Main biopolymers derived from food by-products: a brief review

Abstract

The food industries daily produce large amounts of by-products from the processing of milk, meat, beer, wine, sugar cane, coffee, vegetables and fruits, among other products. The food by-products generated include husks, seeds, stems, roots, pomace, pulp residue and whey. The lack of sustainable management associated with the low incentives to use these by-products through current legislation, encourages the disposal of these materials in sanitary landfills. However, studies point to great potential in the development of biomaterials using by-products as a source of raw material, instigating the academic and industrial environment in the search for new materials of a sustainable nature, enabling an increase in revenue, in addition to reducing possible polluting agents. Therefore, this review aims to highlight the aptitude of food by-products in the formulation of biomaterials.