Prevention of Food-Processing Wastes

Although modern technology is available for treating food-processing wastes it does not meet the goal of the U.S. Clean Water Restoration Act of 1962 , to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters by 1985. The author discusses steps taken by the food-processing industry to improve waste treatment and to recycle water during peeling, de-waxing, cleaning, blanching, pickling, wheat and potato starch manufacture, and soya-bean refining, and reviews the economics of such measures. Meeting the proposed standard by 1985 will require modifications producing concentrated waste fractions that can be de-hydrated; very effective biological treatments; or dry processing methods.