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The Application and Recent Advances in Intelligent Machines for Improving...
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The Application and Recent Advances in Intelligent Machines for Improving the Quality of Agri-Food Products

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 612

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xiangyi Meng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, China
Interests: agricultural products processing; numerical simulation; smart agriculture
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Shujuan Yi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Engineering, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, China
Interests: agricultural engineering
Dr. Yanlong Han

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: food safety; non-destructive detection; numerical simulation; granular flows
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intelligent machines and digital technologies are increasingly applied to improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of agri-food products. Advances in artificial intelligence, sensing technologies, and numerical simulation have enabled more precise monitoring, control, and optimization of agri-food processing systems.

This Special Issue focuses on the application and recent advances of intelligent machines for improving the quality of agri-food products. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following: intelligent agri-food machinery and equipment, agricultural sensors, AI-enabled monitoring and control strategies, efficiency-enhancing and loss-reduction processing technologies, quality control during processing, and numerical simulation and modeling of agri-food processes.

This Special Issue aims to promote interdisciplinary research integrating mechanical engineering, food science, and artificial intelligence for quality-oriented and sustainable agri-food systems.

Dr. Xiangyi Meng
Prof. Dr. Shujuan Yi
Dr. Yanlong Han
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

  • intelligent agri-food machinery equipment
  • agri-food security
  • quality control in processing
  • numerical simulation
  • efficiency-enhancing technologies in agri-food processing

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 4889 KB  
Article
Effects of Humidification on Bran Layer Mechanics and Microstructure of Brown Rice: Mechanism and Optimization
by Yadong Zhu, Zhongqiu Mu, Yifan Lu and Xiangyi Meng
Foods 2026, 15(5), 875; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15050875 - 4 Mar 2026
Viewed by 337
Abstract
Humidification conditioning has been increasingly applied in brown rice milling to improve processing performance. However, the underlying mechanisms by which humidification alters the mechanical behavior and microstructure of the bran layer remain insufficiently understood. In this study, the effects of humidification on the [...] Read more.
Humidification conditioning has been increasingly applied in brown rice milling to improve processing performance. However, the underlying mechanisms by which humidification alters the mechanical behavior and microstructure of the bran layer remain insufficiently understood. In this study, the effects of humidification on the mechanical properties and surface microstructure of the brown rice bran layer were investigated, and the optimal conditioning parameters were further determined based on milling performance. Brown rice samples were conditioned to different moisture levels, and the corresponding changes in bran layer tensile strength, surface roughness, and microstructural features were analyzed using tensile testing, three-dimensional surface profilometry, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that humidification significantly disrupts the continuity of the fibrous matrix in the bran layer, leading to reduced tensile strength and wear resistance. Moderate humidification (around 16% moisture content) promotes the formation of micro-pores and weakens structural integrity, facilitating bran removal during milling and improving head rice yield (HRY), whereas excessive humidification results in over-softening and increased kernel breakage. On this basis, a quadratic orthogonal rotatable composite design was employed to optimize the combined effects of moisture content, humidification time, and equilibration time on HRY and specific energy consumption. The optimal conditioning parameters were identified as 16% moisture content, 30 s humidification time, and 36 min equilibration time. This study provides the mechanistic insights into the humidification-induced structural and mechanical evolution of the brown rice bran layer, through experimental optimization of humidification operating parameters, offering practical guidance for improving milling quality and energy efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application and Recent Advances in Intelligent Machines for Improving the Quality of Agri-Food Products)
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