This book explores the latest advances in the sustainable production of packaged foods. Packaging plays an important role in sustainable food production and consumption in industrialized countries, where there is an increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of packaged foods. For example, the European Union recommends packaging from renewable sources, with a focus on bio-based materials. Sustainable packaging processes guarantee the reuse of the entire waste material and at the same time avoid the loss of food safety and quality during storage by preventing food-borne diseases and chemical contamination. Furthermore, the dramatic problem of plastic waste accumulation and the conservation of oil and food resources need to be taken into consideration. This book presents eco-friendly packaging strategies to reduce food and plastic waste and address the end-of-life issues of persistent materials. It particularly focuses on the production of biodegradable microbial polymers and the use of by-products and waste from the agricultural and food industries. These strategies promote an innovative and productive waste-based food packaging economy, separating the food packaging industry from fossil reserves and allowing bio-polymers to return to the soil. Lastly, the book covers life-cycle assessment, life-cycle costing, and externality assessment to help readers understand the economical reliability of the innovations presented.
This book explores the latest advances in the sustainable production of packaged foods. Packaging plays an important role in sustainable food production and consumption in industrialized countries, where there is an increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of packaged foods. For example, the European Union recommends packaging from renewable sources, with a focus on bio-based materials. Sustainable packaging processes guarantee the reuse of the entire waste material and at the same time avoid the loss of food safety and quality during storage by preventing food-borne diseases and chemical contamination. Furthermore, the dramatic problem of plastic waste accumulation and the conservation of oil and food resources need to be taken into consideration. This book presents eco-friendly packaging strategies to reduce food and plastic waste and address the end-of-life issues of persistent materials. It particularly focuses on the production of biodegradable microbial polymers and the use of by-products and waste from the agricultural and food industries. These strategies promote an innovative and productive waste-based food packaging economy, separating the food packaging industry from fossil reserves and allowing bio-polymers to return to the soil. Lastly, the book covers life-cycle assessment, life-cycle costing, and externality assessment to help readers understand the economical reliability of the innovations presented.
In the past, food waste has been used to produce biogas and biofuels, fertilizers, and animal feed. Using it as a feedstock for innovative biorefineries is not only an ethical issue but also a smart application of the circular economy. This book explores the zero-waste concept in the thriving biobased sector, proposing technologies and procedures to meet the sustainable development goals. The volume categorizes food waste sources and proposes an impressive number of high value-added compounds (e.g., platform chemicals, enzymes, nutraceuticals, antioxidants, organic acids, phosphate, bioadsorbents, pectin, solvents, and pigments) that can be obtained in a sequential biocascade, via chemical, biochemical, thermal, and physical technologies. The synthesis of bioplastics from food waste, their copolymerization and blending, as well as the production of biocomposites and bionanocomposite with biofillers from food scraps, are presented: eluding the cost of waste disposal, reducing biobased materials price, and avoiding using edible resources as a starting material for biobased items are the main beneficial peculiarities of the process. The Authors illustrate challenging characteristics of new biobased materials, such as their mechanical and physico-chemical features, their biodegradability, compostability, recyclability, chemical compatibility, and barrier properties. The volume also delves into socioeconomic considerations and environmental concerns related to the upcycling of food waste, as well as the safety and life cycle assessment of biobased products. Finally, the authors address how advances in digital technology can make food waste upcycling a negative-cost process and discuss best practices to practically implement the biorefinery concept. Research gaps and needs are suggested, and recommendations for food waste handling and management during this COVID-19 pandemic are provided.
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