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This study explores the potential of converting food waste (FW) in South Africa to biogas via anaerobic digestion (AD) using the Aspen Plus Simulator version 11. The simulation modeled the AD process, focusing on hydrolysis, acidogenesis, acetogenesis, and methanogenesis stages, with unconverted substrate recycling at the acetogenesis stage, employing a Non-Random Two-Liquid (NRTL) model for the polar mixture components. The FW used contained 49.86 % volatile solids (VS) of carbohydrates, 39.31 % VS of proteins, and 10.83 % VS of lipids. The results revealed that biogas yield at mesophilic temperature (37 °C) was 50 % higher than at thermophilic temperature (55 °C) with a residence time of 35 days, and methane composition was 45.98 % higher. Methane and carbon dioxide percentage compositions increased with hydraulic retention time (HRT), varying between 37.5–45.5 % and 34.3–39.9 % at mesophilic conditions. Economic analysis indicated a profitable outlook, with a payout period of 3 years, 5 months, and a 15-year positive revenue forecast. The project exhibited an internal rate of return (IRR) of 59.6629 %, suggesting strong economic viability and potential for investment. This study underscores the potential for optimized AD processes to enhance biogas production from FW in South Africa, presenting a viable, eco-friendly waste management solution.

In the pursuit of sustainable and innovative food production, the utilisation of plant by-products have emerged as a promising frontier. Plant by-products have an inherent value that can be utilised to address both environmental concerns and the growing demand for food resources. This review provides a critical review of the environmental impact caused by the disposal of plant by-products and waste that are not being reutilised or repurposed to benefit other products. The multifaceted applications of agricultural residues, traditionally deemed as waste, in the creation of diverse and nutritionally enriched food products, were also presented in this review. The exploration encompasses a broad spectrum, from reducing waste through innovative utilisation to enhancing nutritional profiles and fostering culinary innovation. Through a detailed examination of specific instances, challenges, and prospects linked to this paradigm shift, we provide insights into the transformative potential of agriculture by-products in shaping a more sustainable and resilient food system.

One third of food produced for humans is wasted between production and consumption and a considerable amount of food waste occurs in the hospitality sector related to plate waste. A specific focus is laid on the food behaviour of the next generation of tourists, as this group is crucial in contributing to long-term sustainability. Through combining two studies, a survey (N. 170 respondents) plus a field experiment (N. 2.264 units of observation), this research deepens the understanding on attitudes and behavioural intentions of young tourists toward plate waste, alongside their actual plate waste minimising behaviour when exposed to different persuasive interventions. This study proposes operational measures to trigger the involvement of the next generation of tourists in plate waste minimization and to educate young consumers toward zero plate waste.

Regulating electron transfer in predominantly fermentative microbiomes has broad implications in environmental, chemical, food, and medical fields. Here we demonstrate electrochemical control in fermenting food waste, digestate, and wastewater to improve lactic acid production. We hypothesize that applying anodic potential will expedite and direct fermentation towards lactic acid. Continued operation that introduced epi/endophytic communities (Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Weissella) to pure culture Lactiplantibacillus plantarum reactors with static electrodes was associated with the loss of anode-induced process intensification despite 80% L. plantarum retention. Employing fluidized electrodes discouraged biofilm formation and extended electrode influence to planktonic gram-positive fermenters using mediated extracellular electron transfer. While short-term experiments differentially enriched Lactococcus and Klebsiella spp., longer-term operations indicated convergent microbiomes and product spectra. These results highlight a functional resilience of environmental fermentative microbiomes to perturbations in redox potential, underscoring the need to better understand electrode induced polymicrobial interactions and physiological impacts to engineer tunable open-culture or synthetic consortia.

The focus on sustainable utilization of agricultural waste is currently a leading area of scientific research, driving significant advancements in technology and circular economy models. The fundamental capacity of bio-based products, bioprocessing techniques, and the crucial involvement of microbial treatments are opening opportunities for efficient solutions in various industries. One of the most popular green vegetables, peas are members of the Fabaceae family and have a pod-like structure. Every year, a significant amount of pea pods is discarded as waste products of peas that have negative impacts on our environment. In this comprehensive review, we explore innovative methods for utilizing pea pods to minimize their environmental footprint and optimize their viability across multiple industries. A large portion of the pea processing industry's output consists of pea pods. Variety of proteins, with major classes being globulin and albumin (13%), dietary fiber (43–58%), and minerals are abundant in these pods. Because of their diverse physiochemical properties, they find applications in many diverse fields. The porous pea pods comprised cellulose (61.35%) and lignin (22.12%), which could make them superior adsorbents. The components of these byproducts possess valuable attributes that make them applicable across treatment of wastewater, production of biofuels, synthesis of biocolors, development of nutraceuticals, functional foods, and enzymes for the textile industry, modification of oil, and inhibition of steel corrosion.

The apple processing industry generates large quantities of organic waste, presenting a major source of organic contamination. Consequently, finding an effective solution for valorizing this waste has become a pressing issue. This study aims to address two key concerns: (i) solving an agricultural problem by efficiently using agri-food residue, and (ii) removing lead, an extremely toxic element, from contaminated waters to mitigate environmental pollution. Two biosorbents were tested: raw apple waste (RA), obtained from a mixture of apple varieties, and the same material after extracting valuable bioactive and reusable components, extracted apple (EA). The study evaluated the influence of pH, initial biosorbent mass, adsorption kinetics, and equilibrium isotherms. The results are very promising, showing a lead removal efficiency of 82 % for RA and 100 % for EA at a low initial concentration of the solution of 20 mg Pb2⁺/L and an optimal pH of 5 ± 0.5. The Langmuir model predicted a maximum adsorption capacity of 44.6 mg/g for RA and 48.6 mg/g for EA. These findings demonstrate that apple waste, even after selective extraction of valuable bioactive components, can be effectively used for environmental remediation on a practical scale.

Annually, a substantial volume of food waste is being released into the environment. Restaurant food waste (RFW) valorization using microwave-assisted hydrolysis (MAH) is a sustainable approach to produce fermentable sugars. However, RFW is composed of different foodstuffs with different physicochemical, nutritional, and degradation rates. This study explored the typological, chemical, and elemental analysis of RFW. Results revealed that the four main types of RFW were vegetable (33.2 %), meat (19.3 %), rice (15.2 %), and bread waste (11.0 %). The key parameters impacting the MAH of typologically sorted RFW were identified using the Plackett–Burman design (PBD). Then the central composite design (CCD) with 30 runs was used to increase reducing sugar content (RSC). The optimized condition was as follows: temperature 96.0 °C, microwave power 340 W, HCl concentration of 1.45 %, and microwave heating time 11.1 min. The derived hydrolysates were characterized for their biochemical and monosaccharide composition.

