CLOSING THE LOOP: FEASIBILITY OF INDUSTRIAL SYMBIOSIS FROM FOOD PROCESSING WASTE
Nadia Mirabella, Valentina Castellani, Serenella Sala
Last modified: 2014-09-11
Abstract
Closed systems are the basis of so-called industrial symbiosis, in which the goal is to use wastes from one sector as an input for other sectors. In the context of bio-economy, the food industry generates a large amount of residues. Many of these, however, have the potential to be reused into other production systems, trough e.g. biorefineries. The present study, based on extensive literature review, presents feasibility and constraints of applying industrial symbiosis in recovering waste from food processing. Generally, food waste is not used as it is, but only after a transformation that allows to extract active ingredients with high added value. Mainstream sectors of application of functional ingredients derived from this transformation are the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry.
Keywords
food waste; industrial symbiosis; closed loops; bioeconomy; biorefinery
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