The growing threat of food insecurity together with some challenges in demography, health, malnutrition, and income instability around the globe has led researchers to take sustainable solutions to ensure secure production and distribution of food. The last decades have been remarkable in the agri-food supply chain for many food industries. However, vast quantities of food by-products and wastes are generated each year. These products are generally disposed in the environment, which could have remarkable adverse effects on the environment and biodiversity. However, they contain significant quantities of bioactive, nutritional, antioxidative, and aroma compounds. Their sustainable use could meet the increased demand for value-added pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and food products. The amount of agri-food wastes and their disposal in the environment are predicted to double in the next decade. The valorization of these by-products could effectively contribute to the manufacture of cheaper functional food ingredients and supplements while improving regional economy and food security and mitigating environmental pollution. The main aim of this chapter is to present an understanding of the valorization of the wastes and by-products from cacao, coffee and tea processing with a focus on their bioactive, nutritional, and antioxidant capacity.
Keywords: Antioxidants; Bioactive compounds; By-products; Functional foods; Valorization; Wastes.
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