Abstract

The present era is witnessing a rise in research and development activities, focused on the conversion of waste, biomass, and various residues into energy, fuels, and other useful materials. Environmental distress with the recent economic crunch, and political insecurity has urged for industrial innovation, aiding new job opportunities, enhanced competitiveness, and improved economic growth. Large quantities of both liquid and solid waste are produced every year by the agar processing industries. These waste materials contain biodegradable organic and inorganic matter, and disposal of such waste eventually creates serious environmental problems. The waste loads of the processing plant can be reduced significantly through the use of new or modified processing methods or in-plant treatment. Many opportunities exist for better utilization of agar processing industrial wastes. This review has included the effective utilization of agar wastage and switched to the preparation of fertilizer, bio-fillers, feed, protein hydrolysis, flavor enhancer and other valorized food products.

Keywords: Agar wastage; Valorization; By-product development; Waste utilization