Innovative Processing and Engineering Approaches for Fruit and Bio-Based Products

Dear Colleagues,

The growing global demand for sustainable, high-quality food and bio-based materials has increased the need for innovative processing strategies and advanced engineering solutions. Fruits and other bio-based products are essential for healthy diets and the development of functional ingredients and renewable materials. However, challenges such as seasonal variability, postharvest losses, process inefficiencies, and quality deterioration continue to limit their full utilization. Recent advances in food engineering, bioprocessing technologies, digitalization, and novel preservation methods offer promising pathways to improve product quality, enhance resource efficiency, and minimize environmental impacts. Integrating cutting-edge technologies—such as smart sensors, precision processing, nonthermal techniques, and green extraction methods—can play a transformative role in the fruit and bio-based industries.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to highlight emerging research, breakthrough methodologies, and technological innovations that advance the sustainable processing and engineering of fruit and bio-based products.

This Special Issue aims to present recent scientific and technological advances in the processing, preservation, valorization, and engineering of fruit and other bio-based products. Emphasis is placed on innovative approaches that improve product quality, enhance resource efficiency, and promote environmental sustainability—core themes that align closely with the aims and scope of AgriEngineering, which focuses on engineering solutions that support agricultural production, processing, and value-added product development.

The Special Issue seeks to gather high-quality contributions that explore novel engineering systems, advanced processing technologies, and integrated approaches for optimizing fruit and bio-based value chains. The content is designed to appeal to researchers, engineers, practitioners, and industry stakeholders, with the goal of compiling at least ten impactful articles. Should this target be achieved, the Special Issue may be published in book form.

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

(a) Innovative processing technologies for fruit and bio-based products (e.g., nonthermal processing, pulsed electric field, high-pressure processing, ultrasound, cold plasma).

(b) Advanced extraction and separation methods (e.g., green extraction, supercritical CO₂ extraction, membrane technologies) for the engineering design and optimization of processing equipment and systems.

(c) Digitalization, automation, and smart technologies in food and bioproduct engineering (e.g., AI/ML-based process control, IoT-enabled monitoring, digital twins).

(d) Postharvest engineering and preservation strategies (e.g., storage systems, controlled atmospheres, packaging innovations).

(e) Valorization of fruit by-products and bio-based residues (e.g., bioconversion, biorefinery approaches, circular bioeconomy practices).

(f) Quality evaluation and characterization techniques (e.g., spectroscopic methods, imaging technologies, sensor-based quality assessment).

(g) Sustainability assessments, life cycle analysis, and energy-efficient processes

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and to presenting a high-quality collection of research that advances the field of fruit and bio-based product engineering.

Prof. Dr. Boris Duralija
Prof. Dr. Marko Vinceković
Dr. Luna Maslov Bandić
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. AgriEngineering 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 1600 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.