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Innovative Approaches in Sustainable Food Processing, Waste Management, and By-Product...
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Innovative Approaches in Sustainable Food Processing, Waste Management, and By-Product Valorization

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2025 | Viewed by 514

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lucía Seguí

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Engineering-FoodUPV, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
Interests: food engineering; food processing; food waste valorization; functional foods development; drying; fermentation; in vitro digestion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Cristina Barrera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Engineering-FoodUPV, Universitat Politècnica de València, Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 València, Spain
Interests: food engineering; food processing; food waste valorization; functional foods development; drying; fermentation; in vitro digestion
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the face of current sustainability challenges, there is a great demand for innovative approaches in the food industry, both in processing and waste management. As the emphasis on minimizing environmental impact and optimizing resource efficiency grows, the valorization of food waste and by-products plays a pivotal role in achieving these goals.

This Special Issue explores strategies to reduce food waste across the entire supply chain, from production and distribution to consumption, while advancing sustainable processing technologies that enhance resource efficiency, promote circular economy principles, and reduce the environmental footprint of food systems, contributing to global sustainability targets. It also investigates innovative methods for transforming food waste, by-products, side streams, and effluents into valuable applications, from functional ingredients to uses in agriculture, renewable energy, packaging, and more.

By contributing to this Special Issue, authors will help shape the future of sustainable food production and waste management, offering practical solutions for industries to adopt greener practices. Submit your original research articles, reviews, and case studies to be part of this collective effort.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Lucía Seguí
Prof. Dr. Cristina Barrera
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 waste valorization
  • sustainable food processing
  • circular economy
  • innovative and traditional processing technologies
  • value-added applications
  • nutritional characterization
  • technological characterization

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 252 KB  
Article
Effects of Cantaloupe (Cucumis melo) Melon Seed Flour on Physicochemical Characteristics and Consumer Acceptance of Gluten-Free Cookies
by Sagrario Medina, Roberto Cedillos, Silvia Murillo Miguez, Andrea Muela, Elio Villasmil, Jhunior Marcia and Witoon Prinyawiwatkul
Foods 2025, 14(23), 4117; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234117 - 1 Dec 2025
Viewed by 277
Abstract
Cantaloupe melon seeds are a byproduct that can be upcycled for their nutritional value, generating added value, reducing food waste, and supporting food sustainability. This study evaluated the effects of melon seed flour on selected physicochemical and consumer acceptance of gluten-free cookies. Melon [...] Read more.
Cantaloupe melon seeds are a byproduct that can be upcycled for their nutritional value, generating added value, reducing food waste, and supporting food sustainability. This study evaluated the effects of melon seed flour on selected physicochemical and consumer acceptance of gluten-free cookies. Melon seeds were dehydrated at 60 °C for 12 h and ground. Then gluten-free cookies containing varying melon seed flour (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%) were prepared by mixing the ingredients and baked at 177 °C for 18 min. Color, water activity, proximate composition, and mineral contents of the melon seed flour were measured. Color, water activity, spread factor, and hardness of the five cookie formulations were evaluated. Finally, a randomized block design was used for the consumer test with 90 consumers. Appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, grittiness, and overall liking were evaluated using a 9-point hedonic scale. Also, purchase intent was asked for before and after a sustainability claim. Data were analyzed using an ANOVA and the post hoc Tukey test (p < 0.05). The McNemar test was used to test whether there were significant differences in purchase intent before and after a sustainability claim. Melon seed flour had 21.4% protein, 34.93% crude fiber, 3% ash, 4% moisture, and 26.9% fat. Spread factor and a* (color redness) values increased with increasing melon seed flour. On the other hand, the more melon seed flour in cookies, the lower the L* value and water activity. The treatment with 40% melon seed flour had the highest liking score, 6.25. Finally, the sustainability claim significantly increased the positive purchase intent of the cookies. This study demonstrates the potential of cantaloupe melon seed flour as an ingredient in food, such as gluten-free cookies. This practice in the food industry can help increase value and reduce waste in cantaloupe processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Approaches in Sustainable Food Processing, Waste Management, and By-Product Valorization)
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