Food Waste Processing Trends Worldwide and Valorization of Food Waste from Pune City

Abstract

This article lays its primary focus on understanding waste from the domestic and commercial hotel kitchens. For researchers, deciding biotechnological treatment and valorization process, it is necessary to refer and understand the food waste (FW) composition and its processing trends worldwide. This paper mentions the FW compositional data from four different locations of “Pune” a metro city of India. Study-approved procedures for sample collection, preparation, and analysis were followed. The results indicate, the presence of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in all samples and are sufficient to support the microbial growth and desired product formation. Being perishable, microbiological and compositional changes during handling and transportation, in FW are inevitable. The presence of high boiling, low boiling volatile compounds and volatile organic acids indicate the complexity of FW and microbial activity taking place within it. Abundant amount of trace elements essential for enzymatic reactions and building block molecule formation are present. Average important figures to mention, starch- 7.27% w/w, free sugars- 3.39% w/w, proteins- 7.99% w/w and fats- 12.84% w/w. In addition, essential trace elements Zn- 4 mg/lit, Mn- 4 mg/lit, Mg- 239 mg/lit, S-433 mg/lit and P- 922 mg/lit. The numbers help to realize the nutritional richness of the FW in reality and provide fundamental statistical data for researchers. Treatment and recycling can be done to contribute toward a circular bio-economy. Remarkable variations observed in almost all components on day-to-day basis. However, pretreatment process parameters can be decided to account for compositional variations.