Optimizing Wheat Milling By-Products: An Overview of Processing Techniques

The increasing demand for novel and healthy food options is largely driven by the rise in lifestyle diseases and the global challenges of climate change. Annually, wheat by-products (WBP) production surpasses 150 million tons, with an anticipated growth of 10 million tons per year from 2021 to 2027. This surge has attracted researchers' interest in leveraging WBP as sustainable food resources that promote human health. This review evaluates the effects of thermal and emerging nonthermal processing technologies on WBP, focusing on enzyme activity, antinutritional factors, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and functional properties. Notably, thermal degradation poses significant challenges due to the heat sensitivity of WBP's nutritional components. Therefore, nonthermal techniques like high-intensity ultrasound, radiofrequency, and cold plasma are being explored for their potential to enhance nutritional quality and extend shelf life. Further investigation is crucial to comprehensively understand the effects of these innovative treatments on WBP. Such research could facilitate the incorporation of treated WBP into the food industry, leading to new health-promoting products.