Technological Innovations for Sustainability in Food Processing and Food Safety

Dear Colleagues,

The world today grapples with a dual challenge: providing sustenance to an ever-growing population and concurrently addressing climate change, resource limitations, and environmental degradation. The intersection of technological breakthroughs in food processing and safety with sustainable methodologies offers a promising avenue for solutions. Techniques that enhance food safety, extend shelf life, reduce waste, and enrich nutritional content—while maintaining environmental consciousness—are pivotal for our future.

In this context, we introduce this Special Issue titled, Technological Innovations for Sustainability in Food Processing and Food Safety. We endeavor to collate and highlight pivotal research on food technology, processing and safety, combined with the principles of sustainability, thereby paving the way for holistic solutions addressing both global food security and environmental protection.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

(1) Sustainable food processing techniques (embracing modern methods like high-pressure processing, pulsed light treatments, cold plasma applications, cavitation, and ultrasound that not only bolster food quality but also prioritize energy efficiency and waste minimization);

(2) Nanotechnology in food processing and safety (delving into the application of nanotechnology, from the development of real-time contaminant-detecting nanosensors and biosensors to the innovative field of nano-encapsulation, evaluating their impacts on food quality, safety, and nutrition);

(3) Edible and biodegradable coatings and films (exploring the burgeoning arena of biodegradable and/or edible packaging solutions, unraveling their composition, advantages, and potential to redefine food packaging and preservation);

(4) Sustainable food safety engineering (highlighting engineering solutions that inherently incorporate sustainability in their design and function, such as breakthroughs in wastewater management, energy-efficient machinery, and other practices that synergize food safety with ecological responsibility);

(5) Circular economy in food Science and technology (addressing the reduction in food wastage and its inherent connection to fortified food security, enhanced sustainability of food systems, and the potential to alleviate economic strains within food safety processes).

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Slaven Jurić
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 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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 chemistry
• food safety
• food processing
• novel technologies
• edible coatings
• food waste reduction technologies
• functional foods
• nanotechnology