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Food Innovations: Process Enhancements, Health-Promoting Product Developments, and Value-Adding Strategies
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Food Innovations: Process Enhancements, Health-Promoting Product Developments, and Value-Adding Strategies

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutraceuticals, Functional Foods, and Novel Foods".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 February 2026 | Viewed by 3072

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Emanuele Boselli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Interests: wine; food products; mass spectrometry; chromatographic analysis; chemometrics; sensory analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bartosz Kruszewski

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food Technology and Assessment, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences–SGGW, Warsaw, Poland
Interests: food analysis; food quality; food safety; sensory evaluation; sensory analysis; instrumental analysis; food science and technology; food processing and engineering; chemometric analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Today's speed of life for the average consumer is much faster than it was even a decade ago. As a consequence, the consumer demands more functions from food products than before. New trends have emerged in the market that include food improvement on many levels. These include value-adding strategies such as the addition of plant extracts, ingredient changes, inclusion of by-products in the recipe, etc. The production of nutritionally improved foods also includes new approaches to food processing. New processing methods are currently being developed to mitigate the formation of harmful substances, reduce the degradation of important bioactive compounds and reduce or completely prevent sensory changes, including colour, aroma, flavour, and texture/mouthfeel. For this purpose, new innovative processing methods are being tested like high-pressure processing, homogenization, pulsed electric field, ultrasound, microwave in flow, pulsed light and many others. Health-promoting product development must take into account the consumer acceptability of upgraded food. Therefore, analyses of sensory properties, as well as the profile of volatile compounds and other metabolites, should be performed after processing and during storage. To slow down the degradation of beneficial substances in food and improve its shelf life, stakeholders are also focusing on storage research and implementing edible coatings, modified atmosphere and smart indicators. Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on a wide range of research and future prospects of applications concerning production process enhancements, health-promoting product development and quality characaterisation, and value-adding strategies in the food industry.

Dr. Emanuele Boselli
Dr. Bartosz Kruszewski
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.

Keywords

  • food fortification
  • by-products utilization
  • functional food
  • non-thermal preservation
  • chemometrics
  • sensory profiles
  • bioavailability
  • bioactive compound extraction
  • product reformulation
  • harmful substance mitigation
  • packaging innovations

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1242 KB  
Article
Geranium Oil Nanoemulsion Delivers More Potent and Persistent Fumigant Control of Callosobruchus maculatus in Stored Grain
by Samar Sayed Ibrahim, Ameya D. Gondhalekar, Kurt Ristroph and Dieudonne Baributsa
Foods 2025, 14(20), 3514; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14203514 - 15 Oct 2025
Viewed by 688
Abstract
Plant essential oils offer eco-friendly alternatives to insecticides, though their instability limits effectiveness. This study evaluated the physicochemical stability and fumigant efficacy of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) oil nanoemulsion (GONE) versus bulk geranium oil (GOB) against Callosobruchus maculatus. Geranium oil nanoemulsions [...] Read more.
Plant essential oils offer eco-friendly alternatives to insecticides, though their instability limits effectiveness. This study evaluated the physicochemical stability and fumigant efficacy of geranium (Pelargonium graveolens) oil nanoemulsion (GONE) versus bulk geranium oil (GOB) against Callosobruchus maculatus. Geranium oil nanoemulsions (GONEs) were prepared via spontaneous emulsification using 8% oil and varying surfactant levels. The 10% surfactant formulation produced the most uniform and stable nanoemulsion, with an average droplet size of 91.85 ± 0.02 nm and a low polydispersity index of 0.16 ± 0.02. No significant changes in droplet size were observed after 30 days of storage at room temperature and 9 °C, confirming the formulation’s stability. A fumigant bioassay was conducted using five concentrations (50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 µL/L air) of GOB and GONE over 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Both forms exhibited concentration- and time-dependent toxicity against C. maculatus. Complete mortality was achieved sooner and at lower doses with GONE (72 h at 150 µL/L air versus 250 µL/L air for GOB; 96 h at 150 µL/L air for GONE versus 200 µL/L air for GOB). Geranium oil nanoemulsion consistently produced lower LC50 and LC90 values, indicating greater potency. It also significantly reduced progeny development. Residual fumigant bioassays at the LC90 level showed that GONE retained efficacy against C. maculatus adults longer than GOB, causing 50% mortality 12 days post-treatment compared to 21% for GOB. Overall, nanoformulation enhanced the potency and persistence of geranium oil, highlighting its promise for protecting stored grains from C. maculatus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Innovations: Process Enhancements, Health-Promoting Product Developments, and Value-Adding Strategies)
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Review

