Processing and Quality Control of Agro-Food Products

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 4167

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
Interests: drying and storage of produce and crops; soil compaction and tillage practices; the controlled and modified atmosphere storage of produce; the hyper-baric treatment of produce prior to storage; the distribution of heat in the heat-treatment of produce; the microwave-assisted extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials; the disinfestation of grains in storage using ultra-high frequency microwaves; electro-osmotic dewatering; the characterization of a double-pipe helical heat exchanger; the microwave-assisted retting of flax and hemp for production of biofibers; the microwave pasteurization of in-shell eggs; the production and usage of biochar; the generation of electric energy by microbial fuel cells; and carbon capture from gas emissions by photosynthetic microorganisms

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Bioresource Engineering, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Montreal, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
Interests: thermal and non-thermal processing; separation processes; biopolymer synthesis methods; formulation engineering; food material behavior; phenolic compounds; nanoparticle production

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food safety and quality are of ever-increasing global concern. Therefore, the development of innovative processing techniques and quality management of agro-food products are crucial to fulfill the customer demands, food laws and regulation standards, enhance the efficiency of the food business operations, and food security and sustainability while causing less impact on the environment.

This Special Issue on the “Processing and Quality Control of AgroFood Products” seeks high-quality papers focused on the emerging agro-food processing methods and safety and quality management technologies. The topics within the scope of this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Applications of advanced thermal/electro-heating technologies (microwave, ohmic heating, and radio-frequency heating) in the agro-food sector;
  • Emerging non-thermal food processing technologies (high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, magnetic fields, plasma, pulsed light, etc.);
  • Allergenicity and anti-nutritional factors reduction in agro-food products;
  • Artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision technology, and image processing technology for agro-food quality evaluation;
  • Emerging drying and storage technologies of agro-food commodities;
  • Novel processing technologies for shelf-life extension of food products;
  • Application of green technologies for sustainable food production system;
  • Hybrid technologies for agro-food processing and quality management.

Prof. Dr. Vijaya Raghavan
Guest Editor

Dr. Idaresit Ekaette
Guest Editor Assistant

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.

Keywords

  • non-thermal technologies
  • advanced thermal processing methods
  • electro-heating technologies
  • artificial intelligence
  • shelf-life extension
  • drying
  • storage
  • allergens
  • anti-nutrition
  • food security and sustainability
  • hybrid technologies

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 13916 KiB  
Article
Statistical Analysis of the Effect of Simulation Time on the Results of Molecular Dynamics Studies of Food Proteins: A Study of the Ara h 6 Peanut Protein
by Andrea Smith and Vijaya Raghavan
Processes 2025, 13(2), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13020581 - 18 Feb 2025
Viewed by 476
Abstract
GROMACS MD simulations of food proteins and processes are often run over relatively short simulation lengths due to their high computational power demand. As long-timescale simulations are not always feasible, the purpose of this study was to determine, statistically, how simulation time affects [...] Read more.
GROMACS MD simulations of food proteins and processes are often run over relatively short simulation lengths due to their high computational power demand. As long-timescale simulations are not always feasible, the purpose of this study was to determine, statistically, how simulation time affects conclusions drawn from GROMACS MD studies of food proteins. The Ara h 6 peanut allergen, undergoing heat processing at 300 K, 350 K, 400 K and 450 K, was used as the model in this study, and 2 ns, 20 ns and 200 ns GROMACS MD simulation lengths were investigated. The statistical analysis performed, using both one-way and two-way ANOVA tests, suggested that, depending on the selected simulation length, different final conclusions may be drawn regarding the effect that thermal processing temperature has on the geometric features of the Ara h 6 allergen. This was observed for many of the geometric features used to characterize the Ara h 6 allergen in this study, including RMSD, Rg, total number of intra-peptide hydrogen bonds and SASA. An inadequate sample size was, however, identified as a major limitation in this study. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Quality Control of Agro-Food Products)
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Review

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15 pages, 1085 KiB  
Review
Food Defense in the Extra Neutral Alcohol Industry: Ensuring Safety Against Intentional Contaminations
by Isabely Fernanda Pizarro, Thayná Gomes Camargo Barbosa, Marta Mitsui Kushida and Eliana Setsuko Kamimura
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1243; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041243 - 19 Apr 2025
Viewed by 134
Abstract
In this review article, the production of extra neutral alcohol was explored, a specific segment in the alcohol industry, aiming to fill knowledge gaps and provide information on the practical implementation of a Food Defense plan. The understanding of the physical–chemical specifications of [...] Read more.
In this review article, the production of extra neutral alcohol was explored, a specific segment in the alcohol industry, aiming to fill knowledge gaps and provide information on the practical implementation of a Food Defense plan. The understanding of the physical–chemical specifications of alcohol, its applications in food, and the manufacturing and fractionation processes were comprehensively addressed. The critical importance of extra neutral alcohol in various industries, from the production of distilled beverages to food preservation through innovative technologies, was highlighted. When discussing hazards related to food safety, the possibility of system security failures is recognized, emphasizing the need for a Food Defense plan. Additionally, we explored potential contamination methods in the production of extra neutral alcohol, analyzing its miscibility with harmful substances, which is crucial for understanding the implications of chemical contamination. The possibility of deliberate adulteration of beverages and foods requires constant attention to enhance security measures, implement advanced technologies, and proactive monitoring strategies. Ultimately, this article contributes to advancing knowledge at the intersection of extra neutral alcohol production and food safety. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Quality Control of Agro-Food Products)
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31 pages, 866 KiB  
Review
Quantification, Prevalence, and Pretreatment Methods of Mycotoxins in Groundnuts and Tree Nuts: An Update
by Heba Hellany, Jean Claude Assaf, Dalia El-Badan and Mahmoud Khalil
Processes 2023, 11(12), 3428; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11123428 - 14 Dec 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2762
Abstract
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced as secondary metabolites by certain types of filamentous fungi under specific conditions. The contamination of nuts and nut-related products with mycotoxins is a significant global concern due to their severe consequences on human health, including carcinogenicity and immunosuppression. [...] Read more.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced as secondary metabolites by certain types of filamentous fungi under specific conditions. The contamination of nuts and nut-related products with mycotoxins is a significant global concern due to their severe consequences on human health, including carcinogenicity and immunosuppression. Aflatoxins, with a particular emphasis on aflatoxin B1, are the most common and toxic mycotoxins found in human food. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is known to be highly toxic and carcinogenic. Consequently, global food regulatory organizations have established permissible levels for mycotoxins in nuts. Numerous methodologies have been developed for the detection of mycotoxins in nuts. However, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ-MS/MS) have shown clear benefits in terms of effectiveness and sensitivity. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the major mycotoxins found in nuts, their physiological effects, and their worldwide prevalence. Additionally, the review will focus on nut sample pretreatment methods, analytical techniques employed for mycotoxin detection in nuts, and recent advancements in materials and solvents used for this purpose. Significant gaps exist in mycotoxin detection in nuts, including methodological variability and insufficient data from certain nut-producing countries that need further exploration in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Processing and Quality Control of Agro-Food Products)
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