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Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety:...
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Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety: 2nd Edition

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 December 2026 | Viewed by 8006

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Patrícia Moreira Azoubel

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
Interests: drying; osmotic dehydration; ultrasound; food processing;
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. João Henrique Fernandes da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Belo Jardim Academic Unit, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Belo Jardim, Brazil
Interests: drying; osmotic dehydration; ultrasound; food processing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consumer demand for high-quality foods, which are nutritional, safe, and convenient, has led to interest in the use of innovative processing technologies. The introduction of these new technologies, such as non-thermal or alternative technologies, can also reduce processing time and improve industrial operating conditions, resulting in high-quality products that better preserve their fresh-like characteristics. The main purpose of this Special Issue, ‘Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety: 2nd Edition’, is to provide high-quality manuscripts regarding the use of innovative technologies and discuss their impact on food nutritional quality, sensory aspects, safety, and other related factors.

Prof. Dr. Patrícia Moreira Azoubel
Dr. João Henrique Fernandes da Silva
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. Foods 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 2900 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

  • innovative technologies
  • non-thermal technology
  • food quality
  • food safety
  • food preservation
  • nutrition
  • food composition
  • bioactive compounds
  • sensory quality
  • chemometrics

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

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 620 KB  
Article
Hot Air vs. Vacuum Microwave Drying of Lemon Slices: Effects on Drying Kinetics and Quality Attributes at Different Temperatures
by Hamza Bozkır
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1646; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101646 - 9 May 2026
Viewed by 381
Abstract
The demand for high-quality dried fruit products with preserved nutritional and sensory attributes has increased significantly in recent years. However, conventional drying methods often result in prolonged processing times and quality degradation. This study compared hot air drying and vacuum microwave drying at [...] Read more.
The demand for high-quality dried fruit products with preserved nutritional and sensory attributes has increased significantly in recent years. However, conventional drying methods often result in prolonged processing times and quality degradation. This study compared hot air drying and vacuum microwave drying at different temperatures (50, 60, and 70 °C) in terms of drying kinetics and quality attributes of lemon slices. Drying behavior, moisture content, pH, total titratable acidity, bulk density, total phenolic content, ascorbic acid, and color parameters were evaluated. The drying times for vacuum microwave drying were 144, 108, and 81 min at 50, 60, and 70 °C, respectively, which were substantially shorter than those for hot air drying (360, 204, and 156 min). In addition, vacuum microwave drying resulted in higher drying rates and effective moisture diffusivity. The Page and logarithmic models provided the best fit for the drying kinetics, with higher R2 and lower RMSE and χ2 values. Furthermore, vacuum microwave drying better preserved quality attributes, with total phenolic content ranging from 120.90 to 174.62 mg GAE/100 g DM and ascorbic acid from 59.87 to 186 mg/100 g DM, consistently higher than in hot air-dried samples. Total titratable acidity was also better retained (3.54–4.63 g citric acid/100 g DM), and lower total color change (ΔE: 14.57–23.23) indicated improved color preservation compared to conventional hot air drying. Overall, vacuum microwave drying offers a promising alternative for producing high-quality dried lemon slices with improved process efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety: 2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 1155 KB  
Article
Impact of a UV-C Scalable Reactor on the Chemical and Sensory Quality of Peppercorns
by Víctor Arcos-Limiñana, Soledad Prats-Moya and Salvador Maestre-Pérez
Foods 2025, 14(17), 3056; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173056 - 29 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1243
Abstract
This study investigates the chemical and sensory effects of UV-C disinfection on black, white, green, and pink peppercorns using a scalable mechanical drum reactor. While previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of UV-C radiation in microbial disinfection, there is a lack of deep, [...] Read more.
This study investigates the chemical and sensory effects of UV-C disinfection on black, white, green, and pink peppercorns using a scalable mechanical drum reactor. While previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of UV-C radiation in microbial disinfection, there is a lack of deep, quality-focused research on food products. Nevertheless, for spices, this is just as important, if not more so, than food safety. Different analyses were conducted to assess changes in volatile compounds, organic acids, fatty acids, tocopherols, and colour following UV-C exposure. Additionally, sensory evaluations were performed using triangular tests to determine whether these chemical changes were perceptible to consumers. Results revealed that many of the measured chemical components were affected by the UV treatment, with some volatile compounds decreasing by up to 90%, while certain organic acids increased by more than 150%. Despite these changes, no significant differences in colour, aroma, or flavour were detected by the sensory panel across all pepper types. These findings suggest that UV-C irradiation, when applied under the tested conditions, preserves the sensory quality of peppercorns, supporting its potential as a non-thermal processing method for spice treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety: 2nd Edition)
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Review

