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Sustainable Innovations in Food Production, Packaging and Storage
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Sustainable Innovations in Food Production, Packaging and Storage

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2024 | Viewed by 3737

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Monika Marcinkowska-Lesiak

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Guest Editor
Department of Technique and Food Development, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159c Street, 32, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: non-thermal atmospheric plasma; alternative curing methods; unconventional methods of extending food quality; food packaging and storage with particular emphasis on edible coatings and films; quality of meat and meat products; enzymes in food design and production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Iwona Wojtasik-Kalinowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Technique and Food Development, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159c Street, 32, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: analysis of volatile compound profiles in raw and final products using electronic nose; exploring the use of electronic nose to analyze the volatile compounds present in various animal-derived products such as meat, plant and dairy; influence of technological processes and srorage on aroma profile of food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Andrzej Półtorak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Technique and Food Development, Institute of Human Nutrition Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159c Street, 32, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: influence of technological processes on the quality of food products; designing innovative food products; products of animal origin and their analogues
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the pursuit of environmental sustainability within the food industry, a multi-faceted approach encompasses product formulation modifications, food processing, packaging, and storage. This holistic strategy aims to minimize environmental impacts while prioritizing food quality, safety, and longevity.

Reformulating recipes to incorporate locally sourced, seasonal ingredients or embracing plant-based alternatives while reducing food additives represents a significant step towards a more sustainable approach to food production and consumption. These modifications contribute to fostering eco-conscious choices and reducing the industry's environmental footprint.

Innovative non-thermal technologies such as cold plasma (CP), high-pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound (US), pulsating electric fields (PEFs), pulsating light (PL), and ozone play a transformative role in food processing. These methods not only reduce energy consumption and waste generation but also eliminate the need for chemical preservatives, offering eco-friendly alternatives that enhance food safety and prolong shelf life.

The evolution of sustainable packaging materials sourced from biodegradable or recyclable materials, combined with innovative packaging designs, significantly reduces environmental impact. These solutions extend product shelf life, minimize food waste, and uphold quality throughout the supply chain, aligning with environmentally friendly practices.

Efforts to embrace eco-conscious practices across food processing, storage, packaging, and recipe formulation involve optimizing supply chain logistics, adopting renewable energy sources, and deploying intelligent packaging systems. This comprehensive strategy aims to minimize resource consumption, mitigate food loss, and reduce carbon footprints across the food industry.

This comprehensive topic invites contributions encompassing innovative methodologies and reviews that explore the effects of food reformulations, processing techniques, or packaging on promoting environmental sustainability within the food industry. Discussions focusing on novel strategies and future directions in this domain are welcomed.

By amalgamating advancements in food formulation, processing, packaging, and storage, the food industry can significantly contribute to a sustainable ecosystem. Embracing these eco-friendly practices ensures the availability of safe, high-quality food while concurrently reducing environmental impact, steering the industry towards a more environmentally conscious and sustainable future.

Dr. Monika Marcinkowska-Lesiak
Dr. Iwona Wojtasik-Kalinowska
Prof. Dr. Andrzej Półtorak
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. Applied Sciences 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

  • cold plasma (CP)
  • high-pressure processing (HPP)
  • ultrasound (US)
  • pulsating electric fields (PEFs)
  • pulsating light (PL)
  • ozone
  • shelf-life
  • packaging
  • sustainable production

