Food Sustainability Strategy: Food Processing Technology Optimization and Waste Valorization
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Security and Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 215
Special Issue Editors
Interests: extraction; antioxidants; polyphenols; separation; analysis; chromatography; pharmaceutical technology; optimization; modeling; encapsulation; valorization; stability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: extraction; antioxidants; separation; analysis; HPLC-MS; pharmaceutical; optimization; modeling; experimental design; artificial neural network; inclusion; cyclodextrin
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue, entitled “Food Sustainability Strategy: Food Processing Technology Optimization and Waste Valorization”, focuses on the sustainable development of food systems, which has become a global priority due to the urgent need to reduce environmental impact, improve resource efficiency, and minimize food loss and waste.
The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight recent advances in food processing technologies, as well as innovative strategies for the valorization of food and agro-industrial waste. It contributes to the development of circular and sustainable food systems. Particular attention is given to approaches that enable the recovery of valuable compounds from by-products and their subsequent application as functional ingredients.
This Special Issue seeks to provide insight into the optimization of food processing technologies, including the development of energy-efficient, mild, and eco-friendly processing methods. Emerging and advanced technologies, such as ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, supercritical fluids, and membrane processes, are of particular interest due to their potential to enhance process efficiency while reducing environmental impact.
In addition, the integration of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and smart systems, is encouraged as a means to improve process control, efficiency, and sustainability. Contributions addressing biotechnological and enzymatic approaches for waste conversion, as well as upcycling strategies within the framework of the circular economy, are also welcome.
Advanced analytical methods and sustainability assessment tools, such as life cycle assessment, carbon footprint analysis, and other environmental impact metrics, are essential for evaluating the overall sustainability of food production systems.
Solutions to current challenges in sustainable food systems lie not only in technological innovation but also in the development of economically viable and scalable processes supporting the transition toward a circular bioeconomy.
We invite high-quality submissions, including original research articles, review papers, and short communications, that contribute to the advancement of sustainable food processing and waste valorization strategies.
Dr. Ivana Savic Gajic
Dr. Ivan Savic
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 sustainability
- food processing optimization
- waste valorization
- circular economy
- agro-industrial by-products
- green processing technologies
- bioactive compounds
- life cycle assessment
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