Food by-products: opportunities and applications

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Postiaux Annaëlle
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The by-products of the agri-food industry represent a wide range of underutilized organic matrices. Among these by-products, whose nature and quantity vary depending on geographical regions, production processes, and other factors (including seasonal ones), we find residues from the processing of cereals (straw, etc.), pseudo-cereals (e.g., quinoa straw), fruit and vegetable processing industries (peels, seeds, etc.), oilseed and proteinaceous material conversion industries, etc. These by-products are characterized by different chemical compositions, the understanding of which is a prerequisite to better target relevant opportunities for valorization from a techno-economic perspective. In this regard, this presentation illustrates which agri-food by-products are most suitable for valorization in the field of materials (specifically as food packaging). Various conversion techniques and processes are illustrated, along with applications (bio-sourced biodegradable, non-biodegradable, edible packaging, active and intelligent packaging). An analysis of recommendations proposed by the scientific community is presented, as well as a discussion of the importance of artificial intelligence in this research field.