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

Overview

Recent challenges—pandemics, climate change, and population growth—press food systems hard. Food systems need to use resources well and cut food waste. This review inspects plant-based food production. It finds that nutrient-rich by-products lie in each production step. These by-products can become valuable when we process them well. New Food Industry 4.0 tools now guide this change.

Key Insights

Plant-Based Food Waste and By-products

• Plant-based industries yield many by-products. These by-products brim with nutrients and bioactive compounds.
• They hold health benefits. They serve as raw materials that cut food loss.

Role of Food Industry 4.0 Technologies

• Industry 4.0 tools include AI, IoT, blockchain, robotics, smart sensors, 3D printing, and digital twins.
• These tools trim waste and boost resource use. They do so by refining production and upholding food quality, safety, and traceability.
• AI drives better extraction for bioactive compounds. Blockchain makes sure that waste transformation remains clear and honest.

Sustainability Benefits

• Cutting plant-based waste lowers harmful greenhouse gas emissions. This act helps battle climate change.
• Valorization of waste supports sound resource management. It also ties in with global food security plans.
• Food Industry 4.0 adoption leads to a stable and green food system.

Implications for the Food Industry

With Food Industry 4.0 tools, food companies can act in ways that: • Turn nutrient-rich plant waste into high-value products. These include nutraceuticals, biofuels, and functional food ingredients.
• Boost production and lower environmental harm.
• Raise supply chain transparency. This builds consumer trust.
• Advance a circular, sustainable food economy.

Conclusion

This review shows how digital tools can change plant-based waste. The tools help turn waste and by-products into valuable resources. By using Food Industry 4.0 innovations, we can raise food system sustainability. We can use resources smartly and secure food for all.

Reference:
Aït-Kaddour, A., Hassoun, A., Tarchi, I., Loudiyi, M., Boukria, O., Cahyana, Y., Ozogul, F., Khwaldia, K., et al. (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

Published under Creative Commons License. Open Access.

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