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Special Issues
Food Products and By-Products: Deep Processing and Comprehensive Utilization
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Food Products and By-Products: Deep Processing and Comprehensive Utilization

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2025 | Viewed by 2426

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Antonio Segura-Carretero

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Research and Development Functional Food Centre (CIDAF), Bioregiόn Building, Health Science Technological Park, Avenida del Conocimiento s/n, 18016 Granada, Spain
2. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Avenida Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: functional food; bioactive compounds; analytical techniques; mass spectrometry; nutraceuticals; metabolomic studies; by-products revalorization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. María Del Carmen Villegas-Aguilar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: development and innovation of analytical methods for biomedical applications; use of advanced technologies, such as mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography; sustainability, food safety and industrial quality; analytical chemistry as an essential tool for social and technological progress

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The global food industry faces increasing demands for sustainable production and resource efficiency. This Special Issue focuses on innovative strategies and advanced technologies for the deep processing and comprehensive utilization of food products and by-products. The goal is to enhance value, reduce waste, and support environmental sustainability while meeting consumer and industrial needs.

Key areas of interest include the extraction and valorization of bioactive compounds, the development of functional foods, and the conversion of food by-products into high-value materials such as nutraceuticals, bio-based chemicals, and biodegradable packaging. Cutting-edge techniques in bioprocessing, green chemistry, and circular economy models are especially relevant.

Additionally, this issue welcomes research addressing the nutritional, sensory, and safety aspects of products derived from by-products. It also highlights multidisciplinary approaches combining food science, material science, and engineering to unlock new possibilities in resource-efficient food systems.

By bringing together contributions from academia and industry, this Special Issue aims to advance knowledge in sustainable food production and foster innovation in the valorization of food resources. Researchers are invited to contribute their latest findings, reviews, and insights to shape the future of sustainable food systems.

Prof. Dr. Antonio Segura-Carretero
Dr. María Del Carmen Villegas-Aguilar
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 by-product valorization
  • sustainable food processing
  • bioactive compounds extraction
  • circular economy in food systems
  • functional foods development
  • green bioprocessing technologies

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5051 KB  
Article
Carbon Dots from Dried German Chamomile Flower and Its Residual Biomass: Characteristics, Bioactivities, Cytotoxicity and Its Preservative Effect on the Refrigerated Precooked Baby Clam (Paphia undulata)
by Birinchi Bora, Suriya Palamae, Bin Zhang, Tao Yin, Jun Tae Kim, Jong-Whan Rhim and Soottawat Benjakul
Foods 2025, 14(17), 3130; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14173130 - 7 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1375
Abstract
The growing demand for natural and sustainable food preservatives has drawn interest in carbon dots (CDs) derived from plant sources. This study aimed to synthesize CDs from dried German chamomile flowers (DF) and residual biomass (RB) obtained after essential oil extraction using a [...] Read more.
The growing demand for natural and sustainable food preservatives has drawn interest in carbon dots (CDs) derived from plant sources. This study aimed to synthesize CDs from dried German chamomile flowers (DF) and residual biomass (RB) obtained after essential oil extraction using a hydrothermal process. Their characteristics, bioactivities and cytotoxicity were examined. Both DF-CDs and RB-CDs were spherical (7–10 nm), exhibited strong UV blocking properties and tunable fluorescence and were rich in polyphenolic functional groups, especially the –OH group. DF-CDs generally showed higher antioxidant capacity than RB-CDs as assayed by DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging activities, FRAP and metal chelation activity. Both CDs showed antibacterial effects toward pathogenic bacterial strains (Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes) and spoilage bacteria (Shewanella putrefaciens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in a dose-dependent manner. Cytotoxicity was assessed in BJ human fibroblasts, and both CDs exhibited high biocompatibility (>88% viability at 1000 µg/mL). When both CDs at 300 and 600 ppm were applied in a precooked baby clam edible portion (PBC-EP) stored at 4 °C, microbial growth, TVB and TMA contents were lower than those of the control. The total viable count was still under the limit (5.8 log CFU/mL) for the sample treated with CDs at 600 ppm up to 9 days, while the control was kept for only 3 days. Furthermore, the lipid oxidation level (PV and TBARS value) of PBC-EP decreased with CD treatment, especially at higher concentrations (600 ppm). Therefore, chamomile-derived CDs could serve as a promising alternative for perishable seafood preservation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Products and By-Products: Deep Processing and Comprehensive Utilization)
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17 pages, 5914 KB  
Article
Comprehensive Evaluation of Nutritional Quality Diversity in Cottonseeds from 259 Upland Cotton Germplasms
by Yiwen Huang, Chengyu Li, Shouyang Fu, Yuzhen Wu, Dayun Zhou, Longyu Huang, Jun Peng and Meng Kuang
Foods 2025, 14(16), 2895; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162895 - 20 Aug 2025
Viewed by 614
Abstract
Cottonseeds, rich in high-quality protein and fatty acids, represent a vital plant-derived feedstuff and edible oil resource. To systematically investigate genetic variation patterns in nutritional quality and screen superior germplasm, this study analyzed 26 nutritional quality traits and 8 fiber traits across 259 [...] Read more.
Cottonseeds, rich in high-quality protein and fatty acids, represent a vital plant-derived feedstuff and edible oil resource. To systematically investigate genetic variation patterns in nutritional quality and screen superior germplasm, this study analyzed 26 nutritional quality traits and 8 fiber traits across 259 upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) accessions using multivariate statistical approaches. Results revealed significant genetic diversity in cottonseed nutritional profiles, with coefficients of variation ranging from 3.42% to 26.37%. Moreover, with advancements in breeding periods, the contents of protein, amino acids, and the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) increased, while oil content and C16:0 levels decreased. Correlation analyses identified significant positive associations (p < 0.05) between proteins, amino acids, UFAs, and most fiber traits, except for seed index (SI), fiber micronaire (FM), and fiber elongation (FE). Through a principal component analysis–fuzzy membership function (PCA-FMF) model, 13 elite accessions (F > 0.75) with high protein content, high UFA proportion, and excellent fiber quality were identified. These findings provide both data-driven foundations and practical germplasm resources for value-added utilization of cottonseed and coordinated breeding for dual-quality traits of nutrition and fiber. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Products and By-Products: Deep Processing and Comprehensive Utilization)
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