Sunflower meal/cake as a sustainable protein source for global food demand: Towards a zero-hunger world

There is an urgent need for affordable, abundant, nutritionally balanced, and sustainable sources of proteins to meet the food demands of the growing global population. The utilization of sunflower meal/cake proteins (SMPs) in the food industry is currently limited due to their high levels of antinutritional factors, especially phenolics, as well as their limited functional properties. This review critically evaluates the potential of SMPs to meet global dietary protein requirements. Initially, the chemical composition and nutritional value of sunflower meal/cake are discussed. Then, the techno-functional attributes of SMPs are highlighted. Finally, challenges to using SMPs in the food industry are highlighted, as well as potential strategies to overcome them. The utilization of sunflower seed meal has the potential to alleviate malnutrition in severely affected countries. However, antinutritional factors must be removed from sunflower meal to improve its nutritional quality. This may be achieved using various processing technologies, including ultrasound, membrane, solvent, and heat treatments. The current review highlights the possible contribution of SMPs to address three of the United Nations' sustainable development goals: Goal 2 ‘Zero hunger’; Goal 3 ‘Good health and well-being’; and Goal 12 ‘Sustainable Food Production and Consumption’.