Polysaccharide-Based Hydrocolloids Utilized in the Development of Healthy Foods
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 22
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plant-based foods; plant polysaccharides; alternative proteins; novel food technologies; AI in food technology.
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: food chemistry; food safety and functional foods
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polysaccharide-based hydrocolloids play a pivotal role in shaping the future of healthy and sustainable food systems. Their unique ability to modulate texture, stability, water retention, and controlled release of bioactives positions them at the intersection of food technology, nutrition, and health. Naturally derived from diverse sources such as seaweeds, seeds, plants, and microbial fermentation, these hydrocolloids not only replace synthetic additives but also contribute functional and physiological benefits, including dietary fiber enrichment, glycemic modulation, and gut health improvement. Recent advances highlight their application in reduced-fat and reduced-sugar foods, plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, functional beverages, and encapsulated nutraceuticals, demonstrating their critical role in aligning food innovation with consumer demand for clean-label and health-oriented products.
This Special Issue invites original research articles, reviews, and short communications that explore the diverse applications of polysaccharide hydrocolloids in the formulation of healthy foods. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following：
- Novel extraction and modification strategies;
- Structure–function relationships;
- Incorporation in plant-based and reduced-fat/sugar products;
- Encapsulation of bioactives, as well as their role in gut health and metabolic regulation.
By gathering cutting-edge contributions, this collection seeks to advance scientific understanding and promote innovation in food design for improved nutrition and well-being.
We warmly welcome your valuable contributions and look forward to your submissions.
Dr. Saqib Gulzar
Dr. Khursheed Shiekh
Prof. Dr. Robert Soliva-Fortuny
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
- polysaccharides
- hydrocolloids
- functional foods
- dietary fibers
- texture modification
- plant-based foods
- clean label
- nutraceuticals
- food formulation
- health-promoting ingredients
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