Quality Changes and Improvement Technologies of Animal-Derived Foods During Storage and Processing

Dear Colleagues,

Animal-derived food products are famed for their high edible value and ability to provide the body with energy and nutrition. Protein is one of the most vital nutritional and functional components in animal-derived foods, and plays a decisive role in the quality of edibility during processing and storage. Numerous studies have revealed that inappropriate treatments, such as preservation via freezing or repeated freeze–thaw cycles, can reduce the quality of animal-derived foods, including changing their texture, water-holding power, color, etc. In order to enhance the quality of animal-derived foods during processing and storage, it is necessary to discuss the various mechanisms implicated in the nutrition, flavor, texture, physiological and biochemical properties, sensory evaluation and microbial community of foods during different processing and storage treatments. This Special Issue will focus on the food products obtained from livestock (such as pork, beef, lamb, etc.), poultry (such as chicken, duck, etc.), and aquaculture (such as fish, shrimp, abalone, crab, shellfish, etc.). Meanwhile, this Special Issue will provide an overview of research addressing the interaction between meat protein and other added components (peptides, polyphenols, polysaccharides, proteins, starch, salts, etc.), as well as their influence on the microstructure, gel strength, solubility, emulsification properties, water retention, functional qualities, flavor characteristics, and oxidative stability of various foods.

Therefore, this Special Issue of Foods, entitled “Quality Changes and Improvement Technologies of Animal-Derived Foods During Storage and Processing” welcomes the submission of manuscripts (original research papers or reviews) addressing the current state of knowledge in the subject. Specifically, the scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

(i) A prospective discussion of the influence of various processing and storage techniques on the quality of animal-derived foods;

(ii) The effects of the added components on the physicochemical and functional properties of animal-derived foods during different storage and processing procedures;

(iii) The mechanisms of interaction between protein and other added components, such as peptides, polyphenols, polysaccharides, and micro-/nano-particles;

(iv) Novel processing or controlled storage technologies with the ability to enhance the quality of animal-derived foods;

(v) Changes in the mechanisms involved in the flavor, nutrition, and microbiological characteristics of animal-derived foods during storage or processing.

Prof. Dr. Jinxuan Cao
Prof. Dr. Xinyan Peng
Dr. Jin Zhang
Dr. Juan Yu
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.