The world population is expected to reach almost 10,000 million in 2050, so, it is necessary to use our resources efficiently: to produce more food using less land and pollute less, to optimize the production and use of biomass from diversified resources. For this, new approaches and processes, with special emphasis from a biotechnological perspective, may need to be implemented to move towards a circular model that will confer environmental sustainability. In this book, the analysis and optimization of some examples of food and bioproduct processes, as well as development of innovative and emerging food and byproducts processing methods, are considered. Valorization, bioprocessing, and biorefining of food-industry-based streams, the role of industrial microorganisms, the isolation of high added-value compounds, applications of the resulting bio-based chemicals in food manufacturing, novel food formulations, among others, are addressed.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The food processing industries produce millions of tons of losses and waste during processing, which are becoming a grave economic, environmental, and nutritional problem. Fruit, vegetable, and food industrial solid waste include leaves, peels, pomace, skins, rinds pulp, stems, seeds, twigs, and spoiled fruits and vegetables, among other waste released in food production, which can be formed during cleaning, processing, cooking, and/or packaging. These wastes are characterized by being an important source of bioactive compounds, such as phenolic compounds, dietary fibers, polysaccharides, vitamins, carotenoids, pigments, and oils, among others. These bioactive compounds are closely associated with beneficial effects on human health. These by-products can be exploited in different industries: in food industries for the development of functional ingredients and/or new foods or natural additives; in pharmaceutical industries for medicinal, healthcare, or cosmetic products; in agricultural industries as fertilizers or animal feed; and in chemical industries, among others. The reutilization of these by-products will ensure the sustainable development of food industries and reduce their environmental impact, which will contribute to the fight against environmental problems, leading to potential mitigation of climatic change. Therefore, the determination of bioactive compound composition in agricultural and food waste and the production of extracts containing these compounds is the first step towards its reutilization.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Food fermentation is one of the most ancient processes of food production that has historically been used to extend food shelf life and to enhance its organoleptic properties. However, several studies have demonstrated that fermentation is also able to increase the nutritional value and/or digestibility of food. Firstly, microorganisms are able to produce huge amounts of secondary metabolites with excellent health benefits and preservative properties (i.e., antimicrobial activity). Secondarily, fermented foods contain living organisms that contribute to the modulation of the host physiological balance, which constitutes an opportunity to enrich the diet with new bioactive molecules. Indeed, some microorganisms can increase the levels of numerous bioactive compounds (e.g., vitamins, antioxidant compounds, peptides, etc.). Moreover, recent advances in fermentation have focused on food by-products; in fact, they are a source of potentially bioactive compounds that, after fermentation, could be used as ingredients for nutraceuticals and functional food formulations. Because of that, understanding the benefits of food fermentation is a growing field of research in nutrition and food science. This book aims to present the current knowledge and research trends concerning the use of fermentation technologies as sustainable and GRAS processes for food and nutraceutical production.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Renewable fuels and chemicals derived from lignocellulosic biomass offer unprecedented opportunities for replacing fossil fuel derivatives, reducing our overdependence on imported oil, and mitigating current climate change trends. Despite technical developments and considerable efforts, breakthrough technologies are still required to overcome hurdles in developing sustainable biorefineries. In recent years, new biorefinery concepts including a lignin-first approach and a closed-loop biorefinery have been introduced to tackle technoeconomic challenges. Furthermore, researchers have advanced the development of new technologies which enable the utilization of biomass components for sustainable materials. It is now apparent that advanced processes are essential for ensuring the success of future biorefineries. This book presents processes for biomass fractionation, lignin valorization, and sugar conversion or introduces new bioproducts (chemicals and materials) from renewable resources, addressing the current status, technical/technoeconomic challenges, and new strategies.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book focuses on applied technologies on biowaste treatment with the aim to minimize its environmental impact and to recover resources in the form of energy, nutrients, and other valuable products. As a result of this, the book has collected the latest research on mature, conventional, and innovative technologies used to address the challenging issues with the treatment and valorization of different flows of biowaste.