Studies about the utilization of citrus wastes in view of environment protection

Abstract

The increasing needs to protect environment require a correct management of wastes, including agro industry wastes deriving from citrus processing. These industries produce in the world an amount of wastes estimated in about 14 million t every year. This chapter concerns the utilisation of citrus industry wastes as peels and refining pulps of the juices. From these wastes it is possible to obtain products employed in the alimentary and pharmaceutical industries, as pectin, mucilage, flavonoids and feed for animals. In particular, lemon peels are mostly utilized in order to obtain good quality pectin, instead orange peels and juice pulp are used for production of fodders. From lemon juice pulp it is possible to draw mucilage and flavonoids. Furthermore citrus wastes may be treated and valued in order to obtain derivatives utilizable as source of energy, that are bioethanol and biogas obtained by fermentation and other materials useful by physical treatments. Therefore, the procedures described appear attractive in economic terms adding value to this waste and beneficial to the environment reducing the microbiological contamination too.