Emerging Non-Thermal and Innovative Physical Technologies in Food Processing: From Preservation to Valorization
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Engineering and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 21
Special Issue Editors
Interests: conventional and innovative food preservation techniques; food microbiology; functional food development; 3D food printing; electro-based tecniques
Interests: conventional and innovative food preservation techniques; food microbiology; extraction methods; electro-based tecniques
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The food industry is undergoing a rapid transformation driven by the demand for safer, higher-quality, and more sustainable food products. Emerging non-thermal and innovative physical processing technologies are offering alternatives to traditional thermal treatments that often compromise nutritional and sensory qualities. Techniques such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEF), cold plasma, ultrasound, pulsed light, ohmic heating, and ultraviolet treatments are being increasingly explored for their potential to ensure microbial safety while preserving the natural properties of foods.
Beyond preservation, these technologies play a key role in valorization—enhancing the functional, nutritional, and economic value of food products and by-products. Their applications extend to the extraction of bioactive compounds, enzyme inactivation, structure modification, and improvement of process efficiency. Moreover, integrating these innovative methods into food processing contributes to sustainability by reducing energy consumption, waste generation, and environmental impact.
This Special Issue aims to present the latest advances, mechanisms, and practical applications of emerging non-thermal and physical technologies in food processing. Contributions addressing process optimization, food quality assessment, techno-economic feasibility, environmental implications, and consumer acceptance are particularly encouraged.
Dr. Tomislava Vukušić Pavičić
Dr. Višnja Stulić
Guest Editors
Dr. Ivan Karlo Cingesar
Guest Editor Assistant
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.
Keywords
- process optimization
- extraction of bioactive compounds
- enzyme inactivation
- structure modification
- food preservation
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