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Emerging Processing Techniques and Their Impact on Physicochemical, Sensory, and Nutritional Properties of Foods

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 August 2025 | Viewed by 3349

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oana Bianca Oprea

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Food and Tourism, Transilvania University of Brasov, Castelului 148, 500014 Brașov, Romania
Interests: food science and technology; food processing and engineering; food quality management; food safety; food industry; consumer behavior; montanology
Dr. Ignat Tolstorebrov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, 8900 Trondheim, Norway
Interests: modeling and simulation of integrated cooling systems and heat pumps; energy storage; energy and process analysis of industrial systems; sustainable processing of food; biochemistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging processing techniques in the food industry have attracted the attention of researchers and industry due to their potential to improve the quality, safety, and nutritional value of food. These techniques include innovative technologies, such as ultrasound treatments, high-pressure pulsed electric fields, and minimal heat processing. The study of the impact of these techniques on the physico-chemical, sensory, and nutritional properties of food is crucial for the development of high-quality food products and for ensuring the health of consumers. Current research in emerging processing techniques has demonstrated numerous benefits. For example, high-pressure treatments are used to inactivate pathogenic microorganisms without significantly affecting the nutritional and organoleptic components of food. These technologies are effective in preserving heat-sensitive vitamins and maintaining the natural texture of food products.

Pulsed electric field technology has been studied for its effectiveness in inactivating unwanted microorganisms and enzymes while preserving the sensory qualities of food. Ultrasonic processing is also being explored for its ability to improve the extraction of bioactive compounds and reduce processing time.

However, many of these techniques are still in the research and development stage, and their application on an industrial scale is limited by cost, process complexity, and a lack of a full understanding of the long-term impact on food properties.

Although current progress is promising, there are numerous gaps in our knowledge that require further research. One of the main needs is the detailed investigation of the mechanisms by which these techniques affect the molecular structure and chemical composition of foods. Having a deep understanding of these mechanisms could lead to process optimization and the development of more efficient and cost-effective technologies.

The long-term evaluation of the impact of these techniques on the nutritional and sensory quality of foods is also needed. Longitudinal studies that track changes in nutritional composition and food sensors after processing and during storage are essential to ensure that short-term benefits are not offset by long-term harms.

Another important aspect is researching the interactions between emerging processing techniques and different types of food. Each food category has unique characteristics that may respond differently to innovative treatments. Therefore, research needs to be specifically tailored to understand the impact of these techniques on various food products.

Emerging processing techniques represent a promising frontier in the food industry, offering the opportunity to improve the quality, safety, and nutritional value of food. However, to fully exploit the potential of these technologies, in-depth research is needed to clarify their mechanisms of action, assess their long-term impacts, and to adapt the processes for various food categories. Investments in research and development in this area will have a significant impact on public health and the sustainability of the food industry.

Dr. Oana Bianca Oprea
Dr. Ignat Tolstorebrov
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 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

  • innovation
  • nutritional value
  • minimal heat processing
  • consumer acceptance
  • long-term impact
  • food sustainability

