The olive oil industry has grown significantly in recent years due to several positive effects of olive oil to human health. At the same time, the industry produces large quantities of waste, which significantly burdens the environment and represents a high cost for their disposal. Nevertheless, waste products in the processing of olive oil contain highly valuable phenolic compounds. Recycled phenolic compounds might represent a favorable economic and environmentally friendly solution for the food industry. This thesis includes an overview of different extraction methods, especially environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional practice. We compared the methods according to the extraction conditions and the final results, more precisely the efficiency of each method and the final content of phenolic compounds. We have found that many modern extraction methods give better results compared to the conventional ones, which further contributes to the improvement of the economic aspect and alleviate the environmental problem. Furthermore, the food industry might benefit greatly from the bioactive extracts from olive waste. Waste extracts could be used as alternative natural additives because they possess many bioactive properties that would both extend the shelf life of individual food and have many beneficial effects on human health. To better control the release of phenolic compounds in the human body, we also cover some encapsulation options.
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