Electrolysis from biomass is a promising process for hydrogen generation from biomass and biowaste that is still unexplored. The paper used lignocellulosic biomass components and food waste (banana and cucumber peels) as feedstocks to explore hydrogen generation through an H-type proton exchange membrane electrolytic cell. Polyoxometalates (PMo12) were employed as a catalyst and charge carrier during the pre-treatment stage in the biomass degradation process. Electrochemical characterisations were conducted in a potential range of 0–1.20 V to analyse the electrochemical reaction behaviour at the anode. To assess the impact of temperature on the hydrogen yield rates, the electrolysis was conducted at both room temperature (19 °C) and a higher temperature (80 °C). Results show that the maximum hydrogen produced in the first hour was 7.8 mL per gram of biomass. With an electrical potential of 1.20 V and a temperature of 80 °C, the hydrogen yield rate of glucose was three times higher than that of the individual biomass components, i.e., cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, and starch. The volume of hydrogen yielded from banana peel and cucumber was 49.2 mL and 39.6 mL, respectively. The overall conversion efficiency was calculated as the weight percentage ratio of the hydrogen contained in cucumber and banana peels and the hydrogen collected was 10 % and 17 %, respectively, suggesting the need to identify solutions to extract the hydrogen content from biomass material further.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), around 33 % of the world's food, equivalent to 1.3 billion tonnes, is wasted annually as of 2019. This wastage is disproportionately high in developed regions like Europe and North America, where individuals discard an average of 95–115 kg per annum, compared to 6–11 kg in parts of Asia and North Africa. Kitchen waste, comprising 30–40 % of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), significantly contributes to environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions if not properly managed. To address these issues, an integrated waste management approach is being adopted, focusing on recycling resources from uncooked kitchen waste. Three different types of organic waste; uncooked kitchen waste, sawdust, and fresh cow dung/digestate, which also served as an inoculum, have been considered to optimize the quality and effectiveness of biofertilizers. In-vessel reactor composting, studied under controlled conditions, digestate in a 7.5:1.5:1 ratio as an effective inoculum, showed promising results in physio-chemical parameters compared to other trials. Additionally, using fresh cow dung as an inoculum led to significant bioaccumulation of pollutants, suggesting its potential for bioremediation purposes. These findings highlight the importance of innovative waste management strategies in reducing food waste, mitigating environmental impact, and promoting sustainable resource utilization.

Fruits, vegetables, and dairy products are typically the primary sources of household food waste. Currently, anaerobic digestion is the most used bioprocess for the treatment of food waste with concomitant generation of biogas. However, to achieve a circular carbon economy, the organics in food waste should be converted to new chemicals with higher value than energy. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of medium-chain carboxylic acid (MCCA) production from expired dairy and beverage waste via a chain elongation platform mediated by lactate. In a two-stage fermentation process, the first stage with optimized operational conditions, including varying temperatures and organic loading rates, transformed expired dairy and beverage waste into lactate at a concentration higher than 900 mM C at 43 °C. This lactate was then used to produce >500 mM C caproate and >300 mM C butyrate via microbial chain elongation. Predominantly, lactate-producing microbes such as Lactobacillus and Lacticaseibacillus were regulated by temperature and could be highly enriched under mesophilic conditions in the first-stage reactor. In the second-stage chain elongation reactor, the dominating microbes were primarily from the genera Megasphaera and Caproiciproducens, shaped by varying feed and inoculum sources. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed positive correlations among species from the genera Caproiciproducens, Ruminococcus, and CAG-352, as well as Megasphaera, Bacteroides, and Solobacterium, indicating strong microbial interactions that enhance caproate production. These findings suggest that producing MCCAs from expired dairy and beverage waste via lactate-mediated chain elongation is a viable method for sustainable waste management and could serve as a chemical production platform in the context of building a circular bioeconomy.

ABSTRACT: Share tables (ST) are tables or stations in school cafeterias where students can return unopened foods and beverages, providing an opportunity to access these items at no cost. Currently, research suggests that milk is among the most wasted items in breakfast and lunch programs in the United States. Share tables present a simple solution for reducing milk waste, but research is needed to understand the microbial spoilage potential of milk in ST. To this end, uninoculated milk cartons and milk cartons inoculated with 2 to 3 log10(cfu/mL) Pseudomonas poae, a fast-growing psychrotroph, was exposed to ambient temperature during winter (mean temperature = 20.3°C) and summer (23.1°C) for 125 min, repeated over 5 d (the length of a school week). Microbial counts in the inoculated milk cartons increased linearly, exceeding the spoilage threshold of 6.0 log10(cfu/mL) after d 3 and after d 4 in the winter and summer season trials, respectively. In the winter trial, the microbial counts for uninoculated milk cartons never exceeded the lower limit of detection, 2.31 log10(cfu/mL), and in the summer trials, microbial counts never reached the spoilage threshold, indicating that initial contamination is a driving factor of microbial milk spoilage. Regardless of sharing status or seasonality, the greatest changes in counts for inoculated milk cartons occurred during overnight refrigeration, ranging from 0.56 to 1.4 log10(cfu/mL), while during the share table ranged from no observable change up to 0.29 log10(cfu/mL), emphasizing that school nutrition personnel should focus efforts on tightly controlling refrigeration temperatures and returning milk to refrigeration as soon as possible. A previously developed model for school cafeteria share tables was adapted to understand the typical residence time of milk in a simulated cafeteria with an ambient temperature share table for the summer and winter seasons over 1,000 wk. Milk was predicted to have a very short mean residence time (85 min) regardless of sharing status or season, with 99.8% of milk consumed, discarded, or donated within the first 2 d. As a result, only 3 out of 451,410 and 6 out of 451,410 simulated milks spoiled in the winter and summer seasons, respectively. The data generated here can be used to inform science-based decision-making for including milk in share tables, or applied to any system where one might have to accept short-term unrefrigerated storage of milk to meet a waste reduction or food security goal.

The attention towards managing food waste (FW) and transforming it into compost has significantly increased in recent years, driven by the potential advantages it offers for sustainable agriculture and waste reduction. Biochar, a carbon-rich amendment derived from biomass through pyrolysis, has gained significant attention due to its potential benefits to enhance compost quality. This systematic review analyzed 11 studies to assess the role of biochar in optimizing FW composting. Studies revealed several benefits of biochar addition, including shortening of the time to reach the thermophilic stage and an increase in composting temperature. Biochar also improved compost quality by maintaining nitrogen content, reducing ammonia emissions, and promoting a favorable pH for microbial activities. Its porous structure created a suitable habitat for microbes, potentially accelerating organic matter degradation. Additionally, biochar's high cation exchange capacity (CEC) helped immobilize potentially toxic metals, reducing their availability in the final compost. However, our knowledge of biochar's benefits in improving compost quality remains incomplete. The reviewed studies neglected to evaluate the microbial quality of the resulting compost and the cost-effectiveness of biochar application. Future research should prioritize long-term studies to assess plant uptake from soils amended with biochar. Additionally, investigations into the optimal biochar-to-compost ratio, as well as the most effective timing and methods for land application, should be undertaken. Addressing these knowledge gaps is crucial for optimizing the utilization of biochar in FW composting, thereby leading to sustainable waste management practices and enhanced soil fertility.

