Food Colloids: Creating Structure, Delivering Functionality and Advancing Sustainability
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 6 March 2026 | Viewed by 25
Special Issue Editors
Interests: polysaccharide characterization and functionality; novel polysccharides from New Zealand-native plants; lactic acid bacteria; mushroom; seeds; polysaccharide interactions with proteins and starches; food systems with satiety function; dairy foods, e.g., yoghurt and ice cream
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: microencapsulation technologies; delivery of bioactive compounds; nanoemulsions; microemulsions; protein functionalities; alternative proteins; food hydrocolloids; plant-based alternatives for dairy foods; valorization of food processing by-products (e.g., legume water, tofu whey, okara, etc.)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Colloids are at the heart of many food systems, governing texture, stability, sensory experience, and the delivery of nutrients and bioactives. Advances in colloid science now provide exciting opportunities to create foods that are not only enjoyable but also healthier and more sustainable. This Special Issue, entitled “Food Colloids: Creating Structure, Delivering Functionality and Advancing Sustainability”, seeks to highlight research that connects the fundamental principles of colloid science with innovative applications in food formulation, processing, and health.
We invite contributions exploring the physicochemical, structural, and interfacial mechanisms underpinning colloidal systems, as well as studies translating these insights into improved food quality, nutrition, and sustainability. Topics of interest include emulsion and foam design, hydrocolloid interactions, protein–polysaccharide structuring, oleogelation and lipid structuring, novel processing or characterisation techniques, and the controlled release of bioactives. We particularly encourage research linking colloidal structures to broader outcomes such as prebiotic delivery, microbiome modulation, plant-based innovations and hybrid systems built from protein–polysaccharide complexes, and the development of texture-modified foods for dysphagia, ageing populations, and personalised nutrition. Studies on cultivated (cell-based) meat matrices, where colloids act as scaffolds, fat mimetics, and delivery vehicles, are also within scope.
This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for advancing food colloid science, showcasing how structural design can drive functionality, health, and sustainability in next-generation food systems.
Prof. Dr. Kelvin Kim Tha Goh
Dr. Sung Je Lee
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
- food colloids
- structure–function relationships
- emulsions and foams
- hydrocolloids
- protein–polysaccharide complexes
- controlled release
- oleogels and structured lipids
- prebiotics and microbiome
- texture-modified foods
- plant-based hybrid and cultivated meat systems
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