Present and Future Perspectives on the Use of Olive-Oil Mill Wastewater in Food Applications

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) are one of the main by-products or pollutants of virgin olive oil production. Otherwise, OMW show to have high recycling potential. Especially, the phenolic compounds extracted from OMW exhibit profound antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory activities. The present paper gives an overview of the possible utilization of OMW in food applications. OMW phenolic extract was assayed to fortify, to preserve the organoleptic properties and to enhance consumer acceptance of the meat and meat products. We report on effective utilization of OMW extract in retaining or enhancing the nutritional value, stability and bioavailability of starter cultures, and delaying the production of browning due to Millard reaction in milk, functional and fermented beverages. When added in oil and oil/water emulsion, OMW polyphenols effect on retarding the lipid oxidation improves the oxidative status of the product. OMW extract is also used in bakery products to preserve their technological properties and slow down the chances of fungal spoilage. OMW is a source of various beneficial bioactive compounds, such as fiber, prebiotics, enzymes and natural ingredients in packaging film material. Finally, from a biotechnological point of view, OMW could be used at the industrial level to produce economically convenient microbial media. All studied applications evidence that OMW extracts have the suitable potential to improve functional properties and shelf life of the food products. However, there are still several hurdles to overcome for the realistic utilization of OMW in food applications.