Carrot and Its By-Products in the Circular Economy: A Review of Valorisation Pathways

Abstract

Carrots are one of the most widely consumed vegetables worldwide, owing to their nutritional benefits. They offer a wide range of prospects through utilization of all components of the plant. The carrot root, peel, pomace, and leaves represent values that contribute to product development in diversified uses: food processing, the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics, and bioenergy. In addition, carrot coproducts-peel, leaves, and pomace-contain biologically active compounds that can be extracted for a range of value-added products. Besides, carrot peels are rich in fiber and antioxidant contents convertible to powder materials that can be extracted, hence suitable for functional foods and dietary supplement applications. More significantly, the integration of carrots and their by-products provide an avenue to reduce environmental waste amidst emerging consumers' demand for clean-label and functional products. The review discusses the potential benefits as a way of mitigating waste accumulation and enhancing sustainable practices across industries. This review examines how different residues of the carrot, including the roots, peels, pomace, and leaves, can be used to produce value-added products. Furthermore, this review provides a balanced perspective on how these coproducts can be processed to extract valuable compounds from them. Additionally, this review outlines values regarding plant-based products from carrots and points to valorisation of whole carrot biomass as one of the strategies to reduce waste and enhance environmental sustainability.