The growing demand for sustainable food packaging and the increasing concerns regarding environmental pollution have driven interest in biodegradable materials. This paper presents an in-depth review of the production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a biodegradable polymer, from food waste. PHA-based bioplastics, particularly when derived from low-cost carbon sources such as volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and waste oils, offer a promising solution for reducing plastic waste and enhancing food packaging sustainability. Through optimization of microbial fermentation processes, PHA production can achieve significant efficiency improvements, with yields reaching up to 87 % PHA content under ideal conditions. This review highlights the technical advancements in using PHA for food packaging, emphasizing its biodegradability, biocompatibility, and potential to serve as a biodegradable alternative to petroleum-based plastics. However, challenges such as high production costs, mechanical limitations, and the need for scalability remain barriers to industrial adoption. The future of PHA in food packaging hinges on overcoming these challenges through further research and innovation in production techniques, material properties, and cost reduction strategies, along with necessary legislative support to promote widespread use.

The issue of food loss and waste is a complex one that must be addressed if sustainable food systems are to be achieved. In the Global South, as evidenced by Nigeria, two paradoxical trends can be observed. Firstly, substantial losses of arable crops occur during the production and distribution stages. Secondly, Nigeria is affected by food scarcity, which is in part a consequence of losses occurring at these stages. In terms of food availability, Nigeria ranks 26th among African countries. In light of this context and the government's expressed interest in identifying sustainable solutions to this problem, a systematic review was conducted with the objective of consolidating the fragmented studies on food loss in the region. This review provides a foundation for understanding the causes of food loss, the preventive and reduction strategies required, and for identifying promising areas for future research. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Checklist 2020. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 23 studies were selected for review. A thematic synthesis was employed to integrate and examine the findings of the studies. The findings indicated that maize, rice, and cassava continued to be the most prevalent food crops in Nigeria, with cultivation occurring across the entire country. We differentiate the critical loss points for different crops, which arise between the production and distribution stages. In conclusion, this review reveals that food loss in Nigeria is a multifaceted issue requiring integrated solutions that address the natural, social, and material dimensions. Further empirical research, especially qualitative studies that focus on the perspectives and practices of food system actors, is essential for developing effective interventions and policies. This approach will help achieve sustainable development of food systems and advance global food security goals.

Considering sustainability and circular economy, citrus pulp could become a common dairy feedstuff. Yet, there is no clear indication of the amount of citrus pulp that can be fed without compromising milk performance or that could deliver benefits. In our meta-analysis, we investigated the impact of varying citrus pulp inclusion levels, i.e., no (0 %), low (>0–10 %), medium (>10–20 %), and high (>20 %), on milk performance variables. Replacing cereal grains with citrus pulp increased pectins and sugars while decreasing starch. At the low inclusion level, citrus pulp increased milk yield without affecting feed intake. At higher inclusion levels, citrus pulp reduced feed intake and milk yield but with higher fat contents, the milk energy content was similar to no inclusion. Concluding, citrus pulp is a good energy source with lipogenic properties in dairy cows. We encourage research to fill in the existing gap of knowledge at the rumen and systemic levels.

This study investigates the antiplatelet properties of tomato pulp to combat cardiovascular diseases. Notably, it examines the formation of nitrated fatty acids (NO2-FA) in tomato pomace, renowned for its potential antiplatelet effects. Through diverse assays, including tandem mass spectrometry, microplate-based platelet aggregation, and flow cytometry, the research identifies NO2-OA, NO2-LA, and NO2-LnA as pivotal antiplatelet compounds. It demonstrates the concentration-dependent antiplatelet effects of nitrated tomato pomace against thrombin receptor activator peptide 6 (TRAP-6) and collagen-induced platelet activation, alongside the modulation of platelet activation markers. Additionally, synergistic effects were observed with nitrated tomato pomace extracts. The findings suggest therapeutic potential for NO2-FA derived from tomato pomace in preventing blood clot formation, with nitrated extracts exhibiting superior efficacy compared to non-nitrated ones. This research highlights the promising role of natural products, such as tomato pomace, in mitigating cardiovascular risks and proposes novel strategies for population health enhancement and cardiovascular disease management.

Background: Food environments, where people directly engage with broader food systems, may be an important contributor to the environmental sustainability of food systems. Objectives: The primary objectives of this study were to establish a new food environment framework that considers environmental indicators and to assess data availability and gaps using data previously collected as part of a food systems survey in 4 South Asian cities. Methods: The framework was developed by conducting a structured literature review of previous food environment frameworks and in-depth interviews with content experts (n = 6). The framework and indicators were then mapped to data collected by consumer and vendor surveys using the Urban Food Systems Assessment Tool (UFSAT) in Ahmedabad (India), Pune (India), Kathmandu (Nepal), and Pokhara (Nepal). Results: We have expanded the sustainability domain within food environments to include consumer travel to food vendors, the presence of food delivery services, policies related to sustainability, vendor food waste, vendor plastic use, vendor utility usage, vendor recycling and waste management practices, and food packaging. Mapping the framework to existing data from 4 cities in South Asia, we found variations in food environment sustainability indicators, particularly regarding consumer transportation to food vendors, the presence of delivery services, and food waste. Conclusions: Although the majority of food environment research focuses on the availability and affordability of healthy foods, there is an urgent need to understand better how aspects of food environments contribute to environmental goals. When mapping the framework to existing food systems data, we found gaps in data on environmental sustainability in food environments and variation in indicators across settings.

Food waste (FW) from large dining facility has been a pressing environmental challenge in China recently. This study developed an innovative species-specific feeding strategy for producing pigeon meat and excellent manure from FW. Adding FW to the feed of pigeons significantly increased their feed intake and promoted their growth although the pigeons showed a strong aversion to the FW. We produced a “super manure” with exceptionally high nitrogen (N) content (mean = 10.77 % on a dry basis, 8.04–12.57 %, n = 264) by feeding slowly-growing pigeon species (Columba livia vs. and Caoge Huzhou 11) with protein-high commercial feed and FW. A significant negative relationship between the N and carbon (C) contents in the pigeon manure was found, with C depletion higher than N depletion. Furthermore, the N content in the anaerobic composting (AnC) manure was 29.16 % higher than that in the FW. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analysis and stable isotopes δ13C and δ15N in the manure clearly identified the transformations of nutrients during pigeon feeding and the AnC process. This study opens a path for producing N-high manure using protein-high food waste.

This study employs a comparative analysis method to examine variations in food waste (FW) generation between developed and developing nations, focusing on income levels, population growth rates, and community engagement in waste management. Quantitative data from Taiwan, Malaysia, and Bangladesh are comprehensively analyzed using regression analysis and descriptive statistics. Results indicate that Taiwan, with its stringent regulatory frameworks and advanced recycling technologies, generates significantly less FW per capita compared to Malaysia and Bangladesh. Malaysia shows moderate levels of FW reduction efforts, supported by varying degrees of community participation, whereas Bangladesh faces challenges with both regulatory enforcement and technological adoption. The study proposes an integrative waste management model emphasizing regulatory compliance rates, community participation metrics, and technology diffusion indices to effectively address FW challenges. These findings underscore the importance of tailored waste management strategies aligned with economic and demographic contexts of developing nations. Policymakers and waste management practitioners can leverage these insights to establish targeted FW reduction goals and enhance recycling initiatives. The research highlights the urgency of integrated waste management approaches to mitigate environmental and public health risks associated with FW mismanagement, advocating for evidence-based policies supported by robust quantitative analysis.

