Sensory Detection and Analysis in Food Industry—2nd Edition

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Analytical Methods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 849

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Interests: food flavor chemistry; food sensory perception mechanisms; biological fermentation and enzyme engineering; protein deep processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Beijing Laboratory of Food Quality and Safety, School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
2. Key Laboratory of Brewing Molecular Engineering of China Light Industry, School of Light Industry, Beijing Technology and Business University, Beijing, China
Interests: food flavour; food microorganisms; food consumption trends; enzyme engineering; food industry production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Sensory Detection and Analysis in Food Industry—2nd Edition,” welcomes research that advances how foods are perceived, measured, and optimized from molecule to marketplace. We invite studies spanning flavour chemistry and “flavoromics,” the roles of food microorganisms in generating or degrading key aroma and taste compounds, as well as consumer behaviour in shaping acceptance across cultures and demographics. Methodological contributions are encouraged, including human sensory evaluation (trained panels and consumers); cross-modal perception; texture and oral tribology; and state-of-the-art instrumental approaches such as GC-MS/O, PTR-MS, LC-MS-based metabolomics, electronic nose/tongue systems, and analytical processing technologies. Work on enzyme engineering and biocatalysis for flavour precursor formation, off-note mitigation, and process intensification are all included in the scope of this Special Issue, as well as fermentation and starter culture strategies that link microbiomes to sensory outcomes. Submissions exploring the relationship between data science—chemometrics, machine learning, and data fusion—and rapid quality control, authenticity, and shelf-life prediction are especially welcome. We also seek industry-facing studies on scalable production, inline sensing, and sustainability that translate sensory insights into manufacturing decisions. Original research, methods, reviews, benchmarks, datasets, and case studies will be accepted across all food categories (beverages, dairy, meat, plant-based, fermented, confectionery, and beyond).

Best regards,

Dr. Jianan Zhang
Dr. Dongrui Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sensory evaluation
  • flavour chemistry and flavoromics
  • fermentation microbiome
  • enzyme engineering and biocatalysis
  • chemometrics and machine learning
  • instrumental analysis
  • sensory evaluation
  • flavour–health interaction
  • consumer research
  • food quality control

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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42 pages, 13365 KB  
Article
Discovery and Validation of Novel Umami Peptides from Traditional Broad Bean Paste (Doubanjiang)
by Dandan Song, Yashuai Wu, Yanfei Feng and Liang Yang
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1819; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101819 - 21 May 2026
Viewed by 268
Abstract
Traditional doubanjiang was investigated to identify endogenous peptides that may contribute to taste maintenance under salt-reduction conditions. Peptidomics identified 1230 peptides at −10logP ≥ 15. UMPred-FRL predicted 161 potential umami peptides, and molecular docking showed that 141 of these peptides could enter the [...] Read more.
Traditional doubanjiang was investigated to identify endogenous peptides that may contribute to taste maintenance under salt-reduction conditions. Peptidomics identified 1230 peptides at −10logP ≥ 15. UMPred-FRL predicted 161 potential umami peptides, and molecular docking showed that 141 of these peptides could enter the binding site of the T1R1/T1R3 receptor. The successfully docked sequences were mainly short oligopeptides containing three to five amino acid residues. Based on docking scores, six representative candidate peptides were screened, namely EESP, SCPH, SSSGF, PDTE, SYH, and DYDS. Docking and MM-GBSA analyses suggested that these peptides mainly bound within the VFT cavity of T1R1/T1R3, and the interacting residues were dominated by polar residues such as Ser, Asn, Gln, and His and hydrophobic residues such as Tyr, Ile, Leu, and Val. MM-GBSA further suggested that vdW was the major favorable contributor, while Lipo supported complex stability. The umami thresholds of the six peptides ranged from 0.14 to 1.09 mmol/L. Experimental validation by threshold determination and sensory addition showed that all six peptides significantly increased saltiness, whereas their effects on umami differed. PDTE showed the strongest umami-enhancing effect, while SSSGF, SYH, and SCPH exhibited more pronounced saltiness synergy. These results suggest that the screened peptides do not necessarily amplify umami in complex food systems, but may contribute to taste maintenance under salt-reduction conditions through umami support, saltiness synergy, and taste-structure remodeling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensory Detection and Analysis in Food Industry—2nd Edition)
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34 pages, 2275 KB  
Article
Mining and Validation of Novel Umami Peptides in Non-Alcoholic Beer by Integrating Machine Learning Prediction, Molecular Docking, and Sensory Validation, and Their Multidimensional Sensory Impacts on Beer Body
by Yashuai Wu, Wenjing Tian, Zihan Shi, Yi Ren, Yiyuan Chen, Xin Yuan, Jiang Xie, Bofeng Zhong and Dongrui Zhao
Foods 2026, 15(10), 1671; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15101671 - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 423
Abstract
This study aimed to identify umami peptides in non-alcoholic beer and clarify their potential contribution to taste reconstruction and aftertaste improvement. Peptides were profiled by RPLC-Q-TOF-MS and screened using machine learning prediction, molecular docking, MM-GBSA analysis, and sensory validation. Under the criteria of [...] Read more.
This study aimed to identify umami peptides in non-alcoholic beer and clarify their potential contribution to taste reconstruction and aftertaste improvement. Peptides were profiled by RPLC-Q-TOF-MS and screened using machine learning prediction, molecular docking, MM-GBSA analysis, and sensory validation. Under the criteria of −10logP ≥ 15 and ALC ≥ 90.00%, 2081 peptides were identified. Among them, 122 potential umami peptides were predicted, and 117 peptides were successfully docked with the T1R1/T1R3 umami receptor. The docked peptides were mainly short to medium oligopeptides, especially tetrapeptides and pentapeptides, which accounted for 40.17% and 35.90%, respectively. Based on docking score, structural diversity, and peptide length distribution, CTGAA, IDQILG, KDTHP, QRQ, and EITGR were selected as representative candidates. These peptides showed favorable receptor binding, mainly supported by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and local hydrophobic contacts. Sensory validation further showed that the 5 peptides improved umami and aftertaste cleanliness to different degrees. Umami intensity increased by 7.58% to 22.73%, while aftertaste cleanliness increased by 5.80% to 17.39%. Among them, CTGAA showed the strongest umami enhancement, and QRQ produced the greatest improvement in aftertaste cleanliness. These results suggest that selected umami peptides may contribute to flavor reconstruction in non-alcoholic beer by enhancing umami perception and improving aftertaste quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sensory Detection and Analysis in Food Industry—2nd Edition)
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