Microbial Safety and Beneficial Microorganisms in Foods

Dear Colleagues,

The role of microorganisms in food has been acknowledged since antiquity. However, the modern era has witnessed a significant advancement in our comprehension of the intricate ways microorganisms can exert detrimental and beneficial effects on the food system. Pathogenic microorganisms, such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli, can potentially cause severe foodborne illnesses. Conversely, beneficial microbes have been shown to enhance food stability, safety, and nutritional value. Recent research has focused on elucidating the complex interactions between foodborne pathogens and their environments, thereby facilitating the development of enhanced detection and control methodologies. Furthermore, there is a growing interest in utilizing beneficial microorganisms in food production, particularly in fermented foods and biopreservation. Applying genomics and molecular tracing networks has significantly enhanced our capacity to track and control microbial hazards in food.

This Special Issue provides a platform for researchers to advance our knowledge of microbial safety and the beneficial use of microorganisms in food. It aims to collect and publish recent reviews and research articles on topics such as:

• The role of microorganisms in food fermentation and its impact on food safety and quality;
• The use of beneficial microorganisms in food manufacturing, including the production of fermented foods and beverages;
• The application of microorganisms in food processing to improve nutritional content and create value-added products.

Prof. Dr. Theodoros Varzakas
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2700 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.