Valorized Food Processing By-Products in the EU: Finding the Balance between Safety, Nutrition, and Sustainability

Food businesses in the European Union are preparing for a carbon-neutral future by gradually transitioning to circular way of operating. Building upon results from EU REFRESH project, we consider most valuable food processing by-streams Europe and discuss potential safety risks that must be considered while valorizing them human consumption. These weighed against nutritional benefits offered these products their applications supply chains. Broadly, examine whether it is possible spent grains, cheese whey, fruit vegetable scraps, meat waste, oilseed cakes meals safe, sustainable, nutritionally at same time. The discussion highlights by-products obtained operations feasible on large scale only if consumers deem safe acceptable practice. Extracting compounds using preparation functional foods could gain consumer acceptance. Furthermore, find current legislation does not sufficiently accommodate by-products. A bridge this regulatory gap through adoption private standards have shown proclivity sustainability-related issues Finally, proposing decision tree, show indeed some valorized ensuring sustainability, safety, relevance.