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The world steel industry is strongly based on coal/coke in ironmaking, resulting in huge carbon dioxide emissions corresponding to approximately 7% of the total anthropogenic CO2 emissions. As the world is experiencing a period of imminent threat owing to climate change, the steel industry is also facing a tremendous challenge in next decades. This themed issue makes a survey on the current situation of steel production, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, as well as cross-sections of the potential methods to decrease CO2 emissions in current processes via improved energy and materials efficiency, increasing recycling, utilizing alternative energy sources, and adopting CO2 capture and storage. The current state, problems and plans in the two biggest steel producing countries, China and India are introduced. Generally contemplating, incremental improvements in current processes play a key role in rapid mitigation of specific emissions, but finally they are insufficient when striving for carbon neutral production in the long run. Then hydrogen and electrification are the apparent solutions also to iron and steel production. The book gives a holistic overview of the current situation and challenges, and an inclusive compilation of the potential technologies and solutions for the global CO2 emissions problem.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This reprint provides a forum for scientists and engineers to share and discuss their pioneering/original findings or insightful reviews on the “Characterization and Processing of Complex Materials”. Reports on successfully coupling complex industrial materials/waste/natural ores with non-destructive characterization method(s) and the unique processing developments were particularly encouraged. On the other hand, any kind of contribution under the broad framework of the understanding and production of complex materials was also highly regarded. This reprint gathers papers on the characterization and processing of complex materials with the following keywords: non-destructive characterization; analytical chemistry and instrumentation; waste management and recycling; selective material recovery/processing; sustainability and circular economy. This includes the waste management and recycling of complex materials (e.g., food and electronic waste) through the development of a new characterization method and/or process intensification. For example, the proper characterization of complex/heterogeneous materials is still an extremely challenging task, since the majority of characterization methods analyze either the average characteristics of the whole material or a narrow area of specific interest. On the other hand, the efficient processing/recycling of complex materials/waste should be strongly supported by their characterization from the viewpoint of economic and environmental concerns.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The development of sustainable supplies of critical minerals and metals is required if society is to succeed in the decarbonisation of the global economy. While the discovery of critical metal deposits is urgent, of equal importance is understanding the life cycle of critical metals that are already in the economy. This book includes ten empirical studies on both the discovery and investigations of the life cycle of critical metals. A wide range of critical metals in the hydrothermal system, including Co, Ga, Ge, Re, REEs, In, Sb, Sn and W, were investigated by researchers from China, Australia, North America and Europe. These studies present an advanced understanding of the genesis of global critical metal resources, by utilising traditional and non-traditional analytical approaches. This book also promotes the green mining concept. Innovative technological development that allows extracting additional critical metals from current production and from historic mine wastes is reported. Academics and practitioners will find, in this book, very recent case studies of geochemistry, mineralogy, geometallurgy and the exploration of critical metals in various hydrothermal systems, as well as the major challenges and opportunities facing academic research and industrial mineral exploration.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This reprint details some of the latest developments and the science of durum wheat products outlining the latest research in durum milling innovations, role of durum wheat oil and wheat germ in product stability, available rheological methods to assess semolina, role of processing variables on pasta quality and drying behavior of bulgur. The impact of functional food design on human health and some examples where pasta glycaemic index has been surveyed and products made using waste streams, such as brown algae, tiger nut flour, carrot waste, and other approached to new durum product design such as high amylose durum wheat and soft durum wheat.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In recent years, bioeconomy strategies have been implemented and adapted internationally. In the bioeconomy, materials are to a certain extent circular by nature. However, biomaterials may also be used in a rather linear way. Lately, a transition towards a circular economy, a more restorative and regenerative economic model, is being promoted worldwide. A circular economy offers an alternative model aiming at “doing more and better with less”. It is based on the idea that circulating matter and energy will diminish the need for new input. Its concept lies in maintaining the value of products, materials, and resources for as long as possible and at the same time minimizing or even eliminating the amount of waste produced. Focused on “closing the loops”, a circular economy is a practical solution for promoting entrepreneurial sustainability, economic growth, environmental resilience, and a better quality of life for all. The most efficient way to close resource loops is to find value in the waste. Different modes of resource circulation may be applied, e.g., raw materials, by-products, human resources, logistics, services, waste, energy, or water. To that end, this Special Issue seeks to contribute to the circular bioeconomy agenda through enhanced scientific and multidisciplinary knowledge to boost the performance efficiency of circular business models and support decision-making within the specific field. The Special Issue includes innovative technical developments, reviews, and case studies, all of which are relevant to green, closed-loop, circular bioeconomy.