In a circular economy, fermented fish residue could be converted into high-calcium fish bone powder for fish sausages to reduce fish waste. To create product concepts for such sausages, this study aimed to (1) identify customer behaviors, needs, and problems associated with purchasing fish sausages; (2) select high-value consumers of high-calcium fish sausages from fermented fish residues; and (3) propose product prototypes of high-calcium fish from fermented fish residues. We interviewed 50 sausage purchasers and a particular producer of calcium fish bone powder. Then, thematic analyses were performed to evaluate the minimum viable product (MVP) for the final high calcium fish sausage prototype. The research suggested that household consumers were the target market for this novel food. This result emphasized nutrition and sensory characteristics as the primary reason for purchasing sausages and indicated common problems with the inaccessibility of healthy sausages. Based on the findings, fish sausage should contain nutritional value and healthy ingredients to address the consumers’ pain points. This circular food system was estimated to make the food product more sustainable and resource-efficient when fully applied.

Food loss and waste (FLW) contains an abundance of nutrient components that can be extracted and converted into valuable bioproducts through biorefining (e.g., pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutrients). Australia has identified bioproducts from a FLW feedstock as one avenue through which it can meet its commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3, aiming to halve food waste by 2030. An industry for bioproducts in Australia is, however, nascent and will require targeted and sustained policy intervention to advance in line with the production targets it has set to meet Target 12.3. The aim of this critical review is threefold. Firstly, it draws on the research literature to identify barriers to advancing a bioproduct industry from FLW. Secondly, it constructs a taxonomy of policies available to overcome these barriers and support industry development. Finally, it applies the taxonomy to established policy settings in Australia (examining both national settings and Queensland state settings) and the European Union (EU), where the industry and associated policy is more mature. Australia has few national policies directly targeting a bioproduct industry. A comparative assessment of policy settings allows this review to identify lessons Australia can draw from the EU experience as it advances its own industry. Findings demonstrate a complex and fragmented policy landscape. Key recommendations from the literature emphasise the need to establish coordinated strategic instruments; target research and development opportunities for optimised, sustainable processes; and implement appropriate incentives to establish a ‘level playing field’, as technology readiness increases. The critical requirement for policy stability and coherence, flags the need to lay groundwork policy in this area as a priority.

In this study we develop a robust, structured dynamic model of ABE and hydrogen production using Clostridium BOH3 strain. The model represents simultaneous fermentation of glucose and xylose, and concurrent saccharification and fermentation when grown on a variety of complex feedstocks, using only a single adjustable parameter. The model simulations were developed and validated with experimental data of BOH3 fermentations from the literature. Sugar consumption and ABE production dynamics are successfully predicted at different glucose to xylose ratios, and from hydrolyzed lignocellulose, representative of horticultural waste. Butanol and hydrogen production are in close agreement with the experimental data in simulations with rice starch and food waste as substrates. The sensitivity analysis highlights the important roles of xylose transport and xylose kinase on the xylose consumption and butanol formation, in accordance with experimental findings on how these enzymes enable the efficient xylose utilization by BOH3.

Food waste is currently acknowledged as a major societal challenge, including the food waste at the household level estimated to be responsible for the wastage of one third of the food produced for human consumption. Hence, tackling household food waste (HFW) is gaining a momentum in societal and policy agendas accompanied by an increasing effort of the scientific community to deliver evidence to address the research gaps on the causes and on the solutions to address this multidimensional societal problem. The proposed solutions by published literature to mitigate HFW can be unfolded into four major types, actions to raise people awareness, participatory actions, economic incentives, and collective actions. However, there is little evidence on the household's assessment of the different types of actions and its combination. This paper contributes to this research gap by adopting an innovative participatory approach, using deliberative focus groups (DFG), and analyzing the collected data through content analysis resorting to the software Maxqda. We had conducted six DGF in the Porto metropolitan area before and during the pandemic COVID-19 crisis. Our results highlight the citizen's option for more holistic actions in comparison to separate actions as a way to effectively fight food waste at household level. Another finding of our study is that citizen's growing urban gardens found it the more effective way to reduce household food waste. These results suggest that urban policies and underlying legal frameworks should favor holistic solutions to incentivise fighting HFW and account for the urban gardens as a relevant part of the solution. In addition, the study has shown that qualitative deliberative citizen-led approaches show insightful to understand how common people perceive as alternative or complementary the different types of actions to fight HFW proposed by the literature review.

Background: Assessing food waste management in hospitals is crucial for establishing a baseline model of the impact of waste reduction strategies and monitoring progress. Limited data exists on measuring and managing food waste in hospitals, emphasizing the need for comprehensive assessment in the country. Aims: This study sought to assess the food waste management protocols in different types of food services at Lebanese hospitals. Methods: This observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study sampled 32 dietitians in Lebanese Hospitals using a convenience sampling technique, who were interviewed to complete a questionnaire. Frequencies and percentages were obtained through simple statistics. Results: Study findings showed that, in Lebanese hospitals, 81.3% of food waste was obtained from patient's tray, 66.7% from expired prepackaged food, 58.1% from hospital cafeterias, and 48.4% from expired-unconsumed cafeteria food. The aforementioned food waste obtained is mixed with general waste. None incorporates composting or anaerobic digestion due to financial issues, but 18 hospitals are open to considering these methods. About 85% of hospitals adopt different approaches for managing food waste from isolated patients. Only 18.8% had external contractors for waste management, among which 9.4% mentioned food waste management in the contract. Conclusion: Lebanese hospitals rely on garbage disposal as a food waste management technique, lacking effective strategies, such as composting or anaerobic digestion. This underscores the urgent need for comprehensive and improved food waste management measures in the country. This study is a wake-up call for policymakers to adopt a robust approach in formulating hospital food waste management policies.

SUMMARY: Three experiments were conducted to determine the nutrient availability of extruded and fermented food waste (FW) and subsequent effects on growth performance of broilers. Dining hall food waste was either mixed with soybean meal (SBM) and extruded (CFW) or was fermented for 14 d to create a value-added product (FFW). One-day old male broilers (Ross 708 Byproduct Broiler, Sallisaw, OK) were used in 3 separate 21-d studies to determine AMEn (Exp. 1, n = 300) and apparent ileal digestibility (AID, Exp. 2, n = 240) of CFW and FFW, and their effects on growth performance (Exp. 3, n = 420). Treatments for Exp. 1 and 2 consisted of 1) CFW, 2) conventional SBM (CSBM), 3) extruded SBM (ESBM), 4) SBM + FFW (SFFW). A basal treatment was added to Exp. 1 as a control. Treatments for Exp. 3 consisted of 1) corn/SBM basal, 2) 10% CFW, 3) 30% CFW, 4) 1.5% FFW, 5) 5.5% FFW, 6) basal + commercial astaxanthin, and 7) basal + commercial antibiotic. There were 10 cages per treatment with 6 broilers per cage and balanced by body weight. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS vs. 9.4 (Cary, NC). The ESBM had a greater (P < 0.01) AMEn content than CSBM and SFFW whereas CFW was intermediate. Broilers fed CFW and CSBM had increased (P < 0.05) AID of indispensable amino acids compared to SFFW, except Met whereas ESBM was increased (P < 0.05) compared to SFFW with the exception of His, Met, and Try. Broilers fed 1.5% FFW had increased (P < 0.01) feed intake (FI) and BWG compared to those fed the control basal diet. Broilers fed the commercial astaxanthin or 30% CFW had poorer (P < 0.01) FCR compared to those fed the basal control. In conclusion, 2 different forms of food waste successfully served as a nutrient source for broilers. Composite food waste and SFFW had similar AMEn to CSBM while CFW had a similar AID of amino acids to CSBM. Including 30% of CFW reduced FCR of broilers; however, including 5.5% of SFFW increased FI and BWG.

