Food Quality and Characterization of Animal-Based, Plant-Based and Hybrid Products
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Science and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 2668
Special Issue Editors
Interests: animal product quality characteristics; valorization of food industry byproducts; research and development of food products; effect of animal diet on product quality
Interests: animal product quality characteristics; valorization of food industry byproducts; research and development of food products; effect of animal diet on product quality; food microbiology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global food industry is experiencing significant changes, fueled by the increasing popularity of plant-based and hybrid products alongside traditional animal-based foods. It is essential to ensure food quality, safety, sensory appeal, and sustainability to meet the evolving expectations of consumers. This Special Issue highlights recent advancements in the assessment and characterization of animal-based, plant-based, and hybrid food products.
Animal-based foods, such as meat, dairy, and seafood, are essential sources of nutrition. However, the food landscape is changing, with plant-based and hybrid products becoming more popular as healthier and more sustainable alternatives. This shift is primarily driven by increasing consumer demand. Consequently, the food industry is concentrating on improving the safety, quality, and sustainability of all these food types through innovative processing, preservation, and nutritional methods.
We seek contributions that examine the nutritional, physicochemical, and sensory qualities of these food types. Research is encouraged relating to how ingredient selection and processing affect product quality, safety, and consumer acceptance, particularly in response to sustainability concerns.
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Nutritional, sensory, and functional traits;
- Advanced quality assessment methods;
- Microbial safety of alternative proteins;
- Texture and flavor enhancement;
- Consumer trends and perception;
- Innovations in processing and preservation;
- Sustainability impacts and labeling challenges.
We invite original research, reviews, and case studies addressing these themes.
Dr. Eleni Kasapidou
Guest Editor
Dr. Georgios Papatzimos
Guest Editor Assistant
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. 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 quality assessment
- plant-based foods
- hybrid food products
- animal-based foods
- food sustainability
- sensory evaluation
- food processing innovations
- consumer perception
- nutritional characterization
- alternative proteins
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