Sustainable innovation and circular economy in industrial food processing: an integrative review with emphasis on Bolivia

Abstract

Industrial food processing faces a dual pressure: increasing availability and food safety while reducing environmental impacts, food losses, and waste. In Bolivia, this challenge is intensified by logistic constraints, technological heterogeneity, and policy frameworks focused on integrated waste management and the rights of Mother Earth. This article presents an integrative review with a critical-reflective orientation, based on scientific and technical evidence published mainly between 2014 and 2025. A total of 728 initial records were identified, and 51 sources were included in the final synthesis. The analysis was organized into four axes: circularity pathways, sustainable processing technologies, impact measurement, and implementation in the Bolivian context. Reduction, reuse, recycling, and recovery strategies are discussed, together with emerging technologies such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma, and membrane separations. The analysis shows that circularity is not automatic; it requires life-cycle assessment, governance, traceability, food safety, and economic feasibility. A Bolivia-oriented agenda is proposed, based on minimum indicators, territorial pilot projects, and coordination among industry, municipalities, and academia.