Transforming Food By-products into Functional Ingredients for Sustainable Nutrition

This Research Topic envisions a future where by-products from food processing are transformed into valuable functional food ingredients, contributing to sustainable and circular food systems. By focusing on by-products from the agri-food industry, such as grape skins and seeds or mango peels, among many other side streams, researchers can investigate their potential as sources of bioactive and functional compounds.

This collection will explore advanced techniques for extracting and characterizing these compounds, emphasizing their structural and functional properties. Key technologies include high-performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry, which enable the precise identification and quantification of bioactive substances. Recent advances in their stabilization and application in novel food formulations will also be addressed. This Research Topic aims to redefine waste management in the food industry, promoting responsible consumption and production by turning processing by-products into nutritional and functional assets.

This Research Topic invites authors to submit articles that focus on topics including, but not limited to:

- Extraction and purification of functional compounds from agri-food by-products;

- Sustainable and green technologies for valorizing food processing by-products;

- Characterization of bioactive and nutritional profiles;

- Stabilization and preservation of bioactive ingredients derived from by-products;

- Utilization of bio-based ingredients in functional and fortified foods;

- Circular economy models in nutrition and food production;

- Safety, regulation, and consumer acceptance of foods and ingredients derived from food processing by-products.

Keywords: Food waste valorization, Bio-based ingredients, Bioactive compounds, Agri-food by-products, Sustainable nutrition, Green extraction methods, Food formulation, Stabilization technologies, Upcycled foods, Future foods

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.