EC Nutrition

Although fruits and vegetables are vital components of balanced diet, they also contribute significantly to global food waste. A substantial portion of this waste include residual biomasses such as peels, seeds, pomace, trimmings and leaves, which are rich in bioactive compounds like vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, and phytochemicals. This review highlights the potential of utilizing these residues for the development of value-added products, thereby contributing to environmental pollution reduction and sustain- able bioeconomy. This review also focuses potential applications of fruits and vegetables wastes across multiple industries i.e. food and nutraceuticals, cosmetics and personal care, pharmaceutical, biodegradable packaging and bioplastics and textile and dyeing in- dustries, supported by real-world examples. Various case studies and recent advancements in this domain are discussed to illustrate practical approaches for fruit and vegetable waste valorization. The findings indicate that, when processed through efficient biocon- version pathways, these wastes can be transformed into economically and nutritionally valuable resources. However, in developing countries like Pakistan, a lack of regulatory policies and structured framework remains a major barrier to implementation.

 Keywords: Residual Biomass; Bioactive Compounds; Sustainable Bioeconomy; Nutraceuticals; Bioplastics; Waste Valorization; Biocon- version

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