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 4018 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Development of an Innovative Spreadable Plant-Based Product of High Added Value through the Valorization of an Agro-Food By-Product
by Alexios Vardakas, Aris E. Giannakas, Maria Dimitrakouda, Amarildo Ndreka, Christiana Chaintari, George Iordanidis, Nikolaos Vaggeli, Tarsizia Angelari, Kalliopi Almpounioti, Panagiota Potsaki, Olga Papagianni, Dimitrios Skondras, Ioannis K. Karabagias, Antonios E. Koutelidakis and Nikolaos D. Andritsos
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6525; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156525 - 26 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1409
Abstract
There is an increased demand for healthy foods by the consumer nowadays, while at the same time, circular bio-economy and sustainability in food production represent top priority issues for the food industry. In this context, purslane, a highly nutritious annual plant that grows [...] Read more.
There is an increased demand for healthy foods by the consumer nowadays, while at the same time, circular bio-economy and sustainability in food production represent top priority issues for the food industry. In this context, purslane, a highly nutritious annual plant that grows abundant during the hottest months of the year but is considered a by-product of the agricultural process, was utilized for the development of an innovative, ready-to-eat food product suitable for a vegetarian diet in the form of a bread spread. Following an initial small-scale experimentation for the stabilization of apparent quality attributes, the product’s recipe was finalized on an industrial scale, and the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) for the manufacturing process, the physicochemical (pH, water activity) and sensorial analysis of the end product, together with its nutritional value, shelf-life, and antioxidant capacity, were determined. The results suggested that the acidic (pH 4.3) product had a shelf-life of a minimum of six months to one year and, according to EU legislation, it comprised a source of (dietary) fibers and protein, while being high in poly-unsaturated (e.g., omega-3, omega-6), and mono-unsaturated (e.g., oleic acid) fatty acids. Total phenolic content (TPC) with the Folin–Ciocalteau assay and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) using the Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power assay of the product, presented concentrations of 0.95 mg of gallic acid equivalent/g and 0.016 mmol of Fe2+/g of dry weight of sample, respectively. However, the predicted bioavailability for TPC and TAC was 28% and 31%, respectively. The product was evaluated positively by a panel of potential consumers without significant differences compared to conventional familiar products. The potential of using agro-food chain by-products, such as purslane, for the development of novel foods representing a healthy and tasty food choice at any time of the day is a promising opportunity for the food industry to meet growing consumer demands for more sustainable, nutritious, and healthy food products with a reduced environmental footprint compared to the traditional plant-originated products of intensive agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovations in Food Production, Packaging and Storage)
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16 pages, 8091 KiB  
Article
Impact of Storage Conditions on Fruit Color, Firmness and Total Soluble Solids of Hydroponic Tomatoes Grown at Different Salinity Levels
by Khalid A. Al-Gaadi, Ahmed M. Zeyada, ElKamil Tola, Abdullah M. Alhamdan, Khalid A. M. Ahmed, Rangaswamy Madugundu and Mohamed K. Edrris
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(14), 6315; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14146315 - 19 Jul 2024
Viewed by 665
Abstract
Tomatoes are delicate and prone to damage quickly, which ultimately leads to lower quality and increased post-harvest losses. Hence, an ideal storage environment is very important to maintain the quality of tomato fruits after harvest. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the [...] Read more.
Tomatoes are delicate and prone to damage quickly, which ultimately leads to lower quality and increased post-harvest losses. Hence, an ideal storage environment is very important to maintain the quality of tomato fruits after harvest. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of storage conditions on the quality parameters of tomato fruits. Experiments were de-signed for six storage periods (4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 days) and two temperatures (12 °C and room air temperature “22 °C”). Three tomato fruit quality parameters (Brix, color, and firmness) have been selected and measured for three tomato varieties (Ghandowra-F1, Forester-F1, and Feisty-Red) grown hydroponically at three salinity levels (2.5, 6.0, and 9.5 dS m−1) of the nutrient solution. Results showed that the highest mean Brix values, for all varieties, were recorded at the highest salinity (9.5 dS m−1), and were significantly (Pr < 0.0001) higher than those at medium (6.0 dS m−1) and low (2.5 dS m−1) salinity levels. In addition, the highest fruit firmness was recorded at high salinity level (9.5 dS m−1), but there was no significant difference to that recorded at medium salinity (6.0 dS m−1). Regarding tomato fruit color, the highest average values were recorded for the Ghandowra-F1 (2.51) and Forester-F1 (2.69) varieties at medium salinity (6.0 dS m−1), while the highest average color value for the Feisty-Red variety (1.54) was obtained at high salinity (9.5 dS m−1). On the other hand, the Brix, color, and firmness of tomato fruits were significantly affected by the storage temperature. Moreover, the mean Brix values (7.66%) were slightly higher at 12 °C storage temperature compared to those at 22 °C (7.38%). In general, the fruit color values gradually increased with the storage period, especially under 22 °C storage temperature, with peak color values of 2.73, 2.70, and 1.66 recorded on the 12th day of the storage period for Ghandowra-F1, Forester-F1, and Feisty-Red, respectively. Tomato fruit firmness decreased faster with the storage period at 22 °C compared to the storage temperature of 12 °C. However, the highest average values of fruit firmness for Ghandowra-F1 (9.37 N cm−1) and Forester-F1 (9.41 N cm−1) recorded at control condition were not significantly different those recorded on the 8th day of storage at 12 °C storage temperature. By contrast, the highest average value of fruit firmness for Feisty-Red (8.85 N cm−1) recorded at control condition was not significant than that recorded on the 4th day of the storage period at 12 °C storage temperature (8.82 N cm−1). Overall, tomato fruits can be stored at 12 °C temperature for up to 20–24 days, without negative effects on fruit quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovations in Food Production, Packaging and Storage)
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Review

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22 pages, 1176 KiB  
Review
Trends and Opportunities in the Dairy Industry: A2 Milk and Processing Methods
by Klara Żbik, Anna Onopiuk, Elżbieta Górska-Horczyczak and Agnieszka Wierzbicka
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6513; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156513 - 25 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Milk is a valuable raw material with incomparable nutritional and technological properties. The dairy market is a fast-growing economical area with more and more innovations emerging recently. The review identifies contemporary trends in the dairy industry, focusing on specific types of A1 and [...] Read more.
Milk is a valuable raw material with incomparable nutritional and technological properties. The dairy market is a fast-growing economical area with more and more innovations emerging recently. The review identifies contemporary trends in the dairy industry, focusing on specific types of A1 and A2 milk and their applications. The A2-type milk is a promising innovation with the potential to alleviate the problem of milk consumption associated with the BCM-7 peptide which is important for many consumers. An increase in its production could also positively impact on biodiversity. A1 and A2 milk have different properties which should be analyzed in future studies. An important topic is newly developed processing methods that allow obtaining safe dairy products without a significant impact on their nutritional value and functional and sensory properties. Thermal, non-thermal, and combined processing technologies are continuously developed. However, there is currently insufficient information on the impact of processing technology on A2 milk. This will likely change in the near future. The combination of the latest technological advances will soon make it possible to provide new, increased quality of dairy products to consumers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Innovations in Food Production, Packaging and Storage)
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