Advances in Dielectric Heating in Food Processing: Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Sustainability of Plant-Based Foods

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the application of dielectric heating technology, including radio frequency heating and microwave heating, in the food industry has garnered significant attention due to its potential to enhance the safety and quality of plant-based foods. The versatility of dielectric heating, combined with its ability to rapidly and uniformly heat food products, makes it a promising technology for various applications in food processing and preservation. Moreover, advancements in dielectric heating equipment and methodologies have opened new avenues for research and innovation in this field.

For this reason, a Special Issue of Foods is being released, focused on the "Advances of Dielectric Heating in Food Processing: Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Sustainability of Plant-Based Foods". This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of research, technological developments, and future perspectives in the application of dielectric heating to plant-based foods. It will highlight the potential of dielectric heating to improve food safety, preserve nutritional quality, and enhance the sensory attributes of plant-based products.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Optimization and Innovation in Dielectric Heating Technology.
• Impact of Dielectric Heating on Food Safety.
• Effect of Dielectric Heating on Food Quality.
• Application of Dielectric Heating in Specific Plant-Based Foods.
• Industrial Application and Economic Viability of Dielectric Heating.
• Environmental and Sustainability Impact of Dielectric Heating.
• Mechanistic Studies on Dielectric Heating.
• Safety and Regulatory Aspects of Dielectric Heating.

This Special Issue on "Advances of Dielectric Heating in Food Processing: Enhancing Safety, Quality, and Sustainability of Plant-Based Foods" will include a selection of recent research and review articles that explore the potential of dielectric heating technology to improve the safety, quality, and sustainability of plant-based foods. We invite contributions that address the presence, analysis, and mechanisms of action of dielectric heating in various plant-based food sources, as well as its broader implications for the food industry.

Dr. Hongfei Fu
Dr. Xiangyu Guan
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.

• dielectric heating
• plant-based foods
• food safety
• nutritional quality
• sensory characteristics
• industrial application
• mechanistic studies
• sustainability