Valorization of Fruit and Vegetable Processing Wastes as Prebiotics: A Review

Although fruit and vegetable processing wastes are a great source of several macro/micronutrients and nutraceutical ingredients, in most cases, they are discarded or underutilized. Given the advancements in technology and the increasing awareness about the prospects of resource recovery, it is indeed a sustainable approach to effectively valorize such biomasses for both food and non-food applications. One promising concept is their prebiotic potential. Particularly, these agro-processing wastes are rich in dietary fiber and an array of bioactive compounds, making them an excellent substrate for probiotics, which are valued for their numerous health benefits. The effective extraction and inclusion of prebiotic fibers, oligosaccharides and bioactives from processing residues into a variety of functional foods, beverages, and supplements has been made possible by advancements in food technology. Considering the increasing research interest in this area, this review presents the fundamental concepts, expands on compositional merits, provides commodity-specific advantages, and concludes with the relevance and rising thrust of sustainability and the circular food economy. The sector benefits from the synergy between the circular economy policies and increased industry focus on waste valorization strategies, which further improve commercial viability. With consumers placing a greater emphasis on sustainability, clean-label products, and vegan-friendly options, plant-based prebiotics, including those made from fruit and vegetable byproducts, dominate market shares. Emphasis is placed on recent insights and innovations. With promising prospects and a keen focus on a circular food economy, the approach must consider scalability and commercialization, as many waste streams require pretreatment, the heterogeneous nature of waste makes process optimisation difficult and can lead to scalability issues