According to the newest trends in food waste management, the priority for valorisation of oil and dairy industry by-products was recognised. New approach of blending side streams of plant and animal origin has been proposed for obtaining future foods with improved nutritional value. Major obstacle in valorising sunflower seed cake (SSC) and whey (W) is their perishability and a relatively high content of phenolics contributing to, among others, protein indigestibility. In the study, a new approach of microwave pre-treatment applied for SSC and W blends was used. Its influence on phenolic acids and antioxidant properties after fermentation with co-culture of lactic acid bacteria and yeast was examined. Microwave drying of blends was longer than that of SSC affecting phenolic acids content. Fermentation by L. lactis and K. lactis caused pH decrease and increase in total acidity in 48 h effectively limiting the growth of bacterial contaminants. Fermentation decreased the content of phenolic acids, especially in blend composed of SSC and W (8.75:1; w/w) with the highest content of these constituents (from 1611.3 down to 838.8 mg/100 g dry matter). The study showed the synergistic effect of pre-treatment method and fermentation in terms of reduction in phenolic acids in new food matrices.

The article examines municipal solid waste (MSW), specifically organic or food waste (OW), which constitutes between 42 % and 69 % of MSW globally. These wastes contain a high concentration of organic matter, nutrients and moisture, with an easily acidified pH. Its management is crucial due to its environmental impact, generating greenhouse gas emissions and pollution problems.Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is presented as a biotechnological solution to harness the energy of food waste. This process, without oxygen, decomposes organic matter by means of microorganisms, converting it into biogas, with a yield of 5–7 kWh/m³. This reduces emissions and promotes sustainable practices, which are crucial for the sustainable management and development of the ROA.The methodology used involved a systematic review in English, Portuguese and Spanish, refining the search in several databases. After a thorough selection, 18 articles met the established criteria and were critically evaluated. The meta-analysis showed low heterogeneity (Iˆ2 = 2 %). This article highlights the importance of addressing SWR through AD, highlighting their energy potential and environmental benefits to mitigate the negative impacts of MSW.The analysis of biogas production evidenced the need to standardize approaches for more efficient and sustainable solutions in future research.

Bananas are a popular fruit worldwide and the fourth most important food crop. Banana peels, often discarded, contain valuable compounds known for their relevant biological activities, including rutin. In this study, organic acids, both in their pure and hydrated forms, were used as alternative solvents for rutin extraction. First, we assessed the ripeness of the bananas (green, semi-ripe and ripe), finding that ripe banana peels contained the highest rutin content. Then, COSMO-RS, a thermodynamic model based on quantum chemistry, was applied to determine the best organic acids for extraction, which were subsequently evaluated experimentally, with a 65 wt % acetic acid-water mixture yielding the best results (192 mg rutin/100 g DW). Next, extraction conditions were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM), resulting in 241 mg rutin/100 g DW at 27 °C, 80 min, and a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1:15. Finally, it was observed that the solvent could be reused for two cycles under optimal operating conditions without a significant decrease in rutin extraction efficiency. This study demonstrates the potential of mixtures of hydrated organic acids for the extraction of value-added compounds from natural sources, offering a solution to reduce food waste while contributing to a circular economy.

To align with the SDG 12.3 target and ensure global food security and sustainability, it is crucial to prioritize the reduction of food loss and waste. This paper aims to synthesize previous research on waste reduction tools like lean manufacturing in the agro-food processing industry and identify areas that require further investigation to assurance worldwide food security and promote sustainability. The study uses a systematic literature review that was proposed by Denyer and Tranfield. This research work provides a descriptive analysis of the evolution of lean manufacturing in agro-food processing and identifies research gaps. The review highlights the importance of demand forecasting, managing variable raw materials and products, increasing management involvement, promoting partnership among supply chain members, and addressing supply and demand seasonality and uncertainty to apply the approach to food waste reduction. Based on the findings, the paper suggests further research areas for future investigation that will help create a more sustainable and equitable food system. Reducing food loss and waste can ensure that everyone has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food while protecting the planet's resources and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This study may contribute to the theory of waste minimization, specifically in post-harvest food loss and waste minimization. The findings will help researchers conduct research work interested in minimizing food loss and waste to ensure global food security.

Due to the special property of food waste (FW), anaerobic digestion of food waste is facing many challenges like foaming, acidification, ammonia nitrogen and (NH4+-N) inhibition which resulted in a low biogas yield. A better understanding on the problems exiting in the FW anaerobic digestion would enhance the bio-energy recovery and increase the stable operation. Meanwhile, to overcome the bottle necks, pretreatment, co-digestion and additives is proposed as well as the solutions to improve biogas yield in FW digestion system. At last, future research directions regarding FW anaerobic digestion were proposed.

The effect of olive pomace hydrochar (OPHC) on food waste (FW) anaerobic digestion (AD) was investigated experimentally at five concentrations (5.85, 10, 20, 30, and 34.11 g/L). The selective concentrations are based on an experimental approach that was utilized to study the effect of adding 10-30 g/L OPHC to the AD of FW. The highest experimental methane yield (YCH4) and biodegradability are obtained for 10 and 20 g/L of OPHC, with 33 and 82 % improvement, respectively. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to assess the impact of independent factors, including hydraulic retention time (HRT) and olive pomace hydrochar (OPHC) added, on YCH4. The R2 of 0.9073 and 0.9485 are obtained for YCH4 using face-centered and circumscribed designs, respectively, due to the model's accuracy. The optimal YCH4 was 428.81 ml/g VS with an OPHC added of 20 g/L and an HRT of 20 days.

Food waste has become a source of concern as it is generated abundantly worldwide and needs to be valorised into new products. In this study, cucumber, tomato, and carrot wastes were investigated as pyrolysis feedstocks as a single component (cucumber), a binary component mixture (cucumber and tomato), and a ternary component blend (cucumber, tomato, and carrot). Fourteen scenarios were simulated and evaluated based on varying the feedstock blend (single, binary, and tertiary), temperature (300 and 500 °C), and feedstock moisture content (5, 20, and 40%). Using an established empirical model, the effect of these parameters on product yields, techno-economic implications, energy requirements, and life cycle analysis (LCA) outcomes were investigated. The best performers of each scenario were determined, and their strengths and weaknesses were identified and compared with other scenarios. In terms of product yields, all three systems (single, binary, and tertiary) followed a similar pattern: bio-oil yields increased as temperature and feedstock moisture content increased, while biochar yields decreased as temperature and feedstock moisture content increased. The production of syngas, on the other hand, was only observed at elevated temperatures. The total energy requirement exhibited an increase with increasing temperature and feedstock moisture content. The economic evaluation revealed that the return on investment (ROI) value for the single component at 5% moisture content at 300 °C is 29%, with a payback period (PB) of only 3.4 years, which is potentially very appealing. The water footprint increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature but decreased with increasing moisture content in all scenarios. The land footprint is observed to remain constant despite changes in process conditions. The study's findings contribute to the pyrolysis process's scalability, technological advancement, and commercialisation.

