Feature Reviews in Food Processing Technologies: Present Innovations and Future Opportunities

Dear Colleagues,

The current demand for high-quality, safe foods necessitates developing and implementing emergent processing technologies for the light pasteurization and sterilization of food. Consequently, the food industry is in pursuit of novel methods to manufacture foods that are both safe and stable. Conventional technologies, such as thermal pasteurization, cannot meet these requirements due to the heat-sensitivity of numerous valuable nutrients. Additionally, their high energy demand elevates the overall production costs. Consumers are no longer interested in alternative options, such as chemical preservatives, and clear labels with a concise list of ingredients are currently in trend. As a result, it is essential to create alternatives to thermal and chemical treatments that generate products that are either analogous or more appealing in terms of their nutritional value, shelf life, and flavor.

Innovative food processing technologies are at various stages of development, with some still in the research and development phase and others already commercialized. These technologies are of great interest to scientists, technologists, and food manufacturers for extraction, freezing, drying, microorganism activation/inactivation, and low-temperature pasteurization. Rapid detection methods, identifying contaminants in seconds to minutes, can reduce costs and production times by ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality materials and reducing personnel needs for food safety analysis. Effective food safety protocols require monitoring of the entire supply chain, from raw materials to being in the hands of the consumer, through continuous monitoring, routine inspections, and control measures at critical points to prevent foodborne illnesses. Implementing intelligent technologies, especially digital traceability systems, can enhance food safety.

Feature reviews in food processing technologies provide high-quality review papers with comprehensive analysis of present innovations and future opportunities shaping the food industry. Innovations in food preservation techniques and advanced packaging are significantly extending shelf life and reducing waste. This Special Issue invites the submission of review papers on food processing technologies. Each article should contribute to the further comprehension of a specific food science and technology area.

Scope and information for authors:

• Detection and surveillance enabled by artificial intelligence;
• Energy-efficient food processing methods;
• Modern food processing methods;
• Unit operations in food production;
• Utilization of byproducts in food processing, such as vegetable biomass and nanocellulose, leading to food waste reduction;
• Innovative technologies and food products;
• Food safety measures against microbiological contamination, focusing on isolation, detection, and intervention techniques.

Prof. Dr. Cunshan Zhou
Dr. Wijitha Senadeera
Dr. Hafida Wahia
Dr. Abraham Kabutey
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. Processes 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 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.

• food safety
• emerging and innovative detection techniques
• advances in food engineering and manufacturing technologies
• advanced technological applications including nanoscience and biotechnology