Innovation In and Optimization of Strategies for the Ethical Food Industry: Production, Packaging, and By-Product Valorization
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Security and Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 146
Special Issue Editor
Interests: food sciences (including food technology and nutrition)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Global food production must increase up to 70% by 2050 to meet the demands of the growing world population (FAO. Global agriculture towards 2050, Rome) yet, currently, over one-third of food produced globally is lost or wasted (FAO. Global Food Losses and Food Waste: Extent, Causes and Prevention, Rome). Food loss determines the decrease in edible food mass along the food chain, including the production, post-harvest, and processing levels. Reducing food wastage represents a neglected opportunity, particularly in developing countries, to improve food security and availability. Tackling the issue of food loss and waste can generate a triple win: (1) reductions can save money for farmers and companies, improving the workers’ profit and household economy; (2) wasting less food means feeding more people, and, finally, (3) waste reductions can alleviate pressure on the climate, as well as on water and land use, contributing to resilience to climate change.
In this Special Issue, we invite submissions of original research, review articles, and opinions on new strategies fostering an ethical food industry through the development of optimized production processes, innovative packaging solutions, extension of shelf life, and the valorisation of food by-products.
Dr. Corrado Rizzi
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- reduction of food wastage
- reduction of food loss along the food chain, including the production, post-harvest, and processing levels
- development of optimized food production processes
- innovative packaging solutions
- new strategies for extending food shelf life
- valorisation of food by-products
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Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Protein and oil contents, micro and macronutrients, and other quality indicators of soybean cultivated in lowland fields
Authors: Jéssica Streck Baisch; Mara Grohs; Paulo Ademar Avelar Ferreira; Gustavo Andrade Ugalde; Marcus Vinícius Tres; Giovani Leone Zabot
Affiliation: Laboratory of Agroindustrial Processes Engineering (LAPE), Federal University of Santa Maria, 3013 Taufik Germano Rd., Universitário II DC, Cachoeira do Sul, 96503-205, Brazil
Abstract: Soybean is one of the main agricultural commodities around the world. The cultivation of soybean is being expanded in traditional areas cultivated with rice, called lowlands. However, the soil characteristics are different from highlands, which influences the exportation of nutrients to the grains. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the physical-chemical and technological characteristics of soybean grains harvested in lowlands in Brazil. Two-year crops (2021/22 and 2022/23) were used with two types of soil preparation (scarified and non scarified) and six cover crop treatments (oats, clover, ryegrass, fallow, ryegrass + oats, and ryegrass + clover). The influence of these treatments was evaluated on grain yield, oil and protein contents, oil composition, quality indices (acidity, peroxide, iodine, and saponification), and contents of ash, carbohydrates, and micro and macronutrients. Grain yield achieved an average of 3829.8 kg ha-1, showing good production potential. Soil scarification positively influenced grain yield and contributed to higher protein and oil contents, with maximum values of 32.7 wt% and 27.6 wt%, respectively. The main fatty acids in oil were oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2). For gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3n6) and pentadecanoic acid (C15:0), the most representative percentages were related to treatment with soil scarification. The macronutrients phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sulfur, and the micronutrients copper, iron and manganese were in agreement with values reached in the highlands. For potassium and zinc, soil scarification allows higher levels of absorption. The use of ryegrass as a cover crop allows higher levels of nitrogen absorption. Regarding the acidity, peroxide, iodine and saponification indices of oil, all values were obtained in accordance with the scientific literature. The conclusions of this study indicate that it is possible to cultivate soybean in lowlands after developing a proper soil preparation. Consequently, the yields are increased and grains will benefit from higher protein and oil contents, enhancing soybean quality for commercialization.