People waste a lot of food, especially at the consumption stage in consumer households. Despite the urgency of this topic, little is known about how consumers use visual inspection to decide to throw away fruits and vegetables at different stages of ripening and spoilage. We presented 366 US consumers with images of a banana, mango, cucumber, and avocado in 5 stages of decay in an online study and we determined how signs of decay affected participants’ consumption, preparation and disposal behaviors. As expected, product attractiveness, freshness, healthiness, and nutritiousness decreased, while the degree of decay, overripeness, and disgust increased over time. The number of people willing to consume the product was linearly related to the perceived proportion of the product affected by decay, while the number of people wanting to cut off bad parts was highest when about 40% of the product was judged to be affected. As time went on, the banana was cooked and mashed more often, while the cucumber was peeled more often. As growing, ripening and decay differ considerably between agricultural products, it is important to take sensory and preparation differences into account when investigating consumption and disposal behaviors.

SUMMARY: To determine the economic viability of utilizing food waste in animal feed, knowledge of the nutrient availability and variability is needed. The objective of this study was to determine the nutrient variability, nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn), and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of food waste (FW) when fed to broilers. Dining hall FW products were created by dividing 30-day collections into weekly intervals resulting in product 1 (FW1; d 1–7), 2 (FW2; d 8–14), 3 (FW3; d 15–22), and 4 (FW4; d 23–30). Each product was mixed with soybean meal (SBM) and extruded to a target barrel temperature of 140°C. At hatch, 420 and 360 one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308, Sallisaw, OK) were used in an 18-day study to determine AMEn and AID amino acid (AA), respectively. Treatments were randomly assigned to cages, resulting in 10 cages per treatment with 6 broilers per cage. Treatments for both studies consisted of conventional SBM, extruded SBM (ESBM), FW1, FW2, FW3, and FW4. Data were analyzed using PROC GLIMMIX in SAS v. 9.4 (Cary, NC). Broilers fed ESBM had increased (P < 0.01) AID of indispensable AA, except Met, when compared to SBM. Of the FW products, broilers fed FW1 and FW3 had increased (P < 0.01) AID of indispensable AA, except Leu, when compared to FW2 with FW4 AID AA being intermediate. The FW3 had increased (P < 0.01) AMEn when compared to SBM, ESBM, FW1, and FW2, with FW4 being intermediate to all other treatments. In conclusion, extruding FW blended with SBM successfully served as a nutrient source for broilers.

Background: Hospital food wastage has been identified as a significant issue within the foodservice sector. Numerous studies have shed the light on the amount of food waste in hospitals, along with its financial and environmental implications. Consequently, reducing food waste in hospitals has become a priority for the foodservice management sector in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). Aims: This review aims to examine studies on food waste in the hospitals of the EMR countries, and highlight research gaps in quantification, management, and assessment strategies in this region. Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar databases were searched between January 6 and September 1, 2023, to identify relevant articles published up to 2023 in the EMR. Results: Six studies were included in this review. Among EMR countries, only Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have assessed food waste at hospitals. The average food waste in the EMR represents 25.4 % of total food served. Factors contributing to food waste include clinical issues, food preferences, meal timing, and ward sections. Patient's plate waste reduce dietary intake, affects patient's nutritional status and predispose to malnutrition. While some strategies to reduce plate waste have been proposed in many countries, there is a notable lack of food and food-related waste management policies and programs in hospitals food services in the EMR. Conclusion: This review summarizes the hospital's food-related waste assessment, quantifications, and management used by hospitals in the EMR. This review is a benchmark for the EMR's hospitals to work on adopting proactive measures as a general strategy to move toward food and food-related waste reduction.

This research presents the findings from a series of experiments to assess and quantify the influence of compostable plastic packaging in combination with silicon biostimulant on waste produced in a typical leafy horticultural product. The research was conducted firstly by using an agricultural biostimulant consisting in varying supplementation with monosilicic acid, performed in 16 blocks with 3 different treatments and compared against the control samples. In addition, Equilibrium Modified Atmosphere Packaging (EMAP) packaging was designed using polypropylene (OPP) and compostable polylactic acid (PLA) films in order to assess the effect of potential mitigation of food waste production in combination with sustainable films. Storage studies were conducted to assess the amount of product that would run out of specification across a usability period of 7 days as an estimation of waste. The results show that 1 % waste was produced with OPP and no-mitigation, experiments showed a potential waste of 26 % using compostable films. The silicon-based supplementation managed to reduce waste by an average of 35 % in the case of the use with PLA. The results of this study establish a potential pathway for transition towards sustainable films in short shelf-life horticultural products using bio-stimulants with controlled dependents on EMAP.

Food sustains human life, but household food consumption impacts negatively on the environment. Therefore, many studies in the literature focus on sustainable food consumption. However, these studies are quite fragmented and study only some aspects of food consumption. By applying the thematic analysis approach to available studies in the literature, this research aims to build a framework covering all three phases of food consumption: the acquisition phase (purchasing ingredients), usage phase (cooking, eating, sharing leftover food), and disposal phase (food waste). The framework proposed in this research can become a more comprehensive reference source for future studies in sustainable food consumption topics. In specific, policymakers can use this framework to design effective campaigns/policies to promote sustainable food consumption practices of their residents. Future researchers can reference this framework to conduct more comprehensive studies on sustainable food consumption topics.

Continual global energy scarcity and its future challenges, as well as environmental disasters, are causing global devastation. Additionally, a substantial quantity of food is being wasted regularly. Therefore, the adoption of circular bioeconomy principles and the bioconversion of wasted food appears to be both highly advantageous and urgently required. However, previous studies have placed limited emphasis on the technological progress and circular bioeconomy aspects associated with the bioconversion of wasted food. The present review thus investigates how mass-generated food waste can be used to produce valuable bioproducts through bioconversion techniques such as oleaginous metabolism, anaerobic fermentation, and solventogenesis. These techniques have attracted considerable interest due to their eco-friendly and resource-recycling capacities, as well as their efficiency and sustainability. The paper also discusses approaches to integrate biorefineries within existing economies to establish a circular bioeconomy and analyses the challenges as well as the techno-economic, environmental and life cycle scenarios of these approaches. Analysis of the techno-economic and environmental effects reveals that food waste biorefineries can be lucrative if certain pathways are maintained. The environmental impact of bioconversion methods that produce valuable bioproducts is also found to be substantially lower than that of conventional methods. Integrating bioconversion processes further improves the efficiency of the process and sustainably recovers resources. Developing a circular bioeconomy requires the adoption of a biorefinery strategy with an integrated approach.

