The use of food by-products as a novel for functional foods: Their use as ingredients and for the encapsulation process

Abstract Background Continuous increase in global human population and depletion of natural resources threat to environment needs and sustainable food supply. In particular, food industries generate an extensive amount of by-products. Several studies have shown that food by-products might be suitable feedstock to recover bioactive compounds such as phenolics, carotenoids, proteins, likewise their promising technological properties. Thus, this paper aims to overview recent advances in the utilization of food by-products. Scope and approach This review deals with the main techniques for obtainment, enrichment, incorporation, and technological application of food by-products. Finally, several examples are discussed considering the application of food by-products as a bioactive source to enrich food, through encapsulation or another technological process, or as an encapsulating material. This study's main approach is to critically discuss the techno-functionality of food by-products, highlighting their potential for application in food science and technology. Key findings and conclusions There are many nutritional properties of food by-products; however, their technological properties are promising. For example, orange juice by-products can be used as encapsulating material by spray drying. The apple pomace can stabilize Pickering-type emulsions and has prebiotic potential. Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be used as an encapsulating agent to hydrophobic and hydrophilic compounds, while its extract can improve the sensory characteristics of cooked ham. Thus, by-products valorization is a challenging field of study since the circular economy concepts introduced in food science aim to ensure environmental protection and enhance economic development, reducing the environmental impact of food production.