applsci-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Food Analysis and Safety

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 237

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for the Promotion of Human Science and Quality of Life, San Raffaele University Rome, Via di Val Cannuta, 247, 00166 Rome, Italy
Interests: food analysis; food safety

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Food analysis and safety are essential pillars for protecting public health, supporting regulatory compliance, and strengthening consumer trust in an increasingly complex global food system. This Special Issue aims to showcase innovative research and applied technologies that advance the detection, characterization, and mitigation of chemical, biological, and physical hazards across the food supply chain. We welcome original research articles and comprehensive reviews covering modern analytical approaches—such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, biosensors, imaging techniques, and rapid screening tools—as well as data-driven strategies including chemometrics, artificial intelligence, and predictive modeling.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • contaminants (e.g., pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals, and process-induced toxicants);
  • foodborne pathogens;
  • allergen detection;
  • fraud and authenticity assessment;
  • emerging risks;
  • monitoring of food quality;
  • shelf life.

Contributions addressing novel sample preparation methods, miniaturized and portable devices, high-throughput platforms, harmonization of analytical protocols, or other fields are also encouraged. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from chemistry, microbiology, engineering, and data science, this Special Issue seeks to highlight practical solutions that enhance food safety management, improve traceability, and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable food sector.

Dr. Mattia Rapa
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 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 safety
  • food analysis
  • food contaminants
  • foodborne pathogens
  • food quality control
  • food authentication and fraud
  • chemical and biological hazards
  • emerging contaminants
  • risk assessment
  • traceability and food monitoring

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

19 pages, 22458 KB  
Review
Insect Flour, Insect Powder, or Insect Meal? A Bibliometric and Regulatory Analysis of Terminology Used for Processed Edible Insects
by Agnieszka Orkusz, Martyna Orkusz, Massimo Mozzon and Roberta Foligni
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(11), 5541; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16115541 - 2 Jun 2026
Abstract
Background: The rapid development of edible insect research and the growing use of insect-based ingredients in food technology, human nutrition, and the food industry have not yet been accompanied by harmonized terminology. In the scientific literature, regulatory documents, and expert materials, the terms [...] Read more.
Background: The rapid development of edible insect research and the growing use of insect-based ingredients in food technology, human nutrition, and the food industry have not yet been accompanied by harmonized terminology. In the scientific literature, regulatory documents, and expert materials, the terms “insect flour” and “insect powder” are used interchangeably. In Polish-language sources, additional terms such as “mąka z owadów”, “mączka z owadów”, and “sproszkowana postać” are also used. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the use and contextual meaning of the terms “insect flour”, “insect powder”, and “insect meal” in scientific literature, European Union regulations, and Polish-language sources. Methods: The study combined bibliometric, regulatory, and linguistic analysis. Bibliometric analyses were performed using the Web of Science and Scopus databases for the years 2015–2025. Keyword co-occurrence networks and temporal trends were analyzed using VOSviewer. In addition, European Union legal acts and selected Polish-language scientific, institutional, and implementation-oriented sources were evaluated. Results: The results showed clear differences in the use of the analyzed terms. “Insect powder” appeared mainly in regulatory and formal product-description contexts, whereas “insect flour” was more common in food technology and food formulation studies. In contrast, “insect meal” was strongly associated with feed applications, aquaculture, and animal nutrition. The analysis also showed that the terms powder and flour frequently co-occurred in the same publications, suggesting that their use depends primarily on context rather than on strict terminological differences. Conclusions: The study indicates that complete terminology unification may not be necessary. Instead, clearer, more consistent use of terms that depend on the scientific, technological, regulatory, and communication context appears to be more practical. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Analysis and Safety)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop