Food Gels: Gelling Property in Food Processing and Engineering
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Processing and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2026 | Viewed by 145
Special Issue Editors
Interests: functional hydrogel; emulsion; nanomaterials; nutrient delivery; 3D printing
Interests: hydrogel; polysaccharide; biomaterial
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Food gels, as important structural and functional carriers, play a crucial role in modern food processing and storage. Gelling properties directly influence the texture, mouthfeel, stability, and nutrient release of food products, making them one of the core research hotspots in food science and engineering. This Special Issue aims to highlight recent advancements in the understanding, formulation, and engineering of food gels, covering both traditional and innovative gelling agents. We welcome contributions on the mechanisms of gel formation, physicochemical behaviors, processing optimization, and functional applications of food gels in areas such as plant-based foods, dairy alternatives, meat analogs, and bioactive delivery systems. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Gelling properties of proteins, starches, polysaccharides, and their modified forms.
- Gelation mechanisms under different processing conditions and structural characterization.
- Interactions between gelling agents and other food components.
- Functional design of food gels (drug delivery, controlled release, nutrient fortification).
- Gelling solutions in plant-based food products.
- Effects of emerging processing technologies (e.g., 3D printing, microwave, high-pressure treatment) on gel properties.
- Application of numerical simulation and engineering design in gel production.
Dr. Tao Ma
Dr. Zhixiang Cai
Dr. Xing Li
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 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. 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
- functional gels
- novel gelling agents
- gelation mechanisms
- processing technologies
- controlled release
- alternative foods
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