Anca C. Fărcaş

By Sonia A. Socaci, Anca C. Fărcaş, Dan C. Vodnar and Maria Tofană

Food industry produces worldwide millions of tons of plant‐derived wastes which can be exploited as sources of high‐value components: proteins, fibres, polysaccharides, flavour compounds or different phytochemicals. These bioactive compounds can be valorised as functional ingredients in food, pharmaceutical, health care, cosmetic and other products. Using the recovered bioactive molecules as functional ingredients represents a sustainable alternative of food wastes exploitation as inexpensive source of valuable compounds, while developing innovative food and non‐food products with health‐promoting benefits and at the same time contributing to an efficient waste reduction management. This chapter gives an overview of the main classes of bioactive compounds recovered from food wastes and their potential applications as functional chemicals, without being exhaustive.

Part of the book: Superfood and Functional Food

By Anca Corina Fărcaş, Sonia Ancuța Socaci, Elena Mudura, Francisc Vasile Dulf, Dan C. Vodnar, Maria Tofană and Liana Claudia Salanță

Nowadays, the consumers’ global demand for healthier diets is steadily increasing, and the development of novel functional ingredients has become a focus of the food industry. On the other hand, the accumulation of huge amounts of food wastes every year has led to environmental degradation and especially to significant loss of valuable material that could otherwise be exploited as new health-promoting ingredients, fuels and a great variety of additives. In this respect, the biggest challenge of the current scientific world is to convert the underutilised by-products generated by the food and beverage industries into more profitable and marketable added value products which would also contribute significantly to meet the nowadays society needs. This chapter gives an overview regarding the possibility of exploiting the brewing industry wastes as sources of bioactive compounds in order to produce functional ingredients and products with added value.

Part of the book: Brewing Technology

By Sonia Ancuța Socaci, Dumitrița Olivia Rugină, Zorița Maria Diaconeasa, Oana Lelia Pop, Anca Corina Fărcaș, Adriana Păucean, Maria Tofană and Adela Pintea

The increase awareness of nowadays consumers regarding the food they purchase and consume and the health has led to an increase demand of foods containing biologically active compounds, namely antioxidants, which can help the body to fight against oxidative stress. As a consequence finding, new or nonconventional sources of antioxidants are a priority for food and also pharmaceutical industries. Wastes from fruits and vegetable processing are shown to contained valuable molecules (antioxidants, dietary fibers, proteins, natural colorants, aroma compounds, etc.) which can be extracted, purified and valorized in value-added products. The present chapter is underlying the great potential of food wastes to be exploited as sources of antioxidants based on the scientific evidences regarding the possibilities of extraction and purification, health benefits and envisaged applications of antioxidants recovered from these wastes.

Part of the book: Functional Food

By Anca C. Fărcaş, Sonia A. Socaci and Zorita M. Diaconeasa

Part of the book: Food Preservation and Waste Exploitation

By Maria Simona Chiș and Anca Corina Fărcaș

Cereals represent one the most famous crops worldwide, covering more than 20% of the human daily diet. Through their processing, several agro-food chain by-products are generated, emphasizing an urgent need for further valorization considering economic, social, and environmental factors. The ever-increasing demand for food requires new, healthy, and sustainable products. Therefore, the present chapter aims to highlight the main possibilities for cereal by-products valorization in bakery, pastry, and gastronomy products. Fermentation of the cereal by-products with lactic acid bacteria, optimization of the added by-product percentages in new functional products, extrusion process, and food fortification will be the main topics of the proposed chapter. The influence of the cereal by-products addition on human health will be also discussed.

Part of the book: Exploring the World of Cereal Crops [Working title]