition favors the preparation of flour for use in bread doughs or even diverse types of processing such as roasting, which makes it a substitute for coffee. Furthermore, acorn by-products, containing tannins, find applications in leather processing. This review highlights and summarizes in detail the nutritional potential, culinary adaptability, and diverse applications of acorns, emphasizing the need to preserve and utilize natural resources sustainably. In doing so, it sheds light on the often-overlooked value of these humble seeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)

Other

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31 pages, 3884 KiB  
Systematic Review
Food Waste Reduction: A Systematic Literature Review on Integrating Policies, Consumer Behavior, and Innovation
by Raquel Carvalho, Maria Raquel Lucas and Ana Marta-Costa
Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 3236; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17073236 - 5 Apr 2025
Viewed by 1417
Abstract
This article addresses the issue of food waste, highlighting its implications for food security, sustainability, and global resource management. The main objective is to develop the principles for an Integrated Sustainable Food Waste Reduction System (IFWRS), a theoretical and practical framework that unites [...] Read more.
This article addresses the issue of food waste, highlighting its implications for food security, sustainability, and global resource management. The main objective is to develop the principles for an Integrated Sustainable Food Waste Reduction System (IFWRS), a theoretical and practical framework that unites public policies, consumer behavior, and technological innovation. To achieve this goal, the study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis to identify critical gaps, synthesize existing knowledge, and provide a solid foundation for the proposed IFWRS principles. These principles present actionable strategies to combat food waste through a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, overcoming fragmented methodologies and aligning with sustainability goals at both local and global levels. This work makes a fundamental contribution to the field, providing not only a robust theoretical foundation but also a practical guide for implementing innovative and sustainable solutions across the food chain. By integrating various sectors and promoting a unified vision, the IFWRS principles pave the way for more effective policies and interventions that can transform the global food waste landscape. With its unique and groundbreaking approach, this study offers a revolutionary perspective to solve one of the world’s greatest challenges, driving collective action and the adoption of sustainable, transformative strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Challenges: Recovery and Valorization of Food Wastes and New Ingredients and Foods Development)
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