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This reprint is devoted to “greener catalysis for environmental applications”, and primarily covers the catalytic synthesis of value-added chemicals, as well as the catalytic removal of pollutants. The most important topics covered were the conversion of waste to the product, solvent-free conditions as well as toxicity assessment of the reaction products.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book is dedicated to “High-Performance Eco-Efficient Concrete” and concrete fatigue behavior, more sustainable construction materials, capable of complying with quality standards and current innovation policies, aimed at saving natural resources and reducing global pollution. The development of self-compacting concretes with electric arc furnace slags is a further achievement. In addition, the technical and economic viability of using coarse recycled aggregates from crushed concrete in shotcrete, enhanced quality and reduced on-site construction time are the basic features of prefabricated bridge elements and systems, biomass bottom ash as aluminosilicate precursor and phosphogypsum were discussed. On the other hand, basalt fiber improving the mechanical properties and durability of reactive powder concrete, alkali-activated slag and high-volume fly ash and the potential of phosphogypsum as secondary raw material in construction industry, the effects of fly ash on the diffusion, bonding, and microproperties of chloride penetration in concrete were studied. Increasing amounts of sustainable concretes are being used as society becomes more aware of the environment. Finally, the circular economy as an economic model of production and consumption that involves reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling materials after their service life are presented in this book.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Authenticity and traceability are crucial in order to overcome frauds in the international food trade. Control measures are perceived as the greatest vulnerability in the food supply chain. In order to decrease contribution to the overall perceived fraud vulnerability, analytical approaches and chemometrics are usually employed.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Food packaging and shelf life have been the subject of remarkable research in recent years. They are so important because only by understanding a good storage system is it possible to avoid any food waste. Moreover, the best packaging has to prolong the food quality while also reducing the packaging volume or better, become itself biodegradable, and guarantee the nutritional characteristics of food products.In particular, the increasing interest in reducing packaging wastes is becoming a rising problem, just considering that food packaging alone contributes to a huge portion of total packaging wastes in the world. On the other side, consumers judge the food quality based on appearance and freshness, but also using their awareness of the environmental implications of packaging. Nowadays, many technologies can be applied to improve food quality and shelf life, such the application of edible films or coatings, from biodegradable materials or biopolymers, trying to reduce the package barrier requirements, incorporating natural bioactive compounds and lengthening shelf life making then packaging easily compostable.

Listed by Unglue.it.

In the search for a healthier diet and facing the uncertainties about the consumption of artificial additives, the scientific community has explored in the last years the potential of natural compounds, such as polyphenols, carotenoids, chlorophylls, essential oils, tocopherols, vitamins, polysaccharides, among others, obtained from the most diverse sources, such as plants and fungi, for the replacement of the artificial additives in food, which has made these compounds recognized as “natural additives”. In addition to being considered less harmful to health, and giving a certain functional property to a foodstuff, natural additives can also provide a beneficial synergistic effect in the food matrix. For the consumers, diverse studies have been showed that regular ingestion of bioactive compounds, that can be applied as natural additives, can be helpful for the prevention/treatment of several chronic and aging illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders. However, there is much to be researched on the viable use of bioactive compounds and to overcome their chemical limitations so that it can actually be used as natural additives in foods. This book addresses, through 18 scientific articles, some natural compounds with potential for use as preservatives, nutritional additives, coloring agents, flavorings, and various agents.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Natural Antioxidants: Innovative Extraction and Application in Foods compiles comprehensive information and recent findings on the extraction of antioxidants from different natural resources and investigates their application in food. The book focuses on different sources of natural antioxidants such as the Hypochaeris and Hyoseris species, pomegranate seed oil, thyme, hemp, coriander, olive mill wastewaters, the edible mushroom Hericium erinaceus, Brewer’s spent grain, broccoli byproducts, cardoon, and Norway spruce bark. Moreover, the effect of different treatments such as blanching, microwave exposure, roasting, and enzymatic browning on the phytochemical content and bioactivity of the extracts is also addressed. Readers will find valuable insights into the impact of extraction methodologies on the bioactivity of the extracts, along with an understanding of the vast potential of natural extracts for the quality of food products. Readership Food and nutrition researchers, health professionals, nutritionists, and food science and chemistry students

Listed by Unglue.it.

