Microbial food waste valorization: advances, challenges, and perspectives

Food waste is a global challenge and poses significant environmental and economic challenges. Many initiatives have been launched towards managing food waste through the supply chain to tackle this global issue. In this review, we discuss microbial fermentation as a sustainable solution for food waste valorization, transforming organic matter into energy, valuable compounds, and biomaterials by harnessing the abilities of microorganisms. We highlight the impact of synthetic biology and metabolic engineering in enhancing microbial efficiency, optimizing substrate utilization, and expanding industrial applications. We also examine biorefinery integration as a pathway for large-scale implementation and highlight emerging startups in this space. Finally, we address key challenges such as substrate heterogeneity, scalability, and economic feasibility in the transition toward a circular bioeconomy.