Food Fermentation: Microbial Diversity, Metabolic Pathways and Functional Benefits
A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Microbiology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 September 2026 | Viewed by 225
Special Issue Editors
Interests: functional food; food chemistry; bioactive compounds; agro-industrial by-products; solid state fermenation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: microbiology; food safety; submerged fermentation; bioactive compounds; health benefits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: fermentation process; food analysis; agro-industrial by-products; food technology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Food fermentation is one of humanity’s oldest biotechnologies and remains a cornerstone of sustainable food systems, nutrition, and cultural heritage. Advances in microbiology, omics technologies, and bioinformatics have revealed insights into the microbial diversity underlying fermented foods, including bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi that drive complex biochemical transformations. These microorganisms orchestrate diverse metabolic pathways, such as carbohydrate fermentation, proteolysis, lipolysis, and the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds, that shape sensory properties, safety, and shelf life. Beyond preservation and flavor, fermented foods are increasingly recognized for their functional benefits, including enhanced nutrient bioavailability, probiotic potential, and positive impacts on gut health and immune modulation. This Special Issue aims to bring together research and reviews addressing metabolic mechanisms, fermentation technologies, and health-related functionalities across traditional and novel fermented foods, fostering interdisciplinary research between food science, microbiology, biotechnology, and nutrition.
Dr. Silvia-Amalia Nemes
Dr. Laura Mitrea
Dr. Gheorghe Martău
Guest Editors
Dr. Diana Plamada
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 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 fermentation
- microbial diversity
- fermented foods
- metabolic pathways
- functional foods
- probiotics and postbiotics
- gut health
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