New Synthetic and Natural Molecules in the Production of Plant-Based Food—from Farm to Fork

Dear Colleagues,

Plants are the main source of food for humans and animals. It is estimated that approximately 80% of the food consumed worldwide is of plant origin.

We lose up to 40% of our crops annually due to diseases and pests. Therefore, although plant protection is a difficult task, it is a key element of the functioning of various agricultural ecosystems. Controlling plant pests and diseases with hazardous chemicals causes environmental stress. They are toxic to various living organisms, including humans, animals, and pollinating insects. Safe food is crucial for the health of living organisms, but it is also important to minimize the degradation or destruction of valuable food. For this reason, for several years now, there has been an increasing emphasis on the use of natural plant protection preparations.

On the other hand, the consumption and sale of plant-based products is also growing. However, the shelf life of both raw materials and products of plant origin with a low degree of processing is very short. For this reason, food producers strive to extend the shelf life while improving the quality of plant products and even giving them special nutritional values.

In many countries, projects and research are being carried out to maintain the safety of the entire food production chain of plant origin. This Special Issue gives you the opportunity to share new achievements and research results in the field of plant protection and, therefore, plant-origin foods.

This Special Issue covers applications of natural and synthetic products as herbicides/fungicides/insecticides in plant protection; the use of chemical and natural molecules to extend the shelf life of food products of plant origin foods; natural substances to obtain new products of plant origin with potential health benefits; molecules that protect the ingredients that shape the nutritional value of plant products; essential oils as additives affecting the quality of food of plant origin; and the application of microorganisms and their metabolites in the food chain from organic farms to ready-to-eat food.

We would like to invite researchers to submit high-quality original or review articles to this Special Issue of Molecules.

Dr. Anna Koziróg
Dr. Anna Otlewska
Guest Editors

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