Waste from the food industry could be utilized in its same productive process — this is the surprising conclusion of a study by Brazil's Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture at the University of São Paulo. In an analysis of waste from the beer, wine, processed tomato and guava industries, “we discovered that the food sector itself, which utilizes synthetic antioxidants that can cause harm to human health, discards great quantities of powerful natural antioxidants daily,” explained Priscilla Siqueira Melo, head of the study.

“The chemical composition and the biological activity of the discarded material naturally produces this antioxidant, which could replace the synthetic ones,” she told Tierramérica.

In addition to the health benefits, the utilization of these materials would prevent tons of waste from ending up in landfills.