FOOD INDUSTRY WASTE MANAGEMENT: CURRENT STATUS, TECHNOLOGIES, VALORIZATION AND POLICY PATHWAYS: NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Food industry waste has emerged as a significant global concern, creating environmental, economic, and social challenges across theentire supply chain. These wastes, which include processing residues, packaging discards, and post-consumer fractions, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, resource depletion, and public health risks if not effectively managed. At the same time, they represent an untapped resource for energy generation, nutrient recovery, and the production of high-value compounds, making their sustainable management crucial for both environmental protection and economic resilience.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to synthesize current evidence on food industry waste generation, characterization, treatment options, and valorization strategies. It aims to highlight recent technological advances, assess policy and market drivers, and identify barriers that hinder the transition toward circular food systems.

Main Discussion Points: Key themes include the scale and classification of global and regional food wastes, with particular emphasis on hotspots in fruit and vegetable processing, dairy, brewery, and meat industries. Treatment and valorization technologies discussed include anaerobic digestion, composting, thermal conversion processes, fermentation, extraction methods, and the use of by-products as animal feed. Recent innovations such as cold plasma, enzymatic hydrolysis, and multi-physics processing are evaluated for their potential scalability. Policy frameworks, regulatory measures, and economic instruments that facilitate waste reduction and valorization are critically examined, alongside case studies that illustrate successful applications.

Conclusion: Findings indicate that integrating prevention, redistribution, and technological valorization can substantially reduce environmental impacts while creating economic opportunities. Harmonized measurement frameworks, supportive policies, and market development for novel co-products are essential to accelerate progress. Future research should focus on standardized data collection, large-scale trials of emerging technologies, and policy models tailored to low-resource settings to ensure equitable global implementation.