Summary
Food and kitchen waste – omnipresent in every corner of the world serve as an excellent source of value-added products owing to high organic content. Regardless of the existence of various traditional methods of landfilling or biogas production used to harness food waste energy, effective conversion of food to valuable resources is often challenged by its heterogenous nature and high moisture content. The current paper explores the prospects and consequences associated with food waste management. The various social, economic and environmental concerns associated with food waste management, especially in terms of green house gas emissions and extended rate of leachate generation, also have been discussed. The difficulties in proper collection, storage and bioconversion of food waste to valuable byproducts are pointed as a big hurdle in proper waste management. Finally, the wide array of value-added products developed from food waste after pretreatment are also enlisted to emphasise the prospects of food waste management.
