A review on characteristics of food waste and their use in butanol production

Rev Environ Health. 2019 Dec 18;34(4):447-457. doi: 10.1515/reveh-2019-0037.

Abstract

Biobutanol offers several advantages and a larger market, that make it a biofuel to be studied with great interest. In fact, butanol has an energy content similar to that of gasoline, and it can be used as an alternative fuel to gasoline. It is a biofuel that is safe for the environment. The optimization of the production of butanol thus appears as an attractive option. Butanol production from food waste (FW) is a process for carbon recovery and a method for solid waste recycling. Recently, the use of FW and food processing waste (FPW) as raw material for the production of butanol has attracted much interest. However, an efficient fermentation process is vital to improve the production of biobutanol. To the best of our knowledge, no review on butanol production from FW has been presented so far. Thus, this review focuses on the characteristics of FW and its potential to produce butanol. In addition, the main factors that affect their use for the production of butanol are also discussed.

Keywords: biobutanol; biofuel; fermentation; food waste; renewable energy.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biofuels / analysis*
  • Butanols / analysis*
  • Food*
  • Garbage*
  • Recycling
  • Refuse Disposal*

Substances

  • Biofuels
  • Butanols