About this Research Topic

Background

The most hazardous problem in this period is whether residential or industrial sources produce the waste stream. The length of the waste stream is determined by the entire life cycle of the consumer product, from the point of manufacture through final disposal. Also, a "trash tsunami" will occur in a few years due to how our civilization has manufactured, consumed, and disposed of waste. Over 2 billion tons of waste and by-products are dumped annually. By 2050, waste and by-products creation is expected to increase by 70%, more than double population growth, according to figures from the World Bank, unless significant and effective action is taken. Waste generation has been rising dramatically year after year.

This Research Topic analyses the issue of food waste and by-products and offers information on various management strategies at all levels of food production to consumers. Many strategies, such as waste and by-product reduction and valorization, are employed to promote waste and by-product prevention and management. From this angle, using efficient and modern extractions for bioactive compounds, solid-state and submerged fermentations, and hydrolysis can significantly reduce waste and by-products with promising outcomes. In addition, digitalization and artificial intelligence can optimize the production process and monitor the food system's infrastructure, which may significantly reduce waste and by-product production.

In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research, Review and Perspective articles from a wide range of fields associated, but not limited to:
• Promising or untested fermentations and industrial microbial technology to increase waste and by-product valorization potential;
• Submerge and solid-state fermentation process using co-culture or new strains (including genetically modified strains) to obtain enzymes, bioactive compounds or derived compounds that positively impact the world;
• Application of innovative processes (hybrid hydrolysis and fermentation) in the generation of bioactive and functional products with high added value and positive impact on health;
• Packaging materials obtained from fermentation using waste or by-products as alternative substrates (microalgae, yeast, bacteria, and fungi used in fermentation for biodegradable polymer production).
• New research in producing pre- and anti-microbial compounds by fermentation from organic substrates.

Keywords: organic waste, organic residues, by-product valorization, zero food waste, circular economy, extraction process; bioactive compounds; socioeconomic sustainability, environmental sustainability, prebiotic

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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