Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.4
4.7
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Food Preservation Methods and Natural Preservatives: Latest Advances and Prospects
share announcement

Food Preservation Methods and Natural Preservatives: Latest Advances and Prospects

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2025 | Viewed by 1947

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Beatrice Sordini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo s.n.c., 06126 Perugia, Italy
Interests: shelf life; phenolic extract; by-product valorization; green preservative; antioxidants; natural compounds; food processing
Dr. Sonia Esposto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo s.n.c., 06126 Perugia, Italy
Interests: probiotics; fermentation; functional foods; physicochemical; antioxidant; microbiology; sensory; food technology, food biotechnology; meat preservation; essential oils; bioactive compounds; juices

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Foods are spoiled when microbiological, chemical, or physical changes occur that render them unacceptable to the consumer. Over the last few years, the food industry has prompted rising interest in developing new technologies to produce safe, healthy, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable food with a clean label. Many efforts have already been made in this direction. In addition to conventional preservation techniques (heating, freezing, drying, and evaporation), mild technologies, natural preservatives, and innovative packaging are used to maintain the safety and quality of foods, thereby extending their shelf life.

Currently, there is a strong demand to replace artificial preservatives, which are often viewed negatively by consumers due to some adverse health effects. Natural preservatives’ growing relevance has paved the way for valorising agro-food by-products rich in molecules with antimicrobial and antioxidant activity.

Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes original papers or review articles dealing with, but not limited to, novel strategies to ensure food safety and minimise quality loss due to microbial, physico-chemical, or enzymatic reactions using mild preservation techniques—e.g., high-pressure processing, controlled instantaneous decompression, oscillating magnetic fields (ohmic heating, dielectric heating, microwaves), ultrasound, ionising radiation, high-intensity pulsed light, pulsed electric fields, cold plasma, ozone, and hurdle technology—natural preservatives, and functional/active food packaging to ameliorate food quality and extend its shelf life.

Current innovations and ideas will be summarised, focusing on recent innovative applications and future perspectives.

Dr. Beatrice Sordini
Dr. Sonia Esposto
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 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. 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

  • shelf life
  • food safety
  • technological process
  • mild technologies
  • novel preservation techniques
  • bioactive compounds
  • natural preservatives
  • valorisation of agri-food by-products
  • food packaging
  • biopolymers

