Understanding microwave-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from diverse food waste feedstocks

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of natural antioxidants from food waste (FW) offers an economically appealing waste management strategy. However, MAE from mixed FW has received limited attention. We characterize five single waste streams (apple, coffee, olive, tomato, and potato peel waste) and study MAE of phenolic acids from select feedstocks and mixtures. This library of materials enables us to unravel the relationship of FW composition and physical properties with dielectric properties, heating, and extractive yields. Protein, ash, and moisture contents affect dielectric properties the most. Our study unveils the significance of moisture in free (> 20 wt%) and bound states (< 20 wt%) on FW dielectric properties, heating, and target acid yields (at least 33 % enhancement). Microwaves primarily heat the solvent (dimethylformamide) due to its superior dielectric properties compared to FW (dry and moist, single and mixtures) at ≤ 0.05 solid-to-liquid ratio (g/mL). High moisture content (> 20 wt%) provides higher phenolic yields at lower temperatures (< 100 °C) and shorter times (≤ 10 min) due to enhanced heat and mass transfer by microwaves. Further, our data indicates significant interactions between mixed FW components that drive 2–3x higher yields than those predicted from a simple additive model from single component results. Our work provides new insights for developing versatile MAE strategies to treat mixed FW feedstocks.