Transforming Plant-Based Waste into Valuable Products via Food Industry 4.0 Technologies: A Literature Review

Overview

The global food system faces pressure from pandemics, climate change, population growth, and urbanization. These forces make food security and sustainability key challenges. The system produces much plant-based waste along supply chains. This waste comes mainly from plant food production and harms resource efficiency.

Importance of Valorizing Plant-Based Waste

Plant-based food processing yields by-products rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds. These compounds benefit health and improve food quality. Traditionally, people call them waste. Yet, these by-products hold value. They serve as untapped resources that we can repurpose into useful products. This approach boosts resource efficiency and supports food sustainability.

Role of Food Industry 4.0 Technologies

Modern Food Industry 4.0 technologies connect ideas and actions tightly. Tools such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, blockchain, robotics, smart sensors, 3D printing, and digital twins work with one goal. They help us extract high-value compounds from plant waste. They make manufacturing operations more effective. They enhance food quality, safety, and traceability. They cut down on food waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Each technology binds closely with another to support digital and automated solutions. These connections enable scalable ways to add waste valorization into current food systems. They also align neatly with global sustainability goals.

• Technologies extract valuable compounds from plant waste.
• They improve manufacturing effectiveness.
• They increase food quality, safety, and traceability.
• They reduce waste, cutting environmental impact.

Sustainability Impact

Food processing that uses Industry 4.0 advances cuts down food loss. It also lowers the amount of waste created before food reaches consumers. This change supports sustainable resource management. It reinforces the ideas behind a circular economy. Together, these steps help build resilient food systems against future challenges.

Conclusion

This review shows how Food Industry 4.0 technologies can transform nutrient-rich plant by-products into valuable products. These tools promote sustainability and ensure food security. They also drive innovation and efficiency across the food industry.

Reference:
Aït-Kaddour, A., Hassoun, A., Tarchi, I., Loudiyi, M., Boukria, O., Cahyana, Y., Ozogul, F., Khwaldia, K. (2024). Transforming plant-based waste and by-products into valuable products using various “Food Industry 4.0” enabling technologies: A literature review. Science of The Total Environment, 955, 176872. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176872.

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