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Gels
Special Issues
Research and Application of Edible Gels
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Research and Application of Edible Gels

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2026 | Viewed by 2387

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yungang Cao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Technology, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710016, China
Interests: protein; gel; digestion; active packaging; meat products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Yu Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: protein gel; emulsion gel; protein; emulsion; antioxidant; ultrasound; digestion; biomacromolecules; composite gel
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mangang Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Interests: food protein; polysaccharide; emulsion; gel; food texture; functional foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Huan Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Technology, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710016, China
Interests: protein; gel; fat mimetics; meat products

Special Issue Information

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.

  1. 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.

  1. Functional Development of Edible Packaging Films

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

  1. Frontiers in Intelligent and Functional Gels

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

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

Keywords

  • edible gels
  • stimuli-responsive films
  • sustainable production
  • plant-based Proteins
  • dysphagia-friendly foods
  • agricultural waste valorization
  • 3D-printed foods
  • technical bottlenecks

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1643 KB  
Article
Root-Derived Flammulina velutipes Polysaccharides Improve Myofibrillar Protein Stability and Maintain Catfish Surimi Quality During Freeze–Thaw Cycling
by Ruiying Chen, Ning He, Xiaodong Li, Yu Zhan, Xin Zhang and Yingchun Zhu
Gels 2026, 12(4), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12040285 - 28 Mar 2026
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Frozen surimi, a commonly used raw material in processed aquatic products, is vulnerable to repeated freeze–thaw fluctuations that accelerate protein denaturation and quality loss. In this study, root-derived Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides (FVPs) were extracted from the root-like portion of enoki mushroom, and surimi [...] Read more.
Frozen surimi, a commonly used raw material in processed aquatic products, is vulnerable to repeated freeze–thaw fluctuations that accelerate protein denaturation and quality loss. In this study, root-derived Flammulina velutipes polysaccharides (FVPs) were extracted from the root-like portion of enoki mushroom, and surimi supplemented with 2% FVP and a blank control (CK) were stored at −18 °C and subjected to a total of five freeze–thaw cycles. The effects of FVP on myofibrillar protein (MP) characteristics and the storage quality of catfish surimi during the freeze–thaw cycles were analyzed. Compared with CK, FVP markedly alleviated the deterioration of water-holding capacity, gel strength, and MP solubility throughout freeze–thaw cycling. It also effectively inhibited the increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values and MP aggregation and delayed the rate of decrease in the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of surimi. Additionally, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) further showed that FVP limited the conversion of immobilized water to free water, indicating enhanced water retention under repeated freeze–thaw stress. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that FVP stabilized the secondary structure of MPs, making the microstructure of surimi more uniform and compact. The results of this study indicate that FVP exhibited significant cryoprotective effects during freeze–thaw cycles of surimi relative to the untreated control group, providing a theoretical basis for its potential application in aquatic product storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Application of Edible Gels)
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22 pages, 1905 KB  
Article
Chios Mastic Essential Oil in Sodium Alginate Edible Films Combined with High-Pressure Processing as Listeria monocytogenes Inhibitors in Cheese Slices
by Olga S. Papadopoulou, Anthoula A. Argyri, Eleftherios Kalogeridis, Konstantinos C. Mountzouris, Chrysoula C. Tassou, George-John Nychas and Nikos Chorianopoulos
Gels 2026, 12(3), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels12030255 - 18 Mar 2026
Viewed by 422
Abstract
The antimicrobial effect of Chios mastic gum essential oil (mastic EO) was evaluated in vitro in a variety of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria and yeast strains isolated from spoiled cheeses with concentrations ranging from 0.006 to 2% (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)) and in [...] Read more.
The antimicrobial effect of Chios mastic gum essential oil (mastic EO) was evaluated in vitro in a variety of spoilage and pathogenic bacteria and yeast strains isolated from spoiled cheeses with concentrations ranging from 0.006 to 2% (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC)) and in situ (cheese slices). The mastic EO (2%) was incorporated in sodium alginate edible gel films (Mastic Edible Films (MEFs)), and then the films were applied between the cheese slices that had been previously inoculated with a cocktail of three strains of Listeria monocytogenes (on both sides of the slices) and subjected or not to high-pressure processing (HPP). Cheese samples were vacuum-packaged and cold stored (4 °C), and microbiological, pH and organoleptic (in pathogen-free slices) analyses were employed, while Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was applied as a rapid technique to monitor the biochemical changes present on the slices. Samples without MEF, without the pathogen and with or without HPP were employed as controls. Results showed that the MIC of the mastic EO varied from 0.01% to 1.8% depending on the species and/or strains. Pathogen’s growth was suppressed by HPP, MEF or their combination, which showed the highest efficacy. These results could provide useful data to support risk assessment studies on ready-to-eat foods. Finally, FTIR implementation with data analytics was found to be satisfactory, indicating FTIR’s potential as a reliable information source for cheese quality control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Application of Edible Gels)
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15 pages, 2587 KB  
Article
Curdlan-Induced Significant Enhancement of Lipid Oxidation Control and Gelling Properties of Low-Salt Marine Surimi Gel Containing Transglutaminase and Lysine
by Wenhui Ma, Guangcan Liang, Qiliang Huang, Feng Ling, Weilin Pan, Yungang Cao and Miao Chen
Gels 2025, 11(7), 535; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11070535 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1086
Abstract
In this study, curdlan was investigated as a substitute for egg-white protein, and the effects of different concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) on lipid oxidation and the physicochemical properties of a novel low-salt surimi gel containing transglutaminase (TGase) and lysine were [...] Read more.
In this study, curdlan was investigated as a substitute for egg-white protein, and the effects of different concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%) on lipid oxidation and the physicochemical properties of a novel low-salt surimi gel containing transglutaminase (TGase) and lysine were evaluated. The results indicated that adding appropriate curdlan concentrations (0.2%–0.4%, especially 0.4%) significantly inhibited lipid oxidation in the surimi gel, achieving the highest L* and whiteness values. The fracture strength, WHC, hardness, and chewiness of the gel increased by 23.87%, 6.70%, 32.80%, and 13.49%, respectively, compared to the control gel containing egg-white protein (p < 0.05). At 0.4% curdlan, the gel also enhanced the crosslinking within the surimi, improved its resistance to shear stress, significantly increased the G’ value, and shortened the T21, T22, and T23 relaxation times, inhibiting the conversion of immobilized to free water in the gel and promoting a denser three-dimensional network structure. However, excessive curdlan amounts (0.6%–1.0%) led to a notable deterioration in the gel performance, causing a more irregular microstructure, the formation of larger cluster-like aggregates, and a negative effect on color. In conclusion, the combination of 0.4% curdlan with TGase and Lys is effective for preparing low-salt surimi products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Application of Edible Gels)
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