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22 pages, 791 KB  
Review
Fermentation of House Crickets (Acheta domesticus): Boosting Quality and Functionality in Cricket-Based Food Ingredients
by Seyed Mohammad Hasan Haghayeghi, Andrea Osimani and Lucia Aquilanti
Foods 2025, 14(23), 4003; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234003 - 22 Nov 2025
Viewed by 262
Abstract
This review examines the nutritional and functional potential of Acheta domesticus, the impact of fermentation on its biochemical and microbiological properties, and its application in food ingredients and products. Relevant literature was reviewed on the composition, fermentation behavior, product development, and consumer [...] Read more.
This review examines the nutritional and functional potential of Acheta domesticus, the impact of fermentation on its biochemical and microbiological properties, and its application in food ingredients and products. Relevant literature was reviewed on the composition, fermentation behavior, product development, and consumer perceptions related to cricket-based ingredients, with a focus on fermented applications and microbiota interaction. Fermentation improves the safety, digestibility, flavor, and nutritional value of cricket powder. Lactic acid bacteria (e.g., Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Latilactobacillus curvatus) enhanced substrate acidification, reduced biogenic amines and acrylamide levels, and contributed to desirable volatile compounds production. Additionally, fermentation using yeasts like Yarrowia lipolytica and Debaryomyces hansenii resulted in the production of antimicrobial substances, reduction in chitin, and an increase in the matrix digestibility. Fermented cricket-based ingredients have been successfully applied to bread, biscuits, yogurt, and beverages. Protein hydrolysates produced by fermentation exhibited antioxidant, anti-aging, and preservative properties, expanding potential beyond food. Consumer acceptance was highest when insects were integrated into familiar and visually unobtrusive food formats. To conclude, A. domesticus shows great promise as a sustainable and functional food ingredient. Fermentation offers a key strategy to overcome safety, sensory, and acceptability barriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Innovations: Process Enhancements, Health-Promoting Product Developments, and Value-Adding Strategies)
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28 pages, 3865 KB  
Review
Recent Advances and Future Perspectives on Heat and Mass Transfer Mechanisms Enhanced by Preformed Porous Media in Vacuum Freeze-Drying of Agricultural and Food Products
by Xinkang Hu, Bo Zhang, Xintong Du, Huanhuan Zhang, Tianwen Zhu, Shuang Zhang, Xinyi Yang, Zhenpeng Zhang, Tao Yang, Xu Wang and Chundu Wu
Foods 2025, 14(17), 2966; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14172966 - 25 Aug 2025
Viewed by 2014
Abstract
Preformed porous media (PPM) technology has emerged as a transformative approach to enhance heat and mass transfer in vacuum freeze-drying (VFD) of agricultural and food products. This review systematically analyzes recent advances in PPM research, with particular focus on spray freeze-drying (SFD) as [...] Read more.
Preformed porous media (PPM) technology has emerged as a transformative approach to enhance heat and mass transfer in vacuum freeze-drying (VFD) of agricultural and food products. This review systematically analyzes recent advances in PPM research, with particular focus on spray freeze-drying (SFD) as the dominant technique for precision pore architecture control. Empirical studies confirm PPM’s efficacy: drying time reductions of 20–50% versus conventional VFD while improving product quality (e.g., 15% higher ginsenoside retention in ginseng, 90% enzyme activity preservation). Key innovations include gradient porous structures and multi-technology coupling strategies that fundamentally alter transfer mechanisms through: resistance mitigation via interconnected macropores (50–500 μm, 40–90% porosity), pseudo-convection effects enabling 30% faster vapor removal, and radiation enhancement boosting absorption by 40–60% and penetration depth 2–3 times. While inherent VFD limitations (e.g., low thermal conductivity) persist, we identify PPM-specific bottlenecks: precision regulation of pore structures (<5% size deviation), scalable fabrication of gradient architectures, synergy mechanisms in multi-field coupling (e.g., microwave-PPM interactions). The most promising advancements include 3D-printed gradient pores for customized transfer paths, intelligent monitoring-feedback systems, and multiscale modeling bridging pore-scale physics to macroscale kinetics. This review provides both a critical assessment of current progress and a forward-looking perspective to guide future research and industrial adoption of PPM-enhanced VFD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Innovations: Process Enhancements, Health-Promoting Product Developments, and Value-Adding Strategies)
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