Next-Generation Fermented Foods: Harnessing Non-Conventional Microbes for Enhanced Nutrition and Functionality

Dear Colleagues,

Fermented foods have long been a cornerstone of human diets, offering improved preservation, flavor, and health benefits. Traditionally, these products rely on well-characterized microorganisms such as Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces, and Bifidobacterium. However, recent advances in microbiology, biotechnology, and omics technologies have opened new frontiers in the development of next-generation fermented foods.

This Special Issue will focus on the innovative use of non-conventional microbes—those outside the classic fermentation repertoire—to enhance the nutritional profile, sensory properties, safety, and functional potential of fermented foods. These include novel strains from diverse ecosystems, extremophiles, and genetically tailored microbes with unique metabolic capabilities.

We invite original research, reviews, and perspectives that explore

• Isolation and characterization of non-conventional microbial strains for fermentation;
• Microbial consortia engineering and synthetic ecology in food systems;
• Metabolomic, proteomic, and genomic analyses of novel fermented products;
• Functional and health-promoting properties derived from non-traditional fermentation;
• Safety, regulatory, and consumer acceptance aspects of using emerging microbial species.

By highlighting cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary approaches, this Special Issue aims to accelerate the development of sustainable, functional, and tailor-made fermented foods to meet the nutritional demands of future generations.

Dr. Amparo Gamero
Dr. Mariagiovanna Fragasso
Guest Editors

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.