Advances in Fermented Foods and Beverages

Dear Colleagues,

Fermented foods and beverages have been integral to the human diet since the dawn of civilization. These products are broadly characterized by their production through controlled microbial activity and enzymatic transformations of key food components. Food fermentations are classified based on the primary metabolites and microorganisms involved, such as alcohol, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, ammonia, and fatty acids. Alternatively, they can be categorized by the substrates used, which include meats, fish, dairy products, vegetables, soybeans and other legumes, cereals, and starchy roots, as well as grapes and various other fruits. Raw materials rich in monosaccharides, disaccharides, or starch are typically fermented by yeasts or lactic acid bacteria. Molds and Bacillus species are often utilized for starch saccharification, protein hydrolysis, or as secondary agents during ripening after the initial fermentation. The wide range of combinations between foods and microorganisms has led to the creation of thousands of unique fermented foods and beverages. Despite their historical significance and widespread appeal, the industrialization and standardization of food production over the past century have diminished the diversity of fermented products. In recent years, however, these foods have experienced a resurgence in Western diets, particularly those that value artisanal production methods. This renewed interest is driven in part by the potential health benefits associated with fermented foods.

In this Special Issue, we invite researchers to contribute to enhancing the existing literature with original research and review articles on the following topics:

• Investigations of the historical significance of fermentation;
• Characterizations of microbial and enzymatic processes;
• The exploration of factors contributing to consumer preferences for traditional and health-conscious food products;
• The development of new fermented beverages or foods;
• Fermentation of by-products derived from food processing industries;
• The identification and characterization of bioactive compounds released during fermentation process.

Dr. Camelia Elena Luchian
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. Fermentation is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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.

• health promotion
• probiotics
• bioactive peptides
• functional foods
• microbial fermentation
• anticarcinogenic
• cardiovascular disease
• antimicrobial effect
• lactic acid bacteria
• nutraceuticals