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10.3
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Food Processing in the Future: Non-Thermal Technologies
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Food Processing in the Future: Non-Thermal Technologies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 June 2026 | Viewed by 1758

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lei Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 210031, China
Interests: ultrasound; non-thermal; food physics; bio-chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Xianli Gao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
Interests: screening and modification of extreme microorganisms and enzymes; structure and function of enzyme; controlled enzymolysis technology; fermentation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Non-thermal treatment technology, as an emerging direction in the field of food processing, is gradually becoming a research hotspot. Through means such as ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, plasma and high-pressure processing, including sterilization, can be achieved under low-temperature conditions, avoiding the damage to food quality and nutrition caused by traditional thermal treatment. Its mechanism of action significantly affects the physical and biochemical properties of food. Non-thermal processing can effectively maintain the colour, flavour and nutrition of food and provide a new way for the development of functional foods. The in-depth research in this field is of great significance in meeting consumers' demands for high-quality food and promoting the innovation and development of the food industry. We look forward to colleagues continuously exploring the application potential of non-thermal treatment technology and contributing more wisdom to the upgrading of food processing technology and the improvement of food quality.

Dr. Lei Zhang
Prof. Dr. Xianli Gao
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

  • non-thermal
  • food physics
  • bio-chemistry
  • food processing
  • mechanism of action
  • quality

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 4543 KB  
Article
Propagation Characteristics of Multi-Frequency Arc-Shaped Flat-Plate Ultrasound in Xanthan Gum Viscous Systems and Its Influence on Rheological Properties
by Lei Zhang, Haiyang Zhang, Ruonan Wang, Yujing Yan, Wenqi Zheng, Yan Shen, Xiaoyu Chai, Hafida Wahia, Chenglin Li, Zhenyuan Hu, Haile Ma and Cunshan Zhou
Foods 2025, 14(24), 4226; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14244226 - 9 Dec 2025
Viewed by 704
Abstract
The solubility and rheological properties of high-molecular-weight xanthan gum (XG) are crucial to its functional performance and determine its applications. Ultrasound modifies these properties mainly by altering acoustic propagation in viscous systems, which depends strongly on concentration and frequency mode. In this work, [...] Read more.
The solubility and rheological properties of high-molecular-weight xanthan gum (XG) are crucial to its functional performance and determine its applications. Ultrasound modifies these properties mainly by altering acoustic propagation in viscous systems, which depends strongly on concentration and frequency mode. In this work, the propagation behavior of three frequency modes (33 kHz mono-frequency, 20–40 kHz dual-frequency, and 20–50–68 kHz triple-frequency) of arc-shaped flat-plate ultrasound was systematically investigated in XG solutions, as well as their effects on solubility and rheological properties. Results showed that multi-frequency ultrasound generated stronger and more uniform acoustic fields, maintaining higher space peak temporal peak acoustic intensity (ISPTP) over a wide concentration range, which was superior to the significant attenuation observed in mono-frequency mode above 10.0 g·L−1. Ultrasonic treatment effectively increased solubility from 62.0 to 63.5% (untreated) to a maximum of 85.6% in the 20–40 kHz group. In terms of rheology, ultrasound reduced viscosity and altered viscoelastic behavior by disrupting the molecular network, with multi-frequency modes showing greater effects at higher concentrations. Surface tension decreased to a minimum of 58.4 mN·m−1 under mono-frequency treatment. Frequency sweep and creep recovery tests indicated enhanced chain mobility and improved structural recovery after ultrasound. Microstructure analysis confirmed fiber fragmentation and the formation of a microporous structure, especially under multi-frequency modes. Overall, the key mechanism lies in the ability of multi-frequency ultrasound to maintain effective acoustic propagation in viscous media, thereby enhancing solubility and modulating rheological behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing in the Future: Non-Thermal Technologies)
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Review

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33 pages, 1423 KB  
Review
Non-Thermal Food Processing Technologies and Polyphenols: LC-MS Evidence for Stability, Transformation, and Functionality
by Chengxuan Li, Cundong Xie, Kashif Ghafoor and Hafiz A. R. Suleria
Foods 2026, 15(8), 1383; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15081383 - 16 Apr 2026
Viewed by 730
Abstract
Phenolic compounds contribute to the color, flavor, and functionality of foods but are often degraded during conventional heat treatments, prompting interest in non-thermal techniques. Thermal methods produce heat-driven changes that are more directly interpretable, whereas non-thermal methods require compound-resolved interpretation because higher post-treatment [...] Read more.
Phenolic compounds contribute to the color, flavor, and functionality of foods but are often degraded during conventional heat treatments, prompting interest in non-thermal techniques. Thermal methods produce heat-driven changes that are more directly interpretable, whereas non-thermal methods require compound-resolved interpretation because higher post-treatment signals may reflect release from bound pools rather than true preservation. This review evaluates liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) evidence on how ultrasound, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, and cold plasma reshape polyphenol fingerprints across food matrices (2021–early 2026). Ultrasound and high-pressure processing preserve constitutive structures while increasing measurable phenolics through cell disruption and bound-pool release. Pulsed electric fields show similar release behavior but may shift toward oxidative losses when electroporation increases enzyme contact or downstream operations amplify degradation. Cold plasma introduces reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, with the clearest LC–MS/MS evidence for oxidation and nitration. In fresh-cut tissues, stress responses elevate phenylpropanoid products. Bulk assays such as total phenolic content (TPC) cannot separate preservation from release or true chemical conversion alone. LC–MS offers the compound-level detail needed to understand how each non-thermal technique changes polyphenol structure and functionality across food matrices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Processing in the Future: Non-Thermal Technologies)
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