Waste from Food and Agro-Food Industries as Pigment Sources: Recovery Techniques, Stability and Food Applications

This review discusses the innovative recovery techniques, the stability and the potential applications of pigments attainable from food waste and agro-food industries. It also discusses the effects of the extraction method on the chemical characteristics of the extracted pigments. The main pigment classes, namely anthocyanins, betalains, carotenoids and chlorophylls, are described with a focus on their beneficial health effects, antioxidant properties and chemical stability. The potential applications as food additives are also discussed, taking into account the legislative aspects of their usage, the stability in food matrices and the improvements of food nutritional and organoleptic quality.