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Research Advances in Food Science: Towards Sustainable Product Development and Innovation

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 7015

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ebenezer Miezah Kwofie

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Guest Editor

Integrated Food and Bioprocess Engineering Program, Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
Interests: life cycle assessments; sustainable food process modeling; environmental nutrition trade-offs; eco-efficiency; circular bioeconomy; digital twin for food and bioprocess systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Samuel Perez-Vega

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Guest Editor

Chemistry Faculty, Autonomous University of Chihuahua, Chihuahua 31125, Mexico
Interests: sustainable food processing; bioactives extraction; sustainable food systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in developing sustainable food products, where the three pillars of sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) are thoughtfully incorporated. Methodologies such as life cycle assessment (LCA), eco-design, circular food economy (CFE), and planetary boundaries have increased awareness about environmental issues in the food system. Regarding the social aspect, nutrition and food safety are recognized as fundamental challenges for the following years. Current challenges include developing or improving foods to ensure food safety and better society's nutritional status. The food sector presents unique opportunities in this regard, leading to innovations enhancing nutrition and reducing environmental impacts.

This Special Issue aims to explore the different aspects (social, economic, and environmental) of sustainable food product development in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recently established by the United Nations.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Food or processing design considering current SDGs;
Food innovation considering sustainability aspects (social, economic, and environmental);
Effect of the level of processing (minimum to ultra-processing) in nutritional effects such as bioavailability and accessibility;
Effect of food processing on immunomodulatory activity;
Food processing considering foods with a low environmental impact and high nutritional content;
Foods including food safety frameworks, especially for vulnerable communities;
Improving food packaging, shelf life, or artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce food losses;
Foods developed inside a circularity framework for a reduction in losses;
Foods designed considering tools such as LCA, eco-design, eco-efficiency, circularity, and planetary boundaries;
Development initiatives to mitigate environmental or nutritional hotspots in the food system.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ebenezer Kwofie
Dr. Samuel Perez-Vega
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

food science
food processing
sustainability
nutrition
sustainable development goals (SDGs)
food systems

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 3626 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Co-Production of Xylanase, Cellulase, and Pectinase through Agroindustrial Residue Valorization Using Solid-State Fermentation: A Techno-Economic Assessment

by Jazel Doménica Sosa-Martínez, Lourdes Morales-Oyervides, Julio Montañez, Juan Carlos Contreras-Esquivel, Nagamani Balagurusamy, Suresh Kumar Gadi and Ivan Salmerón

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1564; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041564 - 13 Feb 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 915

Abstract

This work describes the evaluation of the solid-state fermentation (SSF) bioprocess utilizing brewery spent grain (BSG) and apple pomace (AP) as carbon sources and matrices for microorganism growth to produce xylanase, pectinase, and cellulase. The process was assessed at a larger scale by designing a packed column-type bioreactor equipped with sensors for monitoring critical parameters such as CO₂ concentration, humidity, and temperature. Then, process simulation was used to evaluate the techno-economic feasibility of the bioprocess at an industrial scale. The analysis centered on evaluating which formulation, primarily containing xylanase (scenario 1), pectinase (scenario 2), or cellulase (scenario 3), yielded the most promising results for advancing to the commercial stage. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore the influence of variations in raw material costs and enzyme prices. The obtained results at a higher scale were within the expected results obtained under optimum conditions. Scenario 1 exhibited strong economic viability with further optimization potential (base case: 5000 kg/batch with an ROI of 37.59%, payback time of 2.66 years, IRR of 26.8%, and net present value of USD 7,325,537). The sensitivity analysis revealed that changes in enzyme prices, particularly xylanase, could significantly influence the process’s profitability. This study also demonstrated the potential for cost optimization by selecting a more cost-effective inoculum media and optimizing water usage to enhance process efficiency and sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Food Science: Towards Sustainable Product Development and Innovation)

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18 pages, 4637 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Broccoli Leaves (Brassica oleracea var. italica) as a Source of Bioactive Compounds and Chemical Building Blocks: Optimal Extraction Using Dynamic Maceration and Life Cycle Assessment

by Aranza Nallely Manríquez-Zúñiga, Argelia Rosillo de la Torre, Laura Valdés-Santiago, Diana A. Hernández-Bustos, Samantha Cuéllar-Sojo, Angélica Hernández-Rayas, Samuel Perez-Vega and Carlos Eduardo Molina-Guerrero

Sustainability 2023, 15(24), 16616; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152416616 - 6 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1308

