Fermented Food and Beverage: Processing, Microbiology, and Health Benefit
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 18 February 2027 | Viewed by 37
Editor
Interests: probiotics; fermentation; functional foods; physicochemical; antioxidant; microbiology; sensory; food technology, food biotechnology; meat preservation; essential oils; bioactive compounds; juices
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Fermented foods and beverages have experienced a significant global resurgence, driven by growing consumer demand for natural, functional, and sustainably processed foods. Beyond their historical role in shelf-life extension and organoleptic enhancement, fermented matrixes serve as complex ecosystems where microbial metabolic activities transform raw substrates into health-promoting compounds.
This Special Issue aims to gather cutting-edge research and comprehensive reviews concerning food and beverage fermentation. We seek to bridge the gap between traditional processing methods and advanced bio-technologies, shedding light on the intricate relationships between microbial succession, structural transformation, and biological activity.
Areas of interest include the following:
- Novel and Traditional Processing: Optimization of fermentation parameters, innovative bioprocessing techniques (e.g., solid-state vs. submerged fermentation), AI-assisted process optimization and predictive modeling, precision fermentation, and metabolic engineering for targeted production of high-value compounds (e.g., proteins, vitamins, bioactive metabolites).
- Microbiology and Microbial Dynamics: Starter culture development, multi-strain and synthetic microbial consortia interactions, microbiome dynamics (metagenomics/metatranscriptomics), and systems-level multi-omics integration (proteomics, metabolomics) to decode metabolic networks and community functional dynamics during fermentation.
- Health Benefits and Functionality: Production of bioactive peptides, postbiotics, and antioxidants; gut microbiota modulation; anti-inflammatory properties; bioavailability and mechanistic pathway studies; and validation ranging from in vitro/animal models to well-designed human intervention trials for substantiated health claims.
- Sustainable Bioprocessing and Circular Bioeconomy: Valorization of agri-food by-products and side streams, zero-waste bioprocess development, and reduction in environmental footprints.
We welcome original research articles, short communications, and critical review papers that advance our scientific understanding of fermented matrixes and their impact on human health.
Dr. Ioanna Mantzourani
Guest Editor
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-anonymized 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
- fermented foods and beverages
- lactic acid bacteria and yeasts
- multi-omics and systems biology
- microbial ecology and synthetic consortia
- precision fermentation and metabolic engineering
- AI-assisted bioprocessing and process optimization
- bioactive compounds and postbiotics
- gut microbiota modulation and human intervention trials
- sustainable bioprocessing and circular bioeconomy
- food biotechnology
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