Harnessing emerging technologies to obtain biopolymer from agro-waste: application into the food industry

Food is a must for all life to survive. Global food production has increased owing to population augmentation, increasing the generation of food and agricultural residues. Agro-wastes are important sources of natural compounds such as biopolymers that can be used to develop value-added products contributing to replacing synthetic compounds. Biopolymers like pectin, starch, and chitin, have multiple functional properties, useful to improve the sensorial properties of foods, and provide a sustainable alternative to conventional materials in food processing and packaging. Researchers and the industrial sector have successfully converted agricultural residues into valuable edible biopolymers with prebiotic potential, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties by using emerging technologies such as ultrasound, microwave-assisted extraction, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and/or bioconversion. The variation of the extraction conditions using emerging technologies allows the modification of the structural properties of the polymer giving a wide range for their application in the food sector. Besides, the incorporation of Industry 4.0 in these processes allows the optimization, automatization, and obtention of high yields of polymers of improved quality. This review highlights the potential of emerging technologies to convert agricultural waste into valuable biopolymers to promote a greener and more innovative food sector. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)