Abstract

Bioactive compounds (BACs) and chemical building blocks (CBBs) play a pivotal role in driving economic growth. These compounds, known for their diverse applications in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and manufacturing, have become integral to meeting the increasing demand for sustainable and innovative products. In this research, we used and characterized dynamic maceration to extract BACs and CBBs from broccoli leaves (BLs). A central composite design (CCD) was selected to evaluate the effect of temperature (from 4 °C to 70 °C), ethanol concentration (from 30% to 70% (v/v)), and exposition time (15 to 60 min) on total phenolic content (TPC) (mg of gallic acid equivalents (GAEs) per 100 g of dry biomass (db)). A confirmation experiment (CE) was performed to reproduce the optimal conditions (50 °C, 36.92 min, and 30% (v/v)) for BAC extraction. Results indicated a GAE concentration of 112.95 ± 0.92 mg/100 g db, while the statistical model predicted a value of 111.87 mg of GAEs/100 g db (error of 0.95%) with a rate constant (k) value of 0.0154 mg/g·min (R² of 0.9894). BACs and CBBs were identified with gas chromatography–electron impact mass spectrometry detecting l-isoleucine, l-leucine, malonic acid, and succinic acid, among others. Finally, a life cycle inventory (LCI) was developed to determine global warming (GW) and water consumption (WC), among others, for 10 g of BL extract. Findings reported herein prove the sustainability of eco-friendly extraction of BACs and CBBs for the effective use of agricultural by-products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Food Science: Towards Sustainable Product Development and Innovation)

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Graphical abstract

11 pages, 1924 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Whey Protein Concentrate on Rheological Properties of Gluten-Free Doughs and Their Performance in Cookie Applications

by Lijia Zhu, Luke Snider, Thanh Hien Vu, Gnana Prasuna Desam, Tomas J. Herald, Hulya Dogan, Alfadhl Y. Khaled, Akinbode A. Adedeji and Sajid Alavi

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10170; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310170 - 27 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1558

Abstract

Gluten-free foods continue to be a hot topic and trend in the food market because more people are being diagnosed with gluten intolerance. Whey is a by- or co-product of the dairy industry and is considered a waste stream. In this study, whey protein concentrate (WPC), one of the whey products, was added at 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12% levels to sorghum and corn flours to make gluten-free products in the form of cookies. Mixograph and subjective evaluation showed that optimal water absorption (corn: 50–55%; sorghum: 55–60%) increased with increasing WPC level in both sorghum and corn flour dough systems. Increasing WPC from 8 to 12% resulted in a decrease in storage modulus (G’) and loss modulus (G’’) for both sorghum and corn doughs. Corn dough rheological properties were less affected by WPC addition as compared to sorghum. The diameter of gluten-free sorghum and corn cookies significantly increased with the fortification of WPC. The color of sorghum and corn cookies became darker as the WPC level increased. Cookies prepared with 10% WPC addition showed the most hardness and brittleness, probably due to the gelling property of WPC. This study contributes to the sustainable utilization of whey product and helps understand the performance of WPC during the processing of gluten-free products and its potential for making food snacks such as cookies in food manufacturing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Food Science: Towards Sustainable Product Development and Innovation)

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Review

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31 pages, 1671 KiB

Open AccessReview

Perspectives and Progress in Bioethanol Processing and Social Economic Impacts

by Mario Alberto Yaverino-Gutiérrez, Alán Yazid Chávez-Hita Wong, Lizbeth Alejandra Ibarra-Muñoz, Ana Cristina Figueroa Chávez, Jazel Doménica Sosa-Martínez, Ana Sofia Tagle-Pedroza, Javier Ulises Hernández-Beltran, Salvador Sánchez-Muñoz, Julio César dos Santos, Silvio Silvério da Silva and Nagamani Balagurusamy

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 608; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020608 - 10 Jan 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2519

Abstract

The liquid biofuel bioethanol is widely produced worldwide via fermenting sugars extracted from a variety of raw materials, including lignocellulose biomass, one of the world’s most abundant renewable resources. Due to its recalcitrant character, lignocellulose is usually pretreated by mechanical, chemical, and biological methods to maximize sugar recovery. Pretreated lignocellulose biomass undergoes a fermentation process performed sequentially or simultaneously to saccharification. The different fermentation strategies (e.g., separate or simultaneous hydrolysis and fermentation or co-fermentation) and conditions (e.g., inoculum type load, agitation, temperature, and pH) affect ethanol yield. Genetic modification of the inoculum has been focused recently to improve ethanol tolerance and as well as to use different sugars to enhance the performance of the microorganisms involved in fermentation. Nonetheless, these improvements result in a substantial increase in costs and have certain environmental costs. This review offers an overview of advancements in bioethanol production, with a primary focus on lignocellulosic feedstock, while also considering other feedstocks. Furthermore, it provides insights into the economic, social, and environmental impacts associated with bioethanol production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Advances in Food Science: Towards Sustainable Product Development and Innovation)

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