Toward a Greener Future: Applying Circular Economy Principles to Saudi Arabia’s Food Sector for Environmental Sustainability

Almulhim, Abdulaziz I.

doi:10.3390/su16020786

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 86 publications

(107 reference statements)

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“…This means that environmental and economic impact aspects must both be considered to create an overall balance regarding the circular economy approach. What clearly emerges in the literature analysed in this review is a strong positive view and dedication in the research activity towards the circular economy, enabling waste reduction and lowering consumption of natural resources that are becoming scarce, thus favouring the environment [128].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Recent Innovations on the Reuse of Almond and Hazelnut By-Products: A Review

Ollani,

Peano,

Sottile

2024

Sustainability

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Nuts consumption has increased significantly in the last 10 years, especially driven by the stimulated awareness of their possible beneficial health effects. Increased nuts consumption is linked to an obvious accumulation of by-products and waste. With the view of the circular economy, the aim of this review is to analyse the recent and innovative approaches able to valorise the by-products derived from almonds and hazelnuts, two important nut products of the Italian scene, with historical and traditional importance. The most important solutions are concerned with reuse of almond hull, shell, skin, oil cake, and hazelnut shell; skin and oil cake are often considered waste or by-products. Many interesting implications in the feed and food sectors have been detected in the last ten years, aimed at designing innovative materials developed from by-products and extraction of bioactive molecules for different purposes. The perspective chosen to discuss the topic is related to the sustainability of these processes, in terms of both the environment and economy. The circular economy supports a zero-waste approach, which should not also be meant as a zero-cost process in terms of the level of technology that has been partially developed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Recent Innovations on the Reuse of Almond and Hazelnut By-Products: A Review

Ollani,

Peano,

Sottile

2024

Sustainability

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Potential of Portuguese Viticulture By-Products as Natural Resources of Bioactive Compounds—Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

Vinha,

Sousa,

Vilela

et al. 2024

Applied Sciences

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Vitis vinifera is the grape variety used in the production of wine and other products. In the wine production process, many of the vine’s by-products are wasted, namely seeds and stems. Given the proportion of wine production worldwide, the quantity of by-products is beginning to be an environmental problem, making it urgent to take measures for their use to obtain bioactive compounds with health benefits. The aim of this work was to study the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of extracts from the seeds and stems of four Portuguese grape varieties: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Viosinho, and Tinta Roriz. Total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoids (TFC) contents present in the different extracts were evaluated, as well as the antioxidant activity, by DPPH and FRAP methods. TPC and TFC values of the stem’s extracts are much higher than those of the seeds of the same grape variety in the same solvent. The antioxidant activity of aqueous and ethanolic stem extracts is higher than that obtained for the seeds, showing that antioxidant activity is related to the content of polyphenols. The antimicrobial activity of different stem and seed extracts was determined against yeasts and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and the effect was determined based on the minimal inhibitory concentrations calculated (MIC). In general, the ethanol:water (1:1) extract of the seeds from the different varieties tested inhibited C. albicans ATCC10231 and C. krusei ATCC6258 growth even at 200 μg/mL, and the effect was fungicidal at 200 μg/mL. The same type of extract showed selective antimicrobial activity, inhibiting S. aureus ATCC29213 growth but having no effect against E. coli ATCC25922 even at 200 μg/mL. The effect against S. aureus was bactericidal (at 200 μg/mL) for Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, and Viosinho. Taking all these results into account, it can be concluded that the by-products of the grape varieties tested are important sources of bioactive products, particularly as antioxidants and antimicrobials.

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From Your Plate to Our Bin: Tackling Food Waste in Saudi Family Restaurants

Sobaih,

Elnasr

2024

Resources

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This research tackled the food waste problem in Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on family restaurants, where this issue is evident. The study adopted a semi-structured survey, including structured and open-ended questions with family restaurants’ owner–manager/managers. The results of quantitative and qualitative data analysis showed that the most frequent types of food waste in family restaurants are starchy foods, especially bread and rice with a waste ratio above 50% of these items. Additionally, the average ratio of food waste was at least 20% of served food at sampled restaurants per customer. Three major reasons for this high rate of food waste were consumers’ behavior, e.g., positive attitude towards food waste; external factors, e.g., absence of a legal framework; and factors related to restaurants, e.g., food portion served and food cycle management. The results identified no applied strategies for handling food left over and reducing food waste at most (70%) of Saudi restaurants. This study calls for a national policy and program on managing food waste at Saudi family restaurants by adopting the 5Rs model for proper food waste management. Restaurants are encouraged to adopt green initiatives, such as “clean your plate” or “eat or waste” to stimulate their customers’ behavior for reducing their food waste and sustain the environment. This would support a green and circular economy.

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Toward a Greener Future: Applying Circular Economy Principles to Saudi Arabia’s Food Sector for Environmental Sustainability

Cited by 3 publications

References 86 publications

Recent Innovations on the Reuse of Almond and Hazelnut By-Products: A Review

Recent Innovations on the Reuse of Almond and Hazelnut By-Products: A Review

Potential of Portuguese Viticulture By-Products as Natural Resources of Bioactive Compounds—Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities

From Your Plate to Our Bin: Tackling Food Waste in Saudi Family Restaurants

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