The past few years have witnessed a significant increase in research and development activities related to advances in the processing, storage, and preservation of fresh food. This Special Issue of Foods aims to highlight a set of original research and review articles on the current status, challenges, and future directions of the processing, storage, and preservation of fresh food. We sincerely appreciate the active support from Foods’ publishers and the kind invitation extended to us to serve as Guest Editors for this Special Issue.
Following an excellent response to our call for papers, we peer-reviewed a number of papers and selected 19—including 17 research articles and 2 review articles—to appear in this Special Issue. This Special Issue covers a wide range of fresh food topics as well as a variety of materials and technologies used in the field. These papers examine a variety of fresh foods ranging from fish and aquaculture (Chinese mitten crab, crucian carp, Yesso scallops), meat products (pig carcasses, chicken meat, pork mince), fruit and vegetables (fresh-cut kiwifruit, walnut, Pleurotus eryngii, fresh pepper fruit), processed food (pre-prepared fried rice, processed cheese) and aflatoxin in fresh food. Relatively new technologies for the preservation, processing and detection of fresh food during storage and transportation are presented in this Special Issue, including various plant essential oil components, hydrogen-rich water and slightly acidic electrolyzed water, high-quality drying, 3D and 4D functional printing, intelligent food packaging indicators for detecting freshness, and a novel detection technique for aflatoxin M1.
In the future, emerging technologies for the processing, storage, and preservation of fresh food with environmentally friendly, cost-effective, energy-saving, high-quality, intelligent-detection, and regulation characteristics will be pursued vigorously for the sustainable development of fresh food in China as well as globally. We hope that this Special Issue will further encourage research interest, engineering practice, and international communication in the field of fresh food.
We believe that all the articles published in this Special Issue will provide valuable information to scientists, engineers, researchers, and manufactures throughout the world, working in academia as well as in industry in the processing, storage, and preservation of fresh food.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank all participating authors, and to thank Samuel Ariyo Okaiyeto and Li-hui Zhang for providing assistance.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
List of Contributions
- Ye, Y.; Wang, Y.; Liu, P.; Chen, J.; Zhang, C. Uncovering the Nutritive Profiles of Adult Male Chinese Mitten Crab (E. sinensis) Harvested from the Pond and Natural Water Area of Qin Lake Based on Metabolomics. Foods 2023, 12, 2178. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112178.
- Jiang, L.; Tang, J.; Huang, B.; Zhang, C.; Jiang, P.; Chen, D. Effect of Vanillin on the Anaesthesia of Crucian Carp: Effects on Physiological and Biochemical Indices, Pathology, and Volatile Aroma Components. Foods 2023, 12, 1614. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081614.
- Jiang, L.; Huang, B.; Tang, J.; Jiang, P.; Chen, D.; Zhang, C. Comprehensive Analysis of Physiological, Biochemical and Flavor Characteristics Changes in Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus) under Different Concentrations of Eugenol. Foods 2023, 12, 2820. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12152820.
- Jiang, P.; Chen, D.; Chang, X.; Zhang, C.; Fan, X.; Qin, X. Study on the Regulation Mechanism of Quality Deterioration Due to Chilling Stress and Dry Exposure during Anhydrous Storage and Transportation of Yesso Scallop Patinopecten yessoensis. Foods 2023, 12, 2902. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12152902.
- Bai, H.; Zhou, G.; Liu, X. Evaluation of Temperature Uniformity in a Middle-Refrigerated Truck Loaded with Pig Carcasses. Foods 2023, 12, 1837. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091837.
- Shen, Q.; Zeng, X.; Kong, L.; Sun, X.; Shi, J.; Wu, Z.; Guo, Y.; Pan, D. Research Progress of Nitrite Metabolism in Fermented Meat Products. Foods 2023, 12, 1485. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071485.
- Wang, W.; Li, T.; Chen, J.; Ye, Y. Inhibition of Salmonella Enteritidis by Essential Oil Components and the Effect of Storage on the Quality of Chicken. Foods 2023, 12, 2560. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132560.
- Meng, X.; Shen, Q.; Song, T.; Zhao, H.; Zhang, Y.; Ren, A.; Yang, W. Facile Fabrication of Anthocyanin-Nanocellulose Hydrogel Indicator Label for Intelligent Evaluation of Minced Pork Freshness. Foods 2023, 12, 2602. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132602.
- Sun, Y.; Qiu, W.; Fang, X.; Zhao, X.; Xu, X.; Li, W. Hydrogen-Rich Water Treatment of Fresh-Cut Kiwifruit with Slightly Acidic Electrolytic Water: Influence on Antioxidant Metabolism and Cell Wall Stability. Foods 2023, 12, 426. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12020426.
- Tong, Q.; Zhao, W.; Guo, T.; Wang, D.; Dong, X. A Study of the Gelatin Low-Temperature Deposition Manufacturing Forming Process Based on Fluid Numerical Simulation. Foods 2023, 12, 2687. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142687.
- Yang, T.; Zheng, X.; Vidyarthi, S.K.; Xiao, H.; Yao, X.; Li, Y.; Zang, Y.; Zhang, J. Artificial Neural Network Modelling and Genetic Algorithm Multiobjective Optimization of Process of Drying-Assisted Walnut Breaking. Foods 2023, 12, 1897. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091897.
- Bai, J.-W.; Wang, Y.-C.; Cai, J.-R.; Zhang, L.; Dai, Y.; Tian, X.-Y.; Xiao, H.-W. Three-Dimensional Appearance and Physicochemical Properties of Pleurotus eryngii under Different Drying Methods. Foods 2023, 12, 1999. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12101999.
- Chen, X.; Zhang, M.; Tang, T. Microwave-Induced Rapid Shape Change of 4D Printed Vegetable-Based Food. Foods 2023, 12, 2158. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12112158.
- Yang, L.; Liu, X.; Lu, H.; Zhang, C.; Chen, J.; Shi, Z. Cinnamaldehyde Inhibits Postharvest Gray Mold on Pepper Fruits via Inhibiting Fungal Growth and Triggering Fruit Defense. Foods 2023, 12, 3458. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12183458.
- Huang, J.; Zhang, M.; Fang, Z. Perspectives on Novel Technologies of Processing and Monitoring the Safety and Quality of Prepared Food Products. Foods 2023, 12, 3052. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12163052.
- Deng, Y.; Zhao, G.; Cheng, K.; Shi, C.; Xiao, G. Effect of Apple Polyphenols on the Antioxidant Activity and Structure of Three-Dimensional Printed Processed Cheese. Foods 2023, 12, 1731. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081731.
- Tong, Q.; Meng, Y.; Tong, Y.; Wang, D.; Dong, X. The Effect of Nozzle Temperature on the Low-Temperature Printing Performance of Low-Viscosity Food Ink. Foods 2023, 12, 2666. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142666.
- Li, X.; Zhang, M.; Mo, H.; Li, H.; Xu, D.; Hu, L. The Ultrasensitive Detection of Aflatoxin M1 Using Gold Nanoparticles Modified Electrode with Fe3+ as a Probe. Foods 2023, 12, 2521. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132521.
- Xu, D.; Huang, M.; Lei, J.; Song, H.; Hu, L.; Mo, H. Auricularia auricular Adsorbs Aflatoxin B1 and Ameliorates Aflatoxin B1-Induced Liver Damage in Sprague Dawley Rats. Foods 2023, 12, 2644. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12142644.
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