Starter Advances in Beverage and Dairy Fermentation
A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Fermentation for Food and Beverages".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue, “Starter Advances in Beverage and Dairy Fermentation”, will showcase cutting-edge developments in starter culture technology, innovative fermentation strategies, and emerging scientific approaches to enhance the quality, functionality, and sustainability of fermented beverages and dairy products. By highlighting advances in microbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, and process engineering, the Special Issue will highlight novel starter formulations, mixed-culture applications, and metabolically driven improvements that can add value to modern fermentation systems.
For this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, reviews, and short communications addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Microbial ecology, strain dynamics, and metabolic interactions in dairy and beverage fermentation;
- Development and characterization of novel starter cultures, functional yeasts, and mixed microbial consortia;
- Biochemical pathways involved in flavor, aroma, texture formation, and the production of fermentation-derived bioactive compounds;
- Process optimization, fermentation kinetics, modeling, and quality control strategies;
- Traditional, artisanal, and industrial fermentation practices for beverages and dairy products;
- Innovative fermentation technologies, alternative substrates, upcycling approaches, and sustainability-orientated production;
- Functional, probiotic, and health-promoting properties of fermented beverages and dairy matrices;
- Advanced analytical tools, multi-omics, and data-driven approaches to fermentation and starter culture research.
Reviews, original research articles, and communications are welcome. The key words and topic list are not exhaustive; please feel free to consult me regarding the suitability of your planned article.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Oktay Yerlikaya
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. 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.
Keywords
- beverage and dairy fermentation
- starter cultures
- yeast–bacteria interactions
- fermentation metabolism
- bioactive compounds
- fermented foods and beverages
- brewing and dairy technology
- fermentation kinetics
- microbial ecology
- mixed-culture fermentation
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