In recent years, there has been significant progress in biomass research as bio-based products are beneficial to the environment, energy-saving, and cost-saving if they are processed properly. The book collects the most state-of-the-art works related to the natural fiber composites in a Special Issue entitled “Natural Fiber Biocomposites”. These works address all the issues related the manufacturing of natural fiber composite products, from (1) raw materials, such as wood, flax fiber, and cellulose nanofiber; to the (2) raw material treatments, such as furfuryl alcohol pretreatment, ultrasonic vibration treatment (UVT), and extraction method for the resins; to the (3) process of the composites fabrication, such as thermo-hygro-mechanical densification; and to the (4) performance of the composites, including mechanical, moisture absorption, opacity, thermal, and biodegradability. Discussions on the adhesives/resins used in the natural fiber composites fabrication, such as dried distiller’s grains and solubles (DDGS), pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) press cakes (PPC), and lesquerella [Lesquerella fendleri (A. Gary) S. Watson] press cake (LPC), starch, and polylactic acid (PLA), are also part of the book. It is believed the technical information presented in this book will contribute to the development of the bio-based composites.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Meat and meat products are an important part of the human diet. Even though non-essential, they provide high amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals in a concentrated form. However, the consumption of meat and meat products has been associated with an increased risk of health-related problems. Once the harmful components of meat and meat products are elucidated, novel technologies can help in identifying, removing, replacing, and/or minimising their deleterious effects. In addition, meat products can be and are being utilised as carriers of added bioactive compounds due to their processing versatility and high worldwide consumption. New strategies in the field of meat and meat product development are certainly needed in order to overcome not only the health-related problems these products might contribute to, but also from the sustainability and economy perspective. This book compiles ten original studies and two comprehensive reviews that will tackle some of these issues.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This Special Issue, entitled “Phytochemicals and Prevention of Chronic Diseases”, features a series of high-quality research articles that explore the isolation, identification, and bioactivities of phytochemicals, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in chronic diseases via antioxidation, neuroprotection, and the modulation of the gut microbiota.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The re-use of industrial food residues is essential in the general framework of rational waste handling and recycling, which aims at the minimizing environmental impact of food production and producing functional food ingredients. Agri-food processing waste has long been considered a valuable biomass with a significant polyphenol load and profile. Polyphenols, aside from being powerful antioxidants that confer inherent stability to a variety of foods, may possess versatile bioactivities including anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties. The valorization of agri-food waste as a prominent source of polyphenols stems from the enormous amount of food-related material discharged worldwide and the emerging eco-friendly technologies that allow high recovery, recycling, and sustainable use of these materials. This book addresses the concept of recovering natural polyphenolic antioxidants from waste biomass generated by agri-food and related industrial processes and presents state-of-the-art applications with prospect in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Soil erosion caused by wind is significant to Earth systems and human health. There is a strong interest in understanding the factors and processes of soil erosion caused by wind as well as in developing and applying methods to control dust emission from soils and to stabilize active sands. The Special Issue contains information on applications of natural and synthetic materials to reduce soil erosion, development of materials and methods, experimental methods and modeling, impacts on the soil quality and the environments, and quantification of the efficiency in dust control and sand stabilization applications.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This reprint aims to provide a wide range of viable alternative designs that utilize valuable compounds from spicy and aromatic plants. Spices and aromatic plants have been used for thousands of years to flavor food, but they can also be used for healing purposes. Until a few decades ago, however, this was performed with little knowledge of their actual properties. The attitude toward these plants has changed, and the need for knowledge has increased. The studies are oriented towards an in-depth analysis of the valuable compounds in these plants in order to be used in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and agricultural industries.