ABSTRACT: Food waste in the United States was valued at $285 billion in 2019, representing 70% of all food surplus; dairy and eggs alone represented 15.90% of food surplus. Milk is the fifth most consumed beverage in the United States, and therefore its contribution to food waste has significant economic and environmental ramifications. Smart labels that provide precise spoilage information for fluid milk may help reduce food waste in fluid milk, but it is unclear if consumers will accept or pay for this novel technology. This paper examines consumer preferences for high temperature, short time pasteurized fluid milk shelf life and smart date labels and tests how information about the environmental impact of fluid milk food waste affects consumers' acceptance and willingness to pay. We used a choice-based conjoint study administered in an online survey, along with a between-subject experiment to measure preferences under different information treatments about the environmental impact of food waste. Our results suggest that consumers' valuations of extended shelf life and an ecolabel is positive; however, using the smart label creates disutility for consumers, thereby hindering acceptance of new labeling technology that may facilitate food waste reduction in the milk industry. These findings imply that retailers should find alternative means to enhance the communication of precise shelf life information and its role in reducing food waste.

ABSTRACT: With the increased awareness about the economic and environmental impact of food waste, many interventions along food supply chains have been proposed to mitigate food waste. Even though interventions used to target food waste usually revolve around logistics and operations management, we highlight a unique solution to address this issue, specifically for fluid milk. We target the intrinsic quality of fluid milk by evaluating interventions that will extend the product shelf life. We used data from a previous fluid milk spoilage simulation model, collected price and product information from retail stores, conducted an expert elicitation, and used hedonic price regressions to determine the private and social gains to the dairy processing plant when implementing 5 different interventions to extend shelf life. Our data suggest that the value of each additional day of shelf life is approximately $0.03 and indicate that increasing periodic equipment cleaning is the most cost-effective strategy for processing plants to achieve fluid milk shelf-life improvements, both from a firm's economic standpoint and from an environmental standpoint. Importantly, the approaches reported here will be valuable to help individual firms to generate customized facility and firm specific assessments that identify the most appropriate strategies for extending the shelf life of different dairy products.

Load growth puts pressure on existing electric infrastructure and impacts on the system's performance parameters which may necessitate network expansion. Conventionally, electric network expansion is done by building new substations or reinforcing the existing ones with new transformers and upgrading the network feeders. However, optimal allocation of combined heat and power distributed generators (CHP-DGs) on distribution networks (DNs) can be adopted for network expansion planning problem. Optimal DG allocation is an optimisation problem which requires an efficient optimisation approach. In this paper, an improved particle swarm optimisation (IPSO) based on weighted randomised acceleration coefficient and adaptive inertia weight is proposed for optimal DG allocation problem. The considered CHP-DGs include internal combustion engine (ICE) and fuel cells (FCs) powered by biogas obtained from anaerobic digestion of food wastes. The proposed IPSO is tested on IEEE 69 bus radial distribution network under single and multi-objectives considering constant and mixed seasonal voltage-dependent load models. Some of the key findings show that integrating ICE-based CHP-DGs operating at optimal power factor in winter day mixed voltage dependent load in base year achieves 97.63 % active power loss reduction in comparison to 77.14 % loss reduction for unity power factor operating FC-based CHP-DG. Economic and environmental evaluation indicate that FC-based CHP-DG records a net present value of over 29.29 million $, levelised cost of energy of 0.0493 $/kWh and zero pollutant emission in comparison with 28.40 million $, 0.0501 $/kWh and 0.2817 million kg pollutant emission for ICE-based CHP-DG over the planning horizon. In comparison with the standard PSO, the proposed IPSO performs better in terms of solution quality, convergence speed and statistical results.

The peels are considered part of waste products, which are generally discarded. The use of persimmon peel is associated with its phenolic content, dietary fibers, minerals, and pectins. The main objective of this study was to evaluate changes in antioxidant activity, total phenolic contents (TPC), and color parameters of persimmon peels after freeze drying (−85 °C for 24h), vacuum oven drying (45 °C for 12h), oven drying (50 °C for 12h) and microwave oven drying treatment (900W for 10s). In the next step, the functional ice cream was prepared and studied by adding dried persimmon peel powder (DPPP). Various properties of the resulting ice cream at 4 levels of DPPP addition were investigated. The results showed that the highest value of L*,a*,and b* parameters were in the freeze-dried sample. There was a significant difference in the TPC of samples that dried by different methods (p

This study was conducted for four organic fractions (carbohydrates, proteins, cellulose, lipids) at an inoculum concentration of 30 % and a total solid (TS) of 8 % to investigate the effect of the main components of food waste on the performance of the two-stage anaerobic digestion. The results showed that the gas phase products were closely related to the composition of the substrate, with the carbohydrate and lipid groups showing the best hydrogen (154.91 ± 2.39mL/gVS) and methane (381.83 ± 12.691mL/gVS) production performance, respectively. However, the increased protein content predisposes the system to inhibition of gas production, which is mutually supported by changes in the activity of dehydrogenase and coenzyme F420. Butyric acid (53.19 %) dominated the liquid phase products in both stages, indicating that all four organic fractions were butyric acid-based fermentation and that the final soluble chemical oxygen demand degradation reached 72.97 %–82.86 %. The carbohydrate and cellulose groups achieved the best energy recovery performance, with conversion rates exceeding 65 %. The above results can provide a useful reference for the resource utilization of food waste.

This research builds a mathematical modelling to assess food waste production when designing sustainable packaging solutions integrated with an agricultural intervention in kale production. The model utilizes experimental data obtained from simulated retail and distribution storage conditions to assess the probability of the product to be found out of technical specification and becoming waste. The packaging design was made using a system of differential equations describing the gas exchanges inside the packaging. The waste was estimated fitting linear mixed effect models to the postharvest experimental data, accounting for the variability between and within groups. A field experiment with kale treated with silicon during growth as a bio stimulant was used with the aim to make the product more resilient to packaging conditions. The Kale was then packaged in polylactic acid and oriented polypropylene for postharvest testing. Technological thresholds that indicate out-of-specification product were used to estimate the percentage of product that would likely end up as food waste. In total 7.2% of the product was found to be out of specification with the PLA film after 7 days. Silicon treatment was able to reduce this value to negligible, demonstrating the ability of agricultural interventions to facilitate sustainable packaging and reducing food waste in horticultural products.

This study addresses the challenge of municipal solid waste management in urban environments, focusing on the case of São Paulo, Brazil. It introduces a community-based, decentralized composting initiative taking place in this city. The initiative began in 2018 by local residents in the city's western region. Community composting took place in public squares using the ''Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina method,'' involving thermophilic decomposition through passive static aeration. Weekly meetings attracted an average of 31 participants from 2018 to 2021. Participants were requested to bring food residues and garden prunings. To construct the compost pile, a layer of straw and thin branches or grass clippings was added to the outer perimeter to create a wall, with weekly feedings during community gatherings for this purpose. This process was repeated weekly until the piles reached a height of around 1.5 m. The compost maturation process was monitored periodically by observing the visual aspect, absence of odors, and temperature. The temperature decreased from approximately 60 °C for a fresh pile to 30 °C when mature, typically after five months. Physico-chemical properties of six piles containing mature compost were analyzed. In the period 2018–2021 over 20 tons of organic waste were composted, resulting in a reduction of approximately 27,662 pounds of CO2 emissions. The compost produced conforms to agricultural standards, with desirable physical and chemical properties, including an acceptable C/N ratio, pH levels, organic matter content, and nutrient concentrations. Heavy metal analyses indicated that the compost's elemental concentrations were well below established limits, ensuring its safety for agricultural use. During the period from 2018 to 2021, more than 20 tons of organic waste underwent composting, leading to a decrease of approximately 27,662 pounds of CO2 emissions. The resulting compost meets agricultural standards, exhibiting favorable physical and chemical characteristics, such as an acceptable C/N ratio, pH levels, organic matter content, and nutrient concentrations. Heavy metals analysis revealed that the elemental concentrations in the compost were significantly below established limits, guaranteeing its safety for agricultural applications. This urban community-driven composting model exemplifies an innovative approach to local waste management, emphasizing citizen engagement, sustainability, and the creation of shared spaces, thereby presenting a viable solution to urban organic waste challenges in São Paulo and beyond.

