Process intensification in separation and recovery of biogenic volatile fatty acid obtained through acidogenic fermentation of organics-rich substrates

•Comprehensive review on the separation/recovery process of Volatile Fatty Acid.•Critical bottleneck in each process is extensively discussed.•Cost effectiveness of the recovery strategies are compared.•Process intensification is foreseen as future in VFA commercialization. Volatile fatty acid from acidogenesis of organic waste are new range of platform chemicals with potential to replace the fossil-fuel derived compounds. The wide range applications of VFA demands, purified product through specific separation and recovery processes. This paper reviews the downstream processing of VFA pertaining to adsorption, gas stripping, liquid-liquid extraction and membrane separation. Influential parameters in each process are discussed from the perspective of mechanism of separation. A trade-off between selectivity and efficiency (process and energy) exists with each process. The review highlights the need for extensive research in process intensification specific for VFA separation/recovery processes. In-situ separation and recovery of VFA from waste water, and its use as carbon source on-site will help in lowering the C-footprint values as well as GHG emissions. [Display omitted]