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 2253 KiB  
Article
Origin and Variety Identification of Dried Kelp Based on Fluorescence Fingerprinting and Machine Learning Approaches
by Kana Suzuki, Rikuto Akiyama, Yvan Llave and Takashi Matsumoto
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(4), 1803; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15041803 - 10 Feb 2025
Viewed by 664
Abstract
Accurate labeling of the origin of food ingredients is essential to ensure quality and safety; however, establishing a reliable identification method remains an urgent task. The origin and variety of dried kelp are generally identified based on their morphological characteristics; however, they are [...] Read more.
Accurate labeling of the origin of food ingredients is essential to ensure quality and safety; however, establishing a reliable identification method remains an urgent task. The origin and variety of dried kelp are generally identified based on their morphological characteristics; however, they are difficult to distinguish unless experts are involved. In addition, genetically close varieties have almost no differences in their base sequences; therefore, the accuracy of conventional identification methods using genetic analysis is limited. This study aimed to develop a system for identifying the origin and variety of dried kelp using fluorescence fingerprint data obtained by fluorescence spectroscopy and a convolutional neural network (CNN). The fluorescence characteristics of dried kelp were measured in the range between 250 and 550 nm. The obtained fluorescence fingerprint data were converted into image data and analyzed using a CNN model implemented in Python, TensorFlow, and Keras. Unlike conventional methods that rely on morphological characteristics and genetic analyses, by combining fluorescence spectroscopy and CNN, a high identification accuracy of 98.86% was achieved even for genetically close varieties. These results highlight the excellent potential of fluorescent fingerprints in identifying the origin and variety of food and are believed to contribute to preventing food fraud and quality control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Processing Techniques and Their Impact on Physicochemical, Sensory, and Nutritional Properties of Foods)
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20 pages, 2200 KiB  
Article
Effect of Sous Vide Heat Treatment and Packaging Methods on the Microbiological Quality of Red Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.)
by Paweł Hanus, Grażyna Jaworska, Miroslava Kačániová, Natalia Szarek and Karolina Pycia
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(3), 1303; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031303 - 27 Jan 2025
Viewed by 865
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sous vide heat treatment and different packaging methods on the microbiological quality of red peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) during their refrigerated storage. Peppers of the Roberta variety were used in the study. The heat [...] Read more.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sous vide heat treatment and different packaging methods on the microbiological quality of red peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) during their refrigerated storage. Peppers of the Roberta variety were used in the study. The heat treatment of the peppers was carried out under vacuum conditions for all the packaging methods. ATM (unaltered gas atmosphere) and MAP (modified atmosphere packaging) products were repackaged under aseptic conditions into a suitable gaseous atmosphere after heat treatment and cooling into an unaltered atmosphere (ATM), and into a modified atmosphere (MAP: 30% CO2, 70% N2). The sous vide thermal treatment was performed in three variations: 30 min/60 °C, 15 min/70 °C, and 8 min/80 °C. The peppers were stored at 3 ± 1 °C until the bacterial count first exceeded 4 log CFU/g, but no longer than 24 days. The pH, TVC, Enterobacteriaceae count, and microscopic filamentous fungi count were determined in the products. A qualitative analysis of microbial isolates was also carried out using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Sous vide heat treatment reduced the number of TVC (total viable count) (<2 to 2.35 log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae (<2 log CFU/g), and the number of microscopic filamentous fungi (<2 log CFU/g) compared with control (TVC 3.54–3.86 log CFU/g). The use of heat treatment combined with the packaging of culinary products effectively extends the shelf life of sous vide peppers, from 3 to 6 days for raw peppers to 15–24 days for sous vide peppers depending on the heat treatment and packaging method. All the packaging methods allowed the product to remain microbiologically safe (TVC below 4 log CFU/g) for 24 days for 30 min/60 °C and 15 min/70 °C treatments, and VAC packaging for 8 min/80 °C treatments. Bacterial identification by MALDI-TOF MS revealed that the predominant families were Pseudomonadaceae, Yersiniaceae, and Staphylococcaceae. Depending on the method of sous vide thermal treatment, it showed differences in the percentage of bacterial families in the culinary products. The proportions in the proportion of Gram+ and Gram- bacteria also changed. The use of sous vide processing in combination with appropriate packaging methods can significantly extend the shelf life of products obtained from peppers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Processing Techniques and Their Impact on Physicochemical, Sensory, and Nutritional Properties of Foods)
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13 pages, 1265 KiB  
Article
Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activities of Three Bulgarian Garden Thyme Essential Oils
by Krasimira Dobreva, Milen Dimov, Tsvetan Valev, Ivan Iliev, Stanka Damyanova, Oana Bianca Oprea and Albena Stoyanova
Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(22), 10261; https://doi.org/10.3390/app142210261 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1282
Abstract
Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae. It can be found both in the wild and as a cultivated plant in Bulgaria. This study is aimed at assessing the garden thyme essential oil composition [...] Read more.
Garden thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) is an annual herbaceous plant of the family Lamiaceae. It can be found both in the wild and as a cultivated plant in Bulgaria. This study is aimed at assessing the garden thyme essential oil composition and antioxidant activities, which were collected from three different areas in Bulgaria. The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The main compounds in the garden thyme essential oils (over 2%) were as follows: thymol (42.88–53.55%), p-cymene (14.25–25.51%), γ-terpinene (6.58–15.51%), borneol (2.75–3.57%), carvacrol (2.00–3.02%), β-linalool (2.07–2.31%), cis-sabinene hydrate (4.05%), eucalyptol (1.08–3.65%), α-terpinene (1.01–3.24%), carvacrol methyl ether (1.18–3.02%), and thymol methyl ether (2.26–3.16%). The oils were mainly composed of oxygenated phenyl propanoids, and all the essential oils belonged to the chemotype thymol. Antioxidant activities were measured by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical) and ABTS [2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] assays. All the samples exhibited antioxidant activity relative to the DPPH radical (from 143.20 mM TE/mL to 165.91 mM TE/mL) and by the ABTS method (from 121.67 mM TE/mL to 127.62 mM TE/mL). These garden thyme essential oils could be used as natural antioxidants for food and as nutraceuticals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging Processing Techniques and Their Impact on Physicochemical, Sensory, and Nutritional Properties of Foods)
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