Research and Application of Edible Gels

Dear Colleagues,

Edible gels hold significant research value and have promising prospects in the food sector. As functional materials, they enhance the quality of products by modulating texture, improving mouthfeel, and stabilizing food structures. They also facilitate the development of healthier food products through fat/sugar substitution. These gels can also serve as nutrient carriers, enabling the controlled release of nutrients to meet specific dietary requirements (e.g., elderly-friendly foods, meal replacements) and improve newer categories of functional foods, like plant-based and low-calorie products. Their biocompatibility and biodegradability align with sustainable development principles, creating eco-friendly solutions for the food industry. This Special Issue focuses on fundamental and applied studies of edible gels, providing insights that will benefit industry stakeholders, food technologists, and researchers.

We invite submissions on (but not limited to) the following topics:

1. Fundamental Research and the Structural Design of Edible Hydrocolloids

Including protein-based gels, starch/polysaccharide-based hydrogels, and multicomponent composite gels.

2. Innovative Applications of Gel Products in Food Processing

Covering meat products and alternative proteins (e.g., meat preservation, plant-based bacon), dysphagia-friendly foods for the elderly (e.g., texture modification, nutrient fortification, delivery microcapsules), and synergistic mechanisms of functional composite gels.

3. Functional Development of Edible Packaging Films

Including antimicrobial/antioxidant active films, stimuli-responsive films, and sustainability studies (e.g., agricultural waste valorization, biodegradability assessments).

4. Frontiers in Intelligent and Functional Gels

Exploring 3D-printed personalized foods and environmentally responsive systems (e.g., temperature-triggered and enzyme-triggered mechanisms).

5. Sustainable Production and Green Technologies for Gel-Based Foods

Focusing on low-cost gel preparation (e.g., agricultural byproduct extraction, microbial fermentation) and energy-efficient processing technologies.

6. Market Trends and Industrialization Challenges of Gel-Based Foods

Addressing market dynamics, technical bottlenecks (e.g., scalability, stability), and regulatory compliance issues.

Dr. Yungang Cao
Dr. Yu Cheng
Dr. Mangang Wu
Dr. Huan Zhang
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. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2100 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.