Speaker
Description
Introduction: Food insecurity remains a pressing global challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where poor nutrition negatively affect maternal and child health. It is estimated that 1.3 billion tonnes of food go wasted annually, representing a significant loss of nutrients. Enzymatic waste valorization provides an economical and eco-friendly approach for converting food and agricultural waste into valuable products. Traditionally applied in the production of animal feed and biofuels, this process has emerging potential for generating high-quality nutritive products for human consumption.
Objective: This systematic review examined the enzymatic bioconversion of food and agricultural waste into value-added nutrient-rich products suitable for human consumption, and for improving maternal and infant health.
Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted on Scopus, PubMed and CABI Direct to identify relevant studies published between January 2001 and July 2025. The search terms included “enzyme valorization”, “agricultural waste products”, “nutritive products”, and “food waste”. After thorough screening, nine (9) studies met the inclusion criteria.
Results: The selected studies highlighted the effectiveness and nutritional benefits of enzymatic bioconversion in producing high-quality nutritive products. Examples include high Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) fish oils from salmon using alcalase; low-antigenicity protein hydrolysate with balanced amino acids profiles from fish and poultry waste from multienzyme composition (alcalase, neutrase, flavourzym, protamez); single-cell protein rich in essential amino acids from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysis to combat protein-energy malnutrition; and beta-carotene-enhanced carrot pomace powders from fructozym to address vitamin A deficiency. These products show particular promise for improving maternal and infant health.
Implication: Enzymatic waste valorization offers a cost-effective, nutrient-rich approach to advancing a sustainable circular economy and reducing food insecurity among vulnerable groups, particularly among infants and mothers. Future research should focus on clinical validation of health benefits and optimization of enzyme processes to enhance efficiency and scalability.
Keywords: Enzyme, Agricultural waste, food waste, valorization, nutritive products