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27 pages, 2267 KB  
Review
Non-Thermal Processing Technologies in Food Industries
by Xinyu Yuan, Yihan Fang, Yuhan Diao, Beibei Wu, Xiang Wen, Anindya Nag and Yan Liang
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1677; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101677 - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 469
Abstract
The paper presents a substantial review of the use of non-thermal technologies in the food industry. In contrast to thermal processing, non-thermal techniques have been very effective in improving and maintaining the nutritional composition of food items. As an alternative to thermal processing, [...] Read more.
The paper presents a substantial review of the use of non-thermal technologies in the food industry. In contrast to thermal processing, non-thermal techniques have been very effective in improving and maintaining the nutritional composition of food items. As an alternative to thermal processing, various ambient conditions, including energy consumption, exposure time, and other parameters, have been considered for non-thermal processing to achieve reduced microbial load in food products. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of fundamental non-thermal processing techniques, including high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, and cold plasma, used to maintain food quality and extend shelf life. The paper also emphasizes certain factors, such as novel hybrid techniques, which can enhance key parameters, including customer acceptance, sustainability, interdisciplinary collaboration, and industrial recommendations. It includes work on product quality, energy consumption, efficiency, and support for the adoption of advanced food processing technologies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety: 2nd Edition)
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29 pages, 5921 KB  
Review
Au-Ag Bimetallic Nanoparticles for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Detection of Food Contaminants: A Review
by Pengpeng Yu, Chaoping Shen, Xifeng Yin, Junhui Cheng, Chao Liu and Ziting Yu
Foods 2025, 14(12), 2109; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122109 - 16 Jun 2025
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 5215
Abstract
Food contaminants, including harmful microbes, pesticide residues, heavy metals and illegal additives, pose significant public health risks. While traditional detection methods are effective, they are often slow and require complex equipment, which limits their application in real-time monitoring and rapid response. Surface-enhanced Raman [...] Read more.
Food contaminants, including harmful microbes, pesticide residues, heavy metals and illegal additives, pose significant public health risks. While traditional detection methods are effective, they are often slow and require complex equipment, which limits their application in real-time monitoring and rapid response. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology has gained widespread use in related research due to its hypersensitivity, non-destructibility and molecular fingerprinting capabilities. In recent years, Au-Ag bimetallic nanoparticles (Au-Ag BNPs) have emerged as novel SERS substrates, accelerating advancements in SERS detection technology. Au-Ag BNPs can be classified into Au-Ag alloys, Au-Ag core–shells and Au-Ag aggregates, among which the Au-Ag core–shell structure is more widely applied. This review discusses the types, synthesis methods and practical applications of Au-Ag BNPs in food contaminants. The study aims to provide valuable insights into the development of new Au-Ag BNPs and their effective use in detecting common food contaminants. Additionally, this paper explores the challenges and future prospects of SERS technology based on Au-Ag BNPs for pollutant detection, including the development of functional integrated substrates, advancements in intelligent algorithms and the creation of portable on-site detection platforms. These innovations are designed to streamline the detection process and offer guidance in selecting optimal sensing methods for the on-site detection of specific pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Innovative Technologies for Improving Food Quality and Safety: 2nd Edition)
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