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New Perspectives on Analytical Methods in Food Products

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1527

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Chemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP) Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Interests: food analysis; analytical chemistry; liquid chromatography; gas chromatography; mass spectrometry; extraction methods
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Guest Editor Assistant
Chemistry Interdisciplinary Project (ChIP) Research Center, School of Pharmacy, University of Camerino, Via Madonna delle Carceri, 62032 Camerino, Italy
Interests: food analysis; analytical chemistry; gas chromatorgaphy; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry extraction method

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The continuous progress of food science demands innovative analytical approaches to ensure safety, quality, and authenticity while addressing emerging challenges in food production and processing. Advanced analytical methods are essential in detecting contaminants, characterizing bioactive compounds, verifying authenticity, and optimizing food processing techniques.

This Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge developments in analytical methodologies applied to food, plants of food interest, and food/plant by-products, with an emphasis on novel techniques, interdisciplinary approaches, and modern applications. Emerging methods—such as high-resolution mass spectrometry, biosensors, and NMR spectroscopy—are revolutionizing food analysis by enhancing sensitivity, speed, and accuracy. Contributions may address novel applications of chromatography, spectroscopy, or other instrumental techniques for real-time food monitoring. By bridging fundamental research and practical applications, this Special Issue aims to foster multidisciplinary collaborations and propose future directions for food analytics.

This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between analytical innovation and practical applications in the food industry, fostering discussions on reproducibility, sensitivity, and regulatory compliance. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following: new analytical methods in food products, plant-based alternatives, food by-products, fermented foods, food safety, sustainability, and functional food development.

Dr. Giovanni Caprioli
Guest Editor

Dr. Gulzhan Khamitova
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. Molecules 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 2700 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

  • analytical methods
  • food and plant analysis
  • chemical characterization of by-products
  • valorization and recovery of by-products
  • extraction methods
  • liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry
  • gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
  • spectrophotometer

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 1109 KB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Drying Methods for Vegetable Waste Aimed at Producing Natural Functional Food Ingredients
by Tamara Tultabayeva, Umyt Zhumanova, Kadyrzhan Makangali, Assem Sagandyk, Aknur Muldasheva, Aruzhan Shoman and Mukhtar Tultabayev
Molecules 2026, 31(7), 1190; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31071190 - 3 Apr 2026
Viewed by 377
Abstract
This study presents a comparative evaluation of four drying methods for carrot, red beet, and pumpkin pomace to produce natural functional food ingredients. The work addresses the valorization of 35–45% vegetable processing waste—a rich source of bioactive compounds—aligning with circular bioeconomy principles and [...] Read more.
This study presents a comparative evaluation of four drying methods for carrot, red beet, and pumpkin pomace to produce natural functional food ingredients. The work addresses the valorization of 35–45% vegetable processing waste—a rich source of bioactive compounds—aligning with circular bioeconomy principles and Kazakhstan’s goals for deep processing of agricultural raw materials. The compared methods were convective drying (CD), ultrasound pretreatment + convective drying (US + CD), vacuum-microwave drying (VMD), and ultrasound pretreatment + vacuum-microwave drying (US + VMD). Drying kinetics, water activity, physicochemical and functional properties of powders, retention of bioactive compounds, color characteristics, thermal stability, and sensory attributes were assessed. Kinetics were fitted using Midilli et al., Page, and Weibull models. US + VMD provided the highest drying acceleration (6–11 times faster than CD), reaching final moisture of 5.1–5.9%, water activity aw 0.27–0.31 in 80–170 min, and bioactive compound retention of 90–95% (carotenoids 92–95%, betalains 90–94%). It also delivered superior flowability (Carr’s index 22.5–30.4%), dispersibility (80–88% in 30 s), and thermal stability (75–85% at 200 °C). Acceleration varied by raw material: maximum for beet (up to 11×) due to soluble sugars and nitrates, minimum for pumpkin (5.5–8×) due to dietary fibers and pectins, and intermediate for carrot (6–9×) influenced by carotenoids’ dielectric properties. The results highlight US + VMD’s strong potential for producing functional powders to replace synthetic additives in food systems. Effective method selection and parameter optimization require consideration of raw material type and rheological characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives on Analytical Methods in Food Products)
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Review

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27 pages, 393 KB  
Review
Commonly Used Analytical Tools and Methods for the Discrimination of Honey Types Based on Volatile Organic Compound Profiles
by Gulzhan Khamitova, Simone Angeloni, Lazzat Karasholakova and Giovanni Caprioli
Molecules 2026, 31(4), 638; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31040638 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 771
