Food loss and waste pose significant challenges in both industrial and agricultural food production sectors. In recent decades, their environmental and economic impacts have intensified due to increasing food demand, heightened production activities, and varying standards across the global supply chain. Specifically, the complexities surrounding the causes of food waste at the retail and household levels persist as a multifaceted issue, constituting a crucial topic in food policy. This is driven by various interplaying aspects, such as food security, safety, quality, and environmental sustainability, including greenhouse gas emissions from decaying food, water pollution from leaching, and the proliferation of landfills. Additionally, consumer concerns and financial losses exacerbate the urgency of addressing this issue. Therefore, this paper aims to highlight these complexities as a focal point of its discussion by the examination of interconnected causes of food waste and potential solutions and initiatives to reduce food waste occurring at these critical points in the food supply chain. Less attention has been paid to retail and foodservice than production and consumer sectors, and this review specifically focuses on these industries, where food waste is more important than food loss. This review also looks at examples in developing countries which have received less attention until now. We believe that because of the complexity of the process to reduce food waste across the food supply chain, and the many stakeholders involved, the goal of a 50% reduction by 2030 set by the United Nations will be difficult to achieve on time.

The objective of this work was to gain insight into the operating conditions that affect the efficiency of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) parameters to achieve the best recovery of bioactive compounds from broccoli leaf and floret byproducts. Therefore, total phenolic content (TPC) and the main sulfur bioactive compounds (sulforaphane (SFN) and glucosinolates (GLSs)) were assayed. Distilled water was used as solvent. For each byproduct type, solid/liquid ratio (1:25 and 2:25 g/mL), temperature (25, 40, and 55 °C), and extraction time (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, and 20 min) were the studied variables to optimize the UAE process by using a kinetic and a cubic regression model. TPC was 12.5-fold higher in broccoli leaves than in florets, while SFN was from 2.5- to 4.5-fold higher in florets regarding the leaf\'s extracts obtained from the same plants, their precursors (GLS) being in similar amounts for both plant tissues. The most efficient extraction conditions were at 25 °C, ratio 2:25, and during 15 or 20 min according to the target phytochemical to extract. In conclusion, the type of plant tissue and used ratio significantly influenced the extraction of bioactive compounds, the most efficient UAE parameters being those with lower energy consumption.

The aim of this work was to develop active packaging based on polypropylene (PP) and polylactic acid (PLA) matrices using a high value by-product extracted from orange peel as an active compound for food packaging applications. Different films with and without orange peel extract (OPE) based on PP and PLA were obtained via cast extrusion and characterized in terms of their mechanical, thermal, optical, and sealing properties. The films obtained were transparent, but when OPE was incorporated, the transmittance spectrum decreased, causing slight coloration. Mechanical properties were affected by the incorporation of OPE, as elongation at break and tensile strength increased in the cross-direction of the PP film, although the main differences found were related to the polymer itself. In addition, sealing strength also increased via the incorporation of OPE in the PP matrix. However, thermal properties were not affected by OPE in the PP matrix but slightly decreased stability in PLA. Regarding antimicrobial activity in in vitro studies, no inhibition of the growth of Listeria innocua, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus niger, or Escherichia coli was observed. Finally, antioxidant activity was observed in in vitro studies with 2,2-Diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The results of this study showed that the obtention of materials with OPE incorporated into the PLA and PP matrix is feasible. The new materials obtained can be used for applications of oxidation-sensitive fresh products.

The impact of food loss and waste (FLW) generation on food supply chains\' (FSC) sustainability represents a challenge embodied in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3. This problem requires a methodology to measure such an impact in a rigorous, holistic, and standardized way that can be applied to any FSC. This paper aims to develop and validate a single index to assess the readiness of FSCs to implement FLW prevention strategies and measure their impact: the so-called FOODRUS index. The co-creation methodology followed incorporates experts and FSC stakeholders feedback. The index has been validated in 3 FSCs: The Slovak pilot scored 74.35%, the Spanish pilot reached 68.79%, and the Danish pilot was rated 61.14%. Its calculation, eased by the FOODRUS index self-assessment tool (described in the Appendix), allows quick diagnosis of the FSC capability to implement FLW prevention strategies considering both the knowledge provided by experts and the experience of the FSC stakeholders that participated in its co-creation process. In this way the FSC can assess its FLW prevention performance at a strategic and management level, with the aim of improving its sustainability impact.

Efficient cold-chain delivery is essential for maintaining a sustainable global food supply. This study used metabolomic analysis to examine meat quality changes during the \"wet aging\" of crossbred Wagyu beef during cold storage. The longissimus thoracic (Loin) and adductor muscles (Round) of hybrid Wagyu beef, a cross between the Japanese Black and Holstein-Friesian breeds, were packaged in vacuum film and refrigerated for up to 40 days. Sensory evaluation indicated an increase in the umami and kokumi taste owing to wet aging. Comprehensive analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified metabolite changes during wet aging. In the Loin, 94 metabolites increased, and 24 decreased; in the Round, 91 increased and 18 decreased. Metabolites contributing to the umami taste of the meat showed different profiles during wet aging. Glutamic acid increased in a cold storage-dependent manner, whereas creatinine and inosinic acid degraded rapidly even during cold storage. In terms of lipids, wet aging led to an increase in free fatty acids. In particular, linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid, increased significantly among the free fatty acids. These results provide new insight into the effects of wet aging on Wagyu-type beef, emphasizing the role of free amino acids, organic acids, and free fatty acids generated during cold storage.

Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is a widely used mathematical tool for process optimization, setting their main factorial variables. The current research analyzes and summarizes the current knowledge about the RSM in the extraction of carotenoids from fruit and vegetable by-products, following a systematic review protocol (Prisma 2020 Statement). After an identification of manuscripts in Web of Science (September 2023) using inclusion search terms (\"carotenoids\", \"extraction\", \"response-surface methodology\", \"ultrasound\", \"microwave\" and \"enzyme\"), they were screened by titles and abstracts. Finally, 29 manuscripts were selected according to the PRISMA methodology (an evidence-based minimum set of items for reporting in systematic reviews), then, 16 questions related to the quality criteria developed by authors were applied. All studies were classified as having an acceptable level of quality criteria (≤50% \"yes answers\"), with four of them reaching a moderate level (>50 to ≤70% \"yes answers\"). No studies were cataloged as complete (>70% \"yes answers\"). Most studies are mainly focused on ultrasound-assisted extraction, which has been widely developed compared to microwave or enzymatic-assisted extractions. Most evidence shows that it is important to provide information when RSM is applied, such as the rationale for selecting a particular design, the specification of input variables and their potential levels, a discussion on the statistical model\'s validity, and an explanation of the optimization procedure. In addition, the principles of open science, specifically data availability, should be included in future scientific manuscripts related to RSM and revalorization.

Vegetable beverages are a convenient strategy to enhance the consumption of horticultural commodities, with the possibility of being fortified with plant by-products to increase functional quality. The main objective was to develop a new veggie beverage from broccoli stalks and carrot by-products seasoned with natural antioxidants and antimicrobial ingredients. Pasteurization, Ultrasound (US), and High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) and their combinations were used as processing treatments, while no treatment was used as a control (CTRL). A shelf-life study of 28 days at 4 °C was assayed. Microbial load, antioxidant capacity, and bioactive compounds were periodically measured. Non-thermal treatments have successfully preserved antioxidants (~6 mg/L ΣCarotenoids) and sulfur compounds (~1.25 g/L ΣGlucosinolates and ~5.5 mg/L sulforaphane) throughout the refrigerated storage, with a longer shelf life compared to a pasteurized beverage. Total vial count was reduced by 1.5-2 log CFU/mL at day 0 and by 6 log CFU/mL at the end of the storage in HHP treatments. Thus, the product developed in this study could help increase the daily intake of glucosinolates and carotenoids. These beverages can be a good strategy to revitalize broccoli and carrot by-products with high nutritional potential while maintaining a pleasant sensory perception for the final consumer.

This systematic review seeks to highlight, from the published literature about the extraction and application of lemon by-products rich in flavonoids, which works use environmentally friendly technologies and solvents and which ones propose a potentially functional food application, according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WoS and SCOPUS were used as scientific databases for searching the documents, which were evaluated through 10 quality questions according to their adherence to our purpose (5 questions evaluating papers devoted to lemon flavonoid extraction and 5 concerning the application of such by-products in new foods). Each question was evaluated as \"Yes\", \"No\", or \"does Not refer\", according to its adherence to our aim. The analysis reported 39 manuscripts related to lemon flavonoid extraction; 89% of them used green technologies and solvents. On the other hand, 18 manuscripts were related to the incorporation of lemon by-products into new foods, of which 41% adhered to our purpose and only 35% evaluated the functionality of such incorporation. Conclusively, although the bibliography is extensive, there are still some gaps for further investigation concerning the extraction and application of lemon by-products to reduce food losses in an environmentally friendly way and the possible development of new functional foods, which must be performed following the SDGs.

The consumption stage has been identified as the largest producer of food waste (FW) across the food supply chain (FSC), with fruit and vegetables being the most affected product category. The present study aims to determine the optimal storage scenario at household level to avoid food waste and which has the lowest environmental footprint. Broccoli was stored under different storage conditions: unbagged or bagged (periodically opened) in bioplastic bags inside a domestic refrigerator at 5 or 7 °C for 34 days and then analysed for relative humidity (RH), sensory properties and bioactive compounds. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted to evaluate the environmental profile of 1 kg of broccoli purchased by the consumer (cradle-to-grave). At day 0 (base scenario) the carbon footprint was 0.81 kg CO2 eq/kg, with the vegetable farming being the main contributor to this environmental impact, mostly driven by fertiliser (production and its emissions to air and water) and irrigation (due to electricity consumption for water pumping). Quality and food waste depended on time and storage conditions: For short storage times, within three days, the best quality combined with the lowest environmental footprint was for unbagged broccoli at 7 °C and no household food waste. However, this scenario had the highest food waste level from day 3 onwards, with increased resource loss and overall environmental footprint. For long-term storage, using a bag and storing at 5 °C helped to reduce food waste with the lowest environmental footprint. For example, at 16 days, this scenario (bagged at 5 °C) could save 4.63 kg/FU of broccoli and 3.16 kg CO2 eq/FU compared to the worst scenario (unbagged at 7 °C). Consumers are the key to reducing household food waste and this research provides the knowledge for improvement.

Significant amounts of marine raw material are lost on-board the deep-sea vessels due to fast quality degradation. Optimal on-board handling and processing strategies can upgrade these resources from waste to food ingredients rich in nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of raw material freshness and sorting on the quality, composition and yield of oil produced thermally from cod (Gadus morhua) residuals on-board a commercial trawler. Oil was produced from whole viscera fractions with liver or out-sorted livers right after a catch and after chilled storage for up to 6 days. The results showed that significantly higher oil yields could be obtained if the raw materials were stored for 1 day or longer. However, an undesired emulsion was formed when viscera were stored for 4 days. All oils were rich in health beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, but viscera oils had generally lower quality with higher levels of free fatty acids and oxidation products. However, out-sorting of the liver was not necessary to meet guidelines for high-quality fish oil. Both viscera and liver could be stored for up to 2 days at 4 °C prior to oil production and still meet quality criteria for food applications. These results demonstrate a large potential in upgrading currently wasted marine raw materials into high-quality food ingredients.