Byproducts from the Vegetable Oil Industry: The Challenges of Safety and Sustainability

Irina Smeu, Alina Alexandra Dobre, Elena Mirela Cucu, Gabriel Mustățea, Nastasia Belc and Elena Loredana Ungureanu
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Irina Smeu: National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintilă Street, 021102 Bucharest, Romania
Alina Alexandra Dobre: National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintilă Street, 021102 Bucharest, Romania
Elena Mirela Cucu: National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintilă Street, 021102 Bucharest, Romania
Gabriel Mustățea: National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintilă Street, 021102 Bucharest, Romania
Nastasia Belc: National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintilă Street, 021102 Bucharest, Romania
Elena Loredana Ungureanu: National Research and Development Institute for Food Bioresources—IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintilă Street, 021102 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-13

Abstract: Food loss and food waste are a global challenge as about one third of all food produced around the globe is lost or wasted at some point in the food supply chain, from the farm to the fork. Vegetable oils generate a considerable amount of waste and byproducts, and such byproducts represent valuable opportunities for the food industry. Given the obvious benefits of using byproducts, special attention should be paid to the safety issues, especially when it comes to reintroducing them into the food chain. In this study, the quality and safety of several vegetable oil industry byproducts were evaluated in order to further consider them as potential ingredients in functional foods. Microbiological tests, mycotoxin assessments, and a heavy metal analysis were performed. The microbiological analysis showed reduced contamination with spoilage microorganisms, and a lack of contamination with pathogenic bacteria. All of the samples noted levels of deoxynivalenol, and, with a few exceptions, the heavy metal levels were below the maximum allowed limits. This study also notes the lack of regulation for this category of products. This not only puts the possibility of capitalizing on many food byproducts at risk, but also their widespread use as ingredients for the production of new functional products and their safe consumption.

Keywords: byproducts; food safety; food waste; vegetable oils; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:4:p:2039-:d:746648

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