Opportunities in Grain Processing, through the Use of Waste and By-Products: An Overview of Sustainable Valorization in the Food Industry

Abstract

In an increasingly resource-constrained era, the utilization approach of waste and by-products from grain processing, is attractive widely, considering both nutritive value and economic aspects and move towards more sustainable food systems. Following the fundamentals of a circular economy, the need of the hour lies in its effective utilization as a grain waste and by-products conversion into value-added products in food industry. The aim of this study is twofold: 1. Understanding the progress of grain waste and by-products to valorization in human nutrition, using bibliometrics; different literature databases namely Google Scholar, Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus have been evaluated for their merits and values; 2. Exploration of knowledge-based strategies, by reviewing the literature concerning the possible use of grain waste and by-products for food processing industry, reducing burden on virgin raw materials. The review allowed to unlock the latest-advances of upcycling side streams and waste from grain processing industry.

Insights into Grain Milling and Fractionation Practices for Improved Food Sustainability with Emphasis on Wheat and Peas

“…Cereal byproducts, such as bran, distiller's grains, and brewer's spent grains, are available in large quantities and can be exploited via upcycling processes. In other words, they can be converted into nutritionally valuable fractions, such as hemicelluloses (e.g., β-glucan and arabinoxylans) or proteins for food applications, whereas the insoluble fiber fractions can be used as feedstocks for bioethanol or the bulk chemical industry [62][63][64]. Brewer's spent grains are also considered potentially promising materials for upcycling into value-added ingredients rich in protein, fiber, and phenolic compounds with a low environmental footprint [65,66].…”