Pervaporation-aided processes for the selective separation of aromas, fragrances and essential (AFE) solutes from agro-food products and wastes

Pervaporation (PV) is recognized as a selective membrane process which has exhibited to meet the requirements for the separation of aromas, fragrances and essentials (AFE). The efficient selective separation of such organic compounds from natural sources is a current challenge due to their thermal stability. Research community is today exploring diverse selective and efficient techniques for the feasible production of aromas, in which PV is a potential candidate. Several studies have documented the successful recovery of AFE solutes from agro-food products and wastes. Thus, the target of this review is to release a comprehensive outlook of the ongoing development approaches, aimed at extracting AFE molecules from food sources. Herein, we report the findings accordingly to the most-sought natural extracts, and consequently analyzing the type of PV processes (i.e. hydrophilic/hydrophobic), separation performance (i.e. enrichment factor, permeate flux), and the molecule and membrane properties. Particular attention has been paid to the most recent studies and relevant findings, pointing out the key features for a successful separation. By analyzing the current literature data, we have established the key criteria and guidelines at implementing PV. Lately, this review denotes the current research gaps and recommendations to the new researchers in the field.