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

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2025 | Viewed by 1070

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: radio frequency heating; carotenoids; nutritional quality; sensory characteristics

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Guest Editor
Shandong Agricultural University, College of Food Science and Engineering, Tai'an 271018, China
Interests: application of radio frequency energy; computer simulation; development of technology and equipment for processing agricultural products

Special Issue Information

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

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Keywords

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

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

38 pages, 2276 KiB  
Review
Drying Technologies for Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni: Advances, Challenges, and Impacts on Bioactivity for Food Applications—A Review
by Shahin Roohinejad, Mohamed Koubaa and Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi
Foods 2025, 14(16), 2801; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162801 - 12 Aug 2025
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Abstract
Stevia rebaudiana leaves and extracts need to be promptly dried after harvest to prevent microbial activity and preserve their bioactive compounds, including glycosides, flavonoids, and essential oils. Effective drying also reduces moisture and volume, which lowers packaging, storage, and transportation costs. Therefore, innovative [...] Read more.
Stevia rebaudiana leaves and extracts need to be promptly dried after harvest to prevent microbial activity and preserve their bioactive compounds, including glycosides, flavonoids, and essential oils. Effective drying also reduces moisture and volume, which lowers packaging, storage, and transportation costs. Therefore, innovative drying methods are necessary to maintain stevia’s physicochemical, sensory, and nutritional properties for functional food formulations. This review evaluates various drying technologies for stevia leaves and extracts, including convective hot air, infrared, vacuum, microwave, freeze, and shade drying, and their impacts on product quality and energy efficiency. It also explores the growing applications of dried and extracted stevia in food products. By comparing different drying methods and highlighting the benefits of stevia in these food formulations, this investigation aims to identify future research directions and optimization strategies for utilizing stevia as a natural sweetener and functional ingredient. Convective hot air drying at higher temperatures was found to be the most energy-efficient, though several studies have reported moderate degradation of key bioactive compounds such as stevioside and rebaudioside A, particularly at elevated temperatures and extended drying times. Infrared drying enhanced antimicrobial activity but resulted in lower levels of polyphenols and antioxidants. Vacuum drying effectively preserved anti-inflammatory compounds like flavonoids. Microwave drying presented strong protection of antioxidant activity and superior particle morphology. Freeze drying, while less energy-efficient, was the most effective at retaining antioxidants, polyphenols, and volatile compounds. Shade drying, though time-consuming, maintained high levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, and essential oils. Advanced techniques like spray drying and electrospraying have been reported to enhance the sensory qualities and stability of stevia extracts, making them ideal for food applications such as dairy and baked products, confectionery, syrups, snacks, jams, preserves, and meat products. Overall, stevia not only serves as a natural, zero-calorie sweetener but also contributes to improved health benefits and product quality in these diverse food formulations. Full article
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