Application of Composite Gel in Food Processing and Engineering
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 694
Special Issue Editors
Interests: protein gels; composite gels; emulsion gels; plant-based protein; phase separation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Composite gels have emerged as powerful tools in the field of food processing and engineering, offering novel solutions to control texture, stability, and functionality in complex food systems. Unlike simple gels, composite gels are engineered with multi-component networks—often integrating proteins, polysaccharides, and other bio-based materials—that deliver enhanced structural and functional properties. These complex gels enable the development of foods with specific textural qualities and stability under various mechanism, including phase separation, active filler particels, crossking linking networks, interfacial interactions along with various processing conditions, addressing both consumer demand and manufacturing needs.
As the food industry shifts toward plant-based, functional, and sustainable products, the role of composite gels in food engineering is significant desired to manipulate and improve the overall functionality. Composite gels present unique engineering challenges and opportunities, from the optimization of formulation and processing parameters to the scaling of production methods. This Special Issue will highlight advances in the engineering of composite gels, focusing on their applications in food manufacturing, the control of process-induced changes, and the design of systems that meet both performance and sustainability goals.
We invite contributions that explore the processing and engineering dimensions of composite gels in food science. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Innovations in composite gel formulation for food applications
- Advances in processing techniques for composite gel-based foods
- Applications of composite gels in high-shear mixing, extrusion, and other advanced food processing technologies
- Sustainable engineering of food-grade composite gels for reduced environmental impact
- Processing-induced modifications in gel structure and their impact on texture, release properties, and sensory attributes
We welcome submissions of both experimental and theoretical studies that provide insights into the processing challenges, engineering solutions, and applications of composite gels in food manufacturing. By bringing together interdisciplinary research in this Special Issue, we aim to advance the field of food engineering and processing through innovative gel-based solutions.
We look forward to your contributions, which will shape the future of composite gel applications in food processing and engineering.
Dr. Xiaoyan Hu
Dr. Lei Zhou
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
- gel network formation and interactions
- texture and sensory enhancement
- stability and release properties
- plant-based and alternative food products
- environmental sustainability and biocompatibility
- engineering strategies for the formulation and stabilization
- temperature, shear, pH
- enhancing scalability and process efficiency
- computational modeling and simulation approaches
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