Not just the food itself can be considered a waste and affect the environment, the process of treating food waste can also considerably harm the environment, especially when proper techniques are not used. The agricultural industry is definitely one of the major food waste sources. However, the exploitation of these food waste can actually serve as inexpensive starting materials like anti-oxidants! A Greek company, Vioryl SA is an example, where they conducted studies on the pressed grape skins from wine waste and the citrus peels after juice removal.
Research and experiments were done based on the disposal and utilization of solid fruit, vegetable and other organic food waste:
- Flavonoids could be extracted from fruit peels, and then released using hot water and calcium hydroxide. The effect of peel maturity and recycling of the extracting liquor resulted in increased yields of hesperidin and naringin (flavonoids found in citrus fruits)
- Waste mushroom composts can act as an adsorption medium, and a microorganism source to absorb insecticides. Also, mushrooms could potentially save the world!!! They could clean up oil spills, provide defence against smallpox and break down toxic-based polychlorinated biphenyls. (PCBs - man-made compounds, mainly used in electrical industries in the past, but was banned due to environmental concerns)
- Agricultural compost and other waste, including apricot and cherry stones, almond shells and grape seeds, could pose as granular activated carbon biofilters in filtration plants. This helps to remove low concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and volatile organic compounds. (VOCs)
- Milling of olive paste during olive oil production is accompanied by continuous washing, leading to significant wastewater quantities. A study has indicated that the wastewater extracts could have high anti-oxidant properties. If more research can be done to further prove it's anti-carcinogenic activity, the wastewater could be recycled and would be a promising use as an inexpensive source of anti-oxidants.
References:
ARVANITOYANNIS, S. (2010) Waste management for the food industries. Academic Press.
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