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Sustainability, defined as ‘meeting current needs without compromising the future’, is a widely accepted goal across many sectors of society. Sustainability’s criteria and indicators often only regard sustaining present conditions through increased resilience, intended as a system’s capacity to experience shocks while retaining essentially the same functions and structures. However, new sustainability concepts, sometimes referred to as “sustainagility”, also consider the properties and assets of a system that sustains the ability (agility) of agents to adapt and meet their needs in new ways, preparing for future unpredictability and unforeseen changes. Therefore, resilience must coexist with adaptive capacity for real, long-term sustainability. Consumers are paying increasing attention to the sustainability of the food supply chain; thus, sustainable development is necessary for all food processes. Since the olive oil sector has a well-established historical tradition, any change and innovation that aims to obtain a sustainable development not only needs to be analyzed in terms of environmental, economic, and social aspects, it should also be significantly improved and closely monitored. Thus, this Special Issue is a collection of papers that can increase sustainability knowledge in the olive-oil-processing chain, to take a significant step forward in future developments.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Oxidative stress causes chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer, chronic obstructive pulmonary, and neurodegenerative pathologies. Antioxidant systems defend human cells from free radicals. They act by stopping free radicals, decreasing their development, and quenching the formed ROS and RNS. The antioxidant molecules are classified into primary and secondary defense molecules. The primary antioxidant molecules (i.e., vitamins C and E, ubiquinone, and glutathione) reduce oxidation effects by moving a proton to the free radical species or electron donors, or by terminating the chain reactions The secondary antioxidants (i.e., N-acetyl cysteine and lipoic acid) act as cofactors for some enzyme systems or neutralize the production of free radicals by transition metals. This work comprises original research papers and reviews on antioxidant molecules in food, the agricultural practices that maximize their levels in plants, the potential preventive effects of selected classes of antioxidant molecules, their potential use in functional foods, and the pharmaceutical delivery systems that maximize their potential activity when used as supplements.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The pressure upon natural resources and the increasing awareness of the necessary transformation of the global food system are driving the quest of both academia and industry towards more sustainable approaches. Sustainability in the agro-food sector begins with the valorization of food industry waste and side streams, products with an extremely high intrinsic value but often discarded because unfit for further processing that meet consumers expectations. Apart from their use as feed, a more practical solution responding to the modern vision of circular economy must be sought. Indeed, several processes can guarantee that the potential of food industry by-products is fully unleashed, generating high-value ingredients while ensuring nutritional quality. In this framework, this Special Issue included the most recent advances in the valorization of food by-product (of both animal and plant origin), from extraction to bioprocessing, including their application in a variety of food-related industries throughout the entire food supply chain.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The processing of both plant and animal raw materials by the food industry generates a large amount of waste. Waste products are rarely used in the production chain, and, at best, serve as animal feed products. Unprocessed waste products cause additional disposal costs and also constitute a burden on the natural environment. Concern for the natural environment and the desire to optimize the use of raw materials as well as semifinished products encourage producers and scientists to look for opportunities to reuse what was previously considered worthless waste products. Food industry waste can provide a range of bioactive substances that can improve the nutritional value and functionality of new products. They often contain significant amounts of protein, dietary fiber, fat, vitamins, and a whole range of other biologically active substances. Examples of such waste products that increase the nutritional value of new products are fruit and vegetable pomace, spent coffee grounds, and post-fermentation residues. These products can be used to enrich food products, extend shelf life, or obtain fiber preparations. This strategy fits perfectly into the current trend of zero-waste technology and sustainable development. The possibilities of using the entire range of waste products to obtain products with high added value depend on the ingenuity and creativity of both scientists and food producers, and are not limited to those included in this elaboration.

Listed by Unglue.it.