Research Projects

The food industry produces significant amounts of waste materials from fruits and vegetables, causing negative environmental impacts and post-harvest losses. These residues are rich in bioactive substances, such as fibers, carotenoids, terpenes, phenolic acids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which can be valuated for their environmental and economic benefits. The project aims to develop a biorefinery approach to recover food wastes by extracting bioactive molecules, producing energy and bio fertilizers, and developing edible film coatings for fruits and vegetables. The project aims to improve the competencies of partners from India and Italy through international mobility of researchers and knowledge transfer. The project focuses on the utilization of waste generated from fruit and vegetable urban markets and industries to produce added-value molecules and biochemicals with biological activities such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The project aims to develop innovative and tailor-made formulations film- and emulsion-types alongside easily implemented application techniques for fruit and vegetable edible coatings to arrest moisture loss and enhance shelf life.