Modern Technologies for Extending Shelf-Life and Improving Quality of Moderately Processed Foods: Challenges and Innovations
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 421
Special Issue Editors
Interests: enzymes activity; enzymatic browning; antioxidant capacity; inhibitors; unprocessed food; moderately processed foods; food quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
According to data published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately one-third of all food produced globally for human consumption is wasted or lost each year. This amounts to around 1.3 billion tons of food annually. These statistics underscore the significant environmental, economic, and social impact of food waste, highlighting the urgent need for global actions aimed at reducing waste and promoting sustainable food systems.
This Special Issue aims to present the latest advancements in modern technologies focused on improving the quality of moderately processed foods and extending their shelf-life, thus reducing waste generation. As consumer demand for natural, nutritionally rich food products grows, the challenge lies in preserving them in a way that does not negatively affect their nutritional value and sensory attributes. This Special Issue will showcase innovative techniques such as smart packaging, natural preservatives, non-thermal processing methods, and new preservation strategies that help maintain the freshness, safety, and high nutritional value of moderately processed foods. In addition, the impact of the above-mentioned treatments on the health-promoting properties of food (the content of vitamins, low-molecular-weight antioxidants, bioactive peptides, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties) will also be discussed. Contributors are invited to submit research articles, reviews, and case studies that address the technological aspects of these approaches, highlighting their potential to improve food quality and reduce waste.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Strategies and innovations in food shelf-life extension;
- Sustainability in packaging;
- Moderate processing techniques;
- Microbial growth inhibition;
- Innovative processing technologies.
Dr. Małgorzata Sierocka
Dr. Katarzyna Lisiecka
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
- unprocessed/minimally processed food/moderately processed foods
- enzymes activity and enzymatic browning
- pro-health properties
- modern preservative technologies
- natural anti-microbiological agents
- food waste reduction
- advanced packaging technologies
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.
