Summary
Reduction of food waste provides important environmental and economic benefits. Valorization of food by-products into edible materials is one of the most interesting strategies in this field. However, food by-products and wastes can contain chemical contaminants or potential pathogens that may endanger consumers’ health. Therefore, assuring quality and safety of these by-products is of utmost importance to take advantage of this valorization strategy. In this review, safety evaluation of valorized by-products intended for human and animal consumption has been revised and critically discussed. With this aim, the most relevant applications of valorized by-products intended for livestock feed or food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries, in which quality and safety were assessed have
Regional applicability
The findings are internationally relevant but particularly applicable to United Kingdom and European contexts, where food waste reduction and circular economy principles are policy priorities. The identified regulatory gaps have direct implications for UK and EU legislation on food safety, animal feed standards, and novel food approval processes.
Key measures
Safety assessment methodologies including physicochemical analysis, microbiological testing, determination of toxic contaminants, and decontamination procedures; regulatory compliance requirements
Outcomes reported
The review compiled applications of valorized food by-products in livestock feed, food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries, examining safety assessment practices and regulatory requirements. The analysis identified gaps in safety evaluation, decontamination procedures, and specific legislation governing the suitability of valorized by-products.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.