Industrial Wastes and By-products: A Source of Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals, and Biopolymers

The processing of agro-industrial raw materials results in ∼40% of the waste of everything that is processed, including what is generated in operations carried out in the field, during processing, logistics, retail, and post-consumption. In this sense, there is a need for processes aimed at the full use of materials including the use of waste and/or its crude or isolated/purified fractions. Appropriate processing of waste can contribute to improving the economic viability of the food processing industry and help prevent the accumulation of waste and environmental pollution. In this sense, this chapter provides an overview of the main industrial residues and by-products as a source of components for the formulation of functional foods, as well as for obtaining nutraceutical and biopolymer components.