The production of biopeptides from food waste through microbial fermentation faces challenges arising from the diverse proteolytic abilities of microorganisms and substrate variability, impacting both the quality and yield of generated biopeptides. To address these challenges, preliminary in-silico bioinformatics analyses play a crucial role in evaluating suitable substrates and proteases for the fermentation process. However, existing tools lack comprehensive predictive capabilities for relevant proteases, substrate performance assessment, and final biopeptide family characterization. To overcome these limitations, we developed FEEDS (Food wastE biopEptiDe claSsifier), a novel biopeptide prediction and classification tool. FEEDS predicts biopeptide families based on microbial genome protease profiles and substrate composition during proteolysis. The tool also employs a machine learning approach for functional biopeptide classification. Results from testing on 1000 microbial genomes demonstrate the effectiveness of biopeptide classification, particularly in categorizing peptides derived from substrates like Hordeum vulgare and Vitis vinifera seed storage proteins. In addition to biopeptide classification, our study delves into the distinctive protease profiles of bacteria and yeast genomes. Bacterial genomes exhibited 60 to 100 proteases across 40–55 families. Contrastingly, yeast genomes displayed a more evenly distributed pattern with 150 to 160 protease-encoding genes across 60 to 67 families, surpassing bacterial counts. Remarkably, a substantial portion of yeast proteases (∼66 %) was secreted. Moreover, our integration of a machine learning methodology within the FEEDS pipeline proved highly effective, achieving over 80 % accuracy in predicting the function of peptides derived from seed storage proteins. Notably, longer peptide sequences exceeding 20 amino acids consistently displayed a higher probability of correct assignment compared to shorter counterparts.

Anaerobic digestion of multiple substrates can generate more biogas while remaining stable, if positive synergistic effects are achieved. The type of co-digested substrates and the mixing ratio used, are the most important variables as each substrate has unique set of characteristics. Optimizing the volume ratios by testing various substrate mixing ratios is a popular method for determining the best-performing ratio of substrate mixture. The ternary mixture design has reportedly been found to quicken the process of testing different mixing ratios with high accuracy without running several experiments. Therefore, a ternary mixture design and a response surface approach are used in this work to ascertain the relationship between substrate mix and responses (biogas yield, methane yield, and synergy). The findings of the experiment revealed that R9 comprising 78.8 % human excreta, 11.8 % food leftovers and 9.4 % kitchen residue, had the highest methane production of 764.79 mLCH4/gVS and a synergistic index of 3.26. Additionally, the 3D response surface plots from the response surface model showed important and shared interactions between Human Excreta, (HE), Food Leftovers (FLO), and Kitchen Residue (KR). HE and KR had a similar positive synergistic effect on biogas yield, methane yield, and synergy, which was not the case for FLO. The response surface plots showed that the predicted responses (methane yield, biogas yield and synergy) increased with increasing HE and KR fractions and decreased with increasing FLO fractions in the substrate mixtures.

With the popularity of food delivery applications in Indonesia, there is a need to promote responsible consumption habits, specifically in mitigating food waste. This study examined the influence of promotion, knowledge, and subjective norms on sustainable food waste behaviour among Generation Z individuals in Indonesia. The study involved an online survey of 561 Generation Z users of meal delivery platforms, with data analysis conducted using Structural Equation Modeling-Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) through SMART-PLS 4 software. The study contradicted that promotion and knowledge directly affect food waste reduction behaviour. Promotion can positively impact responsible food waste behaviour when mediated by price consciousness and perceived behavioural control. Knowledge requires attitude and perceived behavioural control to influence responsible food-wasting. It became apparent that subjective norms directly affected responsible food waste and were mediated by attitude. The antecedent variables examined in this study explained a 63.7% variance of sustainable behaviour towards food waste, indicating moderate explanatory power. Promotion conducted by food delivery service applications, accompanied by information and practical strategies to enhance consumers' perceived behavioural control, can increase the likelihood of sustainable food waste behaviour among Generation Z consumers, particularly price-conscious consumers. To foster positive attitudes and subjective norms towards sustainable food waste behaviour, policymakers can incentivize academic institutions, culinary businesses, and influencers to promote food waste reduction.

Fruit and vegetable waste is a rich source of bioactive compounds that can be extracted or transformed into high-value products. In some parts of India, pumpkin leaves and flowers are rarely eaten as food. But despite being a rich source of bioactive chemicals with nutritional benefits, pumpkin seeds, and skins are frequently regarded as waste. The study involves the quantitative estimation of the antioxidant activity and phytochemicals content of the various parts of aqueous and isopropanol extracts of Cucurbita maxima plant. Pumpkin leaf exhibits the maximum moisture content (85.76 %), followed by pumpkin flower (79.42 %), pumpkin peel (71.44 %), and pumpkin seeds (3.23 %). The TPC and TFC of the isopropanol extract of pumpkin seed have been found the highest;41.05 mg GAE/g and 829.86 mg QE/g respectively. The highest% inhibition of DPPH radical scavenging activity was found in the isopropanol extract of pumpkin peel; 90.35 % and the lowest was found in the aqueous extract of pumpkin seeds 48.41 %. The aqueous extract of pumpkin peel has the highest value with a TAC of 123.33 mg AAE/g. The finding of the current study mainly highlights the importance of underutilized parts of pumpkin rather than discarding them as waste.

The paper categorises households based on their motivations and management practices towards reducing food waste, examines the factors that differentiate households that use specific food management practices and motivation bundles, and evaluates the effect of motivations and food management practices on household food waste. Using data from households in the United Kingdom, three bundles of motivation (saving, environmental considerations and emotions) and management practices (plan, inspect and proactive) are elicited. The results show that the single predominant management practice is “inspect” while “environmental considerations” was the most common motivation. We find evidence that different motivation bundles, as well as management bundles are used in a complementary manner. The results show that of the three management bundles, being proactive is more likely to result in reducing food waste. On the other hand, considerations for the environment and negative emotion that arise after food is wasted increases the desire to reduce waste. This study highlights the interdependent nature of motivations and practices and could guide public policy and awareness campaigns for more targeted and effective waste reduction strategies. Targeted public awareness campaigns emphasising the environmental impact of food waste and educational programs integrated into existing initiatives could effectively reduce household food waste in the UK.