Agri-food wastes as natural source of bioactive antioxidants - Third edition

The current food systems are now unsustainable due to population growth, globalization, and climate change, contributing to environmental degradation and social inequalities . The significant waste and losses generated at every stage of the food supply chain are one of the main factors contributing to food unsustainability, causing resource depletion, global greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental degradation. Therefore, reducing food waste is one of the most important strategies for sustainability . The possibility of converting by-products and waste materials into high-value molecules could create a pathway to reduce environmental impact while promoting innovation and economic growth. In particular, agri-food waste includes a wide range of discarded parts from crops, fruits, and vegetables generated at different stages of the agricultural food supply chain, such as farming, harvesting, storage, and processing. These wastes include, but are not limited to, fruit skins, vegetable peels, seeds, stems, and other inedible or underutilized parts with little or no commercial value, and are commonly discarded despite their potential applications in other fields. The chemical composition of these food waste materials makes them a natural reservoir of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits for humans, because they are a source of phytochemicals that can be extracted and repurposed in nutraceutical, cosmeceutical, and pharmaceutical applications .