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 1603 KiB  
Article
A Simulation of the Real-Time Shelf Life of Frozen Fish Products in a Bulk System Sale
by Ilenia Dottori, Stefania Urbani, Luigi Daidone, Arianna Bonucci, Matteo Beccerica, Roberto Selvaggini, Beatrice Sordini, Raffaella Branciari, Gianluca Veneziani, Davide Nucciarelli, Agnese Taticchi, Maurizio Servili and Sonia Esposto
Foods 2025, 14(8), 1334; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14081334 - 12 Apr 2025
Viewed by 302
Abstract
In this study, the real-time shelf life of frozen fillets of two different types of fish, tuna (Thunnus albacares) and hake (Merluccius hubbsi), was studied, simulating a bulk system sale. A glaze treatment was used on all the samples [...] Read more.
In this study, the real-time shelf life of frozen fillets of two different types of fish, tuna (Thunnus albacares) and hake (Merluccius hubbsi), was studied, simulating a bulk system sale. A glaze treatment was used on all the samples at the beginning, and during the 60-day storage period, the glaze was reapplied at regular intervals on half of the samples (“glazed”), while the other half was not re-glazed (“control”). To assess the quality changes in the two products, the peroxide value (PV), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), biogenic amines and volatile composition were determined every twenty days. Our results showed that both the glazed and control products did not exceed the legal limits of 35 mg/100 g of TVB-N and 100 mg/kg of histamine. In the hake fillets, in particular, glazing reduced the alteration phenomena associated with oxidative processes. In contrast, because of the high initial thickness of the glazing layer (20% of the weight of the frozen product), the reapplication of glazing during the storage period did not lead to any significant differences between the glazed and control tuna fillets. In conclusion, the different fishes’ compositions affect their conservation after the freezing process, which was improved by means of glazing in the case of the hake fillets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Preservation Methods and Natural Preservatives: Latest Advances and Prospects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 4341 KiB  
Article
Melatonin/P34HB Films for Active Packaging: Optimizing Flavor Preservation and Quality of Honey Peaches During Storage
by Sunxiao Tantai, Jiayi Xu, Wenya Ma, Xiaofang Liu, Li Li and Yifen Wang
Foods 2025, 14(5), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050869 - 3 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 679
Abstract
To address unpredictable flavor changes in postharvest peaches during storage, this study investigated the use of bioactive packaging with melatonin-infused P34HB films. Films with melatonin concentrations of 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% were prepared using the extrusion casting method and applied to peach [...] Read more.
To address unpredictable flavor changes in postharvest peaches during storage, this study investigated the use of bioactive packaging with melatonin-infused P34HB films. Films with melatonin concentrations of 0%, 1%, 3%, and 5% were prepared using the extrusion casting method and applied to peach storage at room temperature. Comprehensive film properties were characterized, showing that melatonin minimally impacted the films’ mechanical properties, including gas and water vapor permeability, but significantly increased film haze. Using GC-IMS, 30 organic compounds affecting peach flavor were effectively identified, including 8 aldehydes, 5 alcohols, 4 ketones, 12 esters, 1 pyrazine, 1 olefin, and 1 furan. Unpackaged, naturally ripening peaches served as a reference for assessing flavor and quality changes across various packaging groups during storage. The results indicated that the appearance of off-flavor organic compounds, such as ethanol produced by peach anaerobic respiration and complex esters, was the primary cause of flavor deterioration. The P34HB film with 1% melatonin most effectively preserved the original flavor and juiciness of peaches, highlighting its potential as an active packaging solution for fruit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Preservation Methods and Natural Preservatives: Latest Advances and Prospects)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 968 KiB  
Article
Control of Listeria monocytogenes on Frankfurters by Surface Treatment with Olive Mill Wastewater Polyphenolic Extract
by Rossana Roila, Andrea Valiani, Maurizio Servili, David Ranucci, Roberta Galarini, Roberta Ortenzi, Sara Primavilla and Raffaella Branciari
Foods 2025, 14(5), 774; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14050774 - 24 Feb 2025
Viewed by 443
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a frequent post-process contaminant in meat products. This study aimed to investigate the antilisterial effectiveness of post-process antimicrobial treatments employing olive mill wastewater polyphenolic extract (PE) in commercially manufactured frankfurters. Frankfurters were inoculated on the surface with a three-strain [...] Read more.
Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a frequent post-process contaminant in meat products. This study aimed to investigate the antilisterial effectiveness of post-process antimicrobial treatments employing olive mill wastewater polyphenolic extract (PE) in commercially manufactured frankfurters. Frankfurters were inoculated on the surface with a three-strain LM mixture (~102 CFU/g), treated on the surface with PE in a 2-fold series of concentrations (PM, 2PM, 4PM) and a control group (CTR) of PE-untreated samples. Then, the frankfurters were vacuum-packed and stored at 4 °C for 28 days. Samples were examined on days 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 for LM count, in silico growth modeling, and impacts on pH, water activity (aw), and sensory characteristics. From T(time) 7, the PE treatment showed a significant effect on LM growth, registering maximum Δ values between CTR and 4PM of 3.19, 4.86, 4.59, 4.39 at T7, T14, T21, T28, respectively. Minimum effect was attributable to PM treatment with Δ values (CTR versus PM) of 2.07, 2.52, 1.14, 0.65 at T7, T14, T21, T28, respectively. No significant changes occurred in pH (average 6 at T0 and 5.9 at T28), aw (average 0.978 at T0 and 0.968 at T28), nor in sensory profile (p > 0.05). These findings suggest that PE is an effective natural antimicrobial, offering a promising approach to enhancing food safety and extending shelf life in meat products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Preservation Methods and Natural Preservatives: Latest Advances and Prospects)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop