Exploring the potential of cashew waste for food and health applications-A review

Nowadays, the effective utilization of food waste presents a significant challenge for the food industry. The transformation of food waste materials into useful products, and the production of healthy food products by the incorporation of food waste materials are a focus of many researchers these days. With the increasing world population and the rising challenge of low-cost but high-quality food, the utilization of food waste for the development of healthy dietary choices is a novel approach. Cashews become a demanding nut due to their remarkable health advantages and their byproducts have vast food and health applications. The constituents of cashew nutshell including proteins, dietary fibers, vitamins, and other phytonutrients are essential for human nutrition and they also possess strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. In this review, cashew nutshell, cashew testa or husk, cashew apple, and cashew apple pomace or bagasse that are considered waste materials derived from cashew nuts have been focused on exploring their nutritional composition, health benefits, and applications in the food industries. Cashew waste can be utilized in the confectionery, beverage, meat, and baking industry and to produce eco-friendly packaging materials. Cashew nutshells have shown evidence in improving certain biomarkers in health ailments like diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and bone diseases.