New Innovations in Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives

Dear Colleagues,

In the recent years, vegetarian and vegan diets have become more widespread because consumers are paying greater attention to nutritional, ethical, and cultural aspects of their diet. This has created a huge demand for dairy product alternatives. Furthermore, the ongoing trend of vegetarianism, with an increasing number of vegan/vegetarian consumers, has established a massive global importance of plant-based products. Plant-based dairy (milk, yogurt, kefir, cheese) substitutes are gaining popularity, and are candidates that meet the needs of the 21st century consumers in terms of being rich in nutrients as well as bioactive and functional ingredients. The search for new functional food ingredients from natural sources and from by-products represents one of the most important challenges in food science and technology. Plants represent a valuable source of minerals, proteins, fatty acids, fiber, and bioactive substances, and they constitute important raw materials for the development of novel functional foods.

This Special Issue provides an opportunity to discuss trends in all aspects of innovative dairy alternatives, related to food science, industry, and public health. Potential topics include processes for the development of novel plant-based products of high added value (bioactivity, high microorganism survivability, health-promoting effects), which can be characterized as functional foods, and include original research articles and reviews studying the technological aspects, safety, and health benefits of these products.

Dr. Łukasz Łopusiewicz
Prof. Dr. Elżbieta Bogusławska-Wąs
Guest Editors

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