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Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Biosciences and Bioengineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2025 | Viewed by 6519

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Nikolay D. Menkov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Process Engineering, University of Food Technologies, BG-4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: drying technologies; sorption characteristics; extrusion; membrane technologies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the demand for specialty products based on new ingredients, functional foods, alternative protein sources, gut health, and bioactive formulations have continuously increased. The production of these products requires the application of advanced and innovative processes and technologies. 

This Special Issue is focused on the advancements and applications of various processes used in the food industry and preservation technologies. It concerns new research and information on the use of innovative and non-traditional processing and preservation technologies during food production, processing, and transportation.

Therefore, this Special Issue will include original scientific developments and new perspectives in the following areas: (i) applications of various processes and preservation technologies in food production, (ii) novel and non-traditional methods for the transformation of food products, (iii) innovation for the production of functional foods and their storage, and (iiii) new methods and knowledge for shelf life extension, food safety, and the valorization of food processing by-products as well as energy efficiency. These topics are indicative and research is not strictly limited to them.

We invite you to contribute review articles, short communications, and full-size research papers to this Special Issue.

Dr. Nikolay D. Menkov
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. Applied Sciences 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.

Keywords

  • food processing
  • food preservation technologies
  • innovative foods
  • functional foods
  • shelf life extension
  • food safety
  • valorization of food processing by-products
  • energy efficiency

