Banana Peels as Novel Food: Policies and Marketing of a Sustainable Product

This paper examines the potential use of banana peels as a sustainable food product, and the possibility of marketing it as a novel food. Currently, over 8 billion people need nourishment and resources are getting scarce to accommodate the growing population. That’s why governments, companies and organizations are now holding hands to reach a common goal: building a sustainable future. When it comes to food sustainability, there’s been much progress in creation of cultivated meat and plant-based products. But food waste valorization has been on the back burner. This literature review mentions the latest studies on the health benefits of banana peels as a food byproduct and how incorporating it in new recipes can combat food waste. In conclusion, the review found that there isn’t any specific EU legislation or a sustainability framework concerning the topic of food byproducts. And investments from both public and private sectors in the EU are needed to kick start product development. Moreover, establishing food safety regulations are required with strong use of IoT and data analytics for production quality control. Finally, the right marketing techniques, including product education, are needed to gather consumer interest in fruit peel consumption. All in all, there’s high market profitability in banana peel production and distribution.