5S4b: Introduction - Waste reduction and novel resources for sustainable production of safe food or feed

Abstract

Currently, about 35% - 50% of the world agri-food production is not consumed and wasted in the form of organic residual streams. In nature, such organic food waste is ultimately recycled to usable molecules, nutrients or microbial biomass by some specific or combined activities of microorganisms. Using nature as inspiration, microbial activity offers the possibility to convert side streams from the agri-food industry or natural resource into valuable components for food, feed or chemicals.