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 803 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Drying Method on the Physicochemical, Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Properties of Common Quince Fruit (Cydonia oblonga Mill.)
by Izabela Podgórska-Kryszczuk and Urszula Pankiewicz
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 6122; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15116122 - 29 May 2025
Viewed by 341
Abstract
The fruits of the common quince (Cydonia oblonga) have wide-ranging health benefits due to their valuable composition. However, consumers usually do not welcome the hard flesh and astringency, so the fruit is not eaten raw. Therefore, it is important to choose [...] Read more.
The fruits of the common quince (Cydonia oblonga) have wide-ranging health benefits due to their valuable composition. However, consumers usually do not welcome the hard flesh and astringency, so the fruit is not eaten raw. Therefore, it is important to choose the proper method for processing, including heat treatment, to preserve the high quality of the common quince fruit. The study examined the effects of freeze drying and convection drying at two temperatures (40 °C and 60 °C) on selected physicochemical, bioactive, and antioxidant properties of Cydonia oblonga fruits. It was found that freeze drying allowed the processed fruit to retain properties most similar to fresh fruit. This variant had the highest rehydration rate (3.53 ± 0.04), the lowest shrinkage rate (9.87 ± 0.29%) and the lowest bulk density (0.41 ± 0.01 g/cm3). Freeze drying preserved the brightest fruit colour (L* = 75.70 ± 1.71). These samples also had the highest total acidity (1.34 ± 0.01 g/100 g DM). Drying reduced the fruit’s tannin content, but no statistically significant differences were detected between freeze-dried and convection-dried samples at 40 °C and 60 °C. Freeze-dried quince fruits retained a high content of polyphenols (233.56 ± 5.96 mg GEA/100 g DM), flavonoids (36.79 ± 0.74 mg EPI/100 g DM), and antioxidant activity against ABTS (364.51 ± 9.12 µM Trolox/100 g DM) and DPPH (258.78 ± 5.16 µM Trolox/100 g DM). The highest losses of the mentioned bioactive compounds, and thus of antioxidant activity, were recorded in samples dried by convection at 60 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 7003 KiB  
Article
Edible Films Based on Ovine Second Cheese Whey with Oregano Essential Oil
by Arona Pires, Angel Cobos, Carlos Pereira and Olga Díaz
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(10), 5325; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15105325 - 9 May 2025
Viewed by 425
Abstract
The aim of this study was to produce edible films using ovine second cheese whey (SCW) powder, alone or combined with whey protein isolate (WPI). SCW is a by-product obtained in the manufacture of ovine whey cheeses. In this instance, it was dehydrated [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to produce edible films using ovine second cheese whey (SCW) powder, alone or combined with whey protein isolate (WPI). SCW is a by-product obtained in the manufacture of ovine whey cheeses. In this instance, it was dehydrated after increasing the protein concentration by ultrafiltration/diafiltration. Furthermore, the effects of the addition of oregano (Origanum compactum) essential oil (EO) in two proportions to the films produced with a mixture of SCW powder and WPI were studied. The water vapor permeability, solubility, color, opacity, antioxidant activity, and the mechanical properties of the films were determined. In addition, we determined the films’ structure, by FTIR; thermal stability, by TGA; and microstructure and crystallinity, by XRD. SCW combined with WPI can be used to prepare edible films, but their properties were found to be affected depending on the proportion of each product. The substitution of WPI by SCW caused decreases in water solubility (from 81.44 to 66.49% D.M.), modified the color and decreased tensile strength (from 1.57 to 0.17 MPa), and decreased the elongation at break (from 52.17 to 3.57%), the puncture strength (from 2.40 to 0.20 MPa) and the deformation (from 18.92 to 0.93%) of the films. EO addition to the SCW–WPI films increased the antioxidant activity of the films (from 0.97 to 2.19 mg DPPH/g). It also modified other characteristics of the films such as the water solubility and the tensile strength. Both SCW and EO incorporations influenced the secondary structure of proteins and the thermal stability, microstructure and crystallinity of the films. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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15 pages, 1485 KiB  
Article
Application of Ultrafiltration for Recovery of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Rose Wastewater
by Mariya Dushkova, Marina Mitova, Ivan Bakardzhiyski, Milena Miteva-Petrova and Nikolay Menkov
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 2040; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15042040 - 15 Feb 2025
Viewed by 603
Abstract
The process of rose oil distillation generates a huge amount of waste byproducts, which often remain unused, and poses serious environmental challenges; at the same time, they contain polyphenols with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties. The purpose of this work is to investigate [...] Read more.
The process of rose oil distillation generates a huge amount of waste byproducts, which often remain unused, and poses serious environmental challenges; at the same time, they contain polyphenols with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and therapeutic properties. The purpose of this work is to investigate the possible application of ultrafiltration using three polyacrylonitrile membranes (molecular weight cut-off 1 kDa, 10 kDa, and 25 kDa) to recover the total polyphenolic compounds, phenolic acids, and flavonoids from rose wastewater. The permeate flux, energy demand, contents of total polyphenolic compounds, phenolic acids, and flavonoid phenolic compounds were determined during ultrafiltration at a volume reduction ratio of 2, 4, 6 and 8, and the rejections and concentration factors were established. The optimal operation conditions for permeate flux, energy demand, rejection, concentration factor, and antioxidant activity were established at a volume reduction ratio of 8, transmembrane pressure of 0.5 MPa, and 1 kDa membrane. These working conditions will be used in our future investigations to obtain extrudates from rice semolina enriched with ultrafiltered rose wastewater. Protocatechuic and vanillic acid, determined by HPLC, increased in the retentate when the 1 kDa membrane was used, while gallic acid, catechin, p-coumaric acid, rutin, hesperidin, and rosmarinic acid decreased. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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23 pages, 1190 KiB  
Article
Mineral Content in Initial and Follow-On Infant Formulas in Poland: Nutrient Adequacy and Comparison with Breast Milk
by Aleksandra Purkiewicz, Wajeeha Mumtaz, Elżbieta Tońska and Renata Pietrzak-Fiećko
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10235; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210235 - 7 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1445
Abstract
In the present study, the content of selected micro- and macrominerals in conventional and specialist infant formulas (IFs) available on the Polish market was assessed and compared with breast milk from different periods of lactation. The content of minerals was assessed against established [...] Read more.
In the present study, the content of selected micro- and macrominerals in conventional and specialist infant formulas (IFs) available on the Polish market was assessed and compared with breast milk from different periods of lactation. The content of minerals was assessed against established standards, compared to label guidelines, and the estimated coverage of daily requirements for selected minerals among infants. The study material consisted of fourteen types of initial, follow-on, and specialist IFs. Minerals—Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mn were determined by the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) method and P—by colorimetric method. The specialist formula S1 stood out in terms of Ca, Mg, and Mn, and S6 in terms of Na and K compared to other IFs (p < 0.05). Human milk contained lower contents of each element relative to all infant formulas. Regarding the European Commission’s recommendations, most types of IFs met standards for mineral content. In 12 IFs, the marked Fe content was lower than that declared by the manufacturer, and the difference ranged from 5 to more than 50%. All of the initial and five specialist IFs covered the need for all minerals among infants, while follow-on reported coverage lower than standards for Mg, Na, K, Fe, and Mn. Infant foods should be strictly controlled, and periodic checks on the determination of levels of selected ingredients in IFs are recommended to obtain products that resemble human food to the highest possible degree. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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Review

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39 pages, 5682 KiB  
Review
Non-Thermal Technologies in Food Processing: Implications for Food Quality and Rheology
by Zainab T. Al-Sharify, Shahad Z. Al-Najjar, Christian Kosisochukwu Anumudu, Abarasi Hart, Taghi Miri and Helen Onyeaka
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(6), 3049; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15063049 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2588
Abstract
The food industry mostly utilises thermal processing technologies to enhance the food safety and shelf life by inactivating enzymes, pathogens, and spores. However, there is a shift towards consumer preference for minimally processed foods due to health concerns and the limitations of the [...] Read more.
The food industry mostly utilises thermal processing technologies to enhance the food safety and shelf life by inactivating enzymes, pathogens, and spores. However, there is a shift towards consumer preference for minimally processed foods due to health concerns and the limitations of the conventional thermal processing methods. Thus, the food industry has recently increased the utilisation of non-thermal technologies for food processing and preservation in the production of foods while maintaining the nutritional and sensory qualities of the food. Non-thermal approaches including a Pulsed Electric Field (PEF), High-Pressure Processing (HPP), Ionising Radiation (IOR), Ultraviolet (UV) light, Pulsed Light (PL), and Cold plasma (CP) are increasingly being employed for food preservation, especially for heat-sensitive foods, as they enable microbial inactivation with minimal or no thermal application and less degradation of bioactive constituents of foods. As opposed to conventional thermal technologies that may compromise the food quality, non-thermal preservation processes retain the texture, taste, and rheological properties, therefore presenting an invaluable option in the food chain system. Moreover, non-thermal food processing approaches are becoming well-established within the food sector as they can be utilised for a wide range of food items. This paper provides a critical review of the industrial applications, mechanisms of action, and efficiency of major non-thermal food processing technologies. In addition, it also addresses their impact on the food quality, microstructure, and rheology, while exploring their limitations. Although these technologies are of great value in preserving the shelf life and food integrity, high upfront investment costs continue to discourage large-scale adoption. However, with the growing demand for fresh and minimally processed foods, the operational costs for these technologies are expected to become more accessible, promoting their widespread adoption in the industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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Other

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15 pages, 3086 KiB  
Brief Report
Environmental Impact of Massive Food Services and Homemade Meals: A Case Study on Stewed Chickpeas
by Natalia Velastín, Rodrigo Contreras-Núñez, Ernesto Pino-Cortés, Lorena Espinoza Pérez, Fidel Vallejo and Andrea Espinoza Pérez
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(13), 7141; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137141 - 25 Jun 2025
Viewed by 103
Abstract
The consequences of climate change directly affect food production and threaten food security. Therefore, efforts are needed to reduce environmental impacts while ensuring access to food. Massive food services play a key role in this context; however, related literature lacks comparative studies between [...] Read more.
The consequences of climate change directly affect food production and threaten food security. Therefore, efforts are needed to reduce environmental impacts while ensuring access to food. Massive food services play a key role in this context; however, related literature lacks comparative studies between home cooking and restaurants. Through life-cycle assessment, this research compares the environmental impacts generated by stewed chickpeas, a nutritious and flavorful meal prepared at a large food service offered by a public university, and those prepared at home using two recipes. The system boundaries consider the impact of ingredient production, processing, cooking, cooling, and reheating, as well as waste and wastewater generation. The functional unit (FU) weighs 100 g to facilitate comparison. The findings indicate that the recipe from the massive food service has a significant impact on human health, resulting in 3.54·10−7 DALY; meanwhile, the other two scenarios generate approximately 7.2·10−7 DALY. Moreover, regarding biodiversity impact, the recipe from the massive food service reaches 8.57·10−10 species.yr; by contrast, the other scenarios generate around 1.01·10−10 species.yr. Massive food services exhibit a lower environmental impact than home meals in preparing stewed chickpeas. This difference is primarily attributed to the cooling and reheating stages that occur when eating outside the home. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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24 pages, 1449 KiB  
Systematic Review
Identification of Factors Influencing Fluoride Content in Tea Infusions: A Systematic Review
by Agata Małyszek, Sylwia Kiryk, Julia Kensy, Agnieszka Kotela, Mateusz Michalak, Jan Kiryk, Maciej Janeczek, Jacek Matys and Maciej Dobrzyński
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(11), 5974; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15115974 - 26 May 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 553
Abstract
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages globally and a significant dietary source of fluoride. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the factors influencing fluoride concentration in tea infusions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in March 2025 across [...] Read more.
Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages globally and a significant dietary source of fluoride. This systematic review aimed to identify and evaluate the factors influencing fluoride concentration in tea infusions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in March 2025 across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, following PRISMA guidelines (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and the PICO framework. Eligible studies investigated fluoride release in tea infusions, published in English from the year 2000 onward. Thirty articles met the inclusion criteria, and the risk of bias in the articles was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality checklist. Fluoride concentration in tea infusions varied widely across studies, ranging from 0.008 to over 8 mg/L. Key factors influencing fluoride release included tea type (with black and green teas showing the highest values), leaf form (powdered and bagged teas released more fluoride than loose leaves), brewing time and temperature, water composition, and the presence of additives such as spices. A longer brewing time and higher temperature consistently increased fluoride extraction. Lower pH or water hardness also significantly affected fluoride availability. Regional origin of tea and production methods were additional sources of variation. Fluoride release in tea is influenced by a complex interplay of botanical, environmental, and preparation-related factors. These findings are clinically relevant, particularly for populations at risk of fluoride overexposure. Further standardized research is needed to inform safe consumption guidelines and public health recommendations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing and Preservation Technologies: Advances and Applications—2nd Edition)
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