Sustainable Analytical Techniques for Extraction of Bioactive Compounds in Food Samples and Waste Valorization

In a world increasingly focused on sustainable progress, it is surprising that approximately 33% of global food production is lost or discarded. For this reason, sustainability is now one of the main targets proposed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), encouraging circular economy to take advantage of waste and transforming it into value-added products. Increasing awareness of sustainability has made it clear that food waste, which is rich in biologically active compounds, holds immense potential as a valuable resource for the food and pharmaceutical sectors. In this context, this chapter explores sustainable technologies for the recovery of bioactive components from food and waste as a crucial practice to meet the expanding demand for natural constituents across different sectors. This chapter begins by outlining the development of green extraction methods over time and providing a definition of bioactive compounds with their characteristics and properties. Herein, sources of bioactive compounds and sustainable extraction methods with a brief comparison of traditional technologies are reviewed. Additionally, this chapter presents industrial applications, promoting the reuse of waste materials and resource optimization. Finally, the chapter addresses current challenges and prospects in advancing sustainable technologies for extracting bioactive components, highlighting the need to overcome technical and economic barriers. This overview concludes by affirming the importance of sustainable technologies as an opportunity to align with global sustainability goals to obtain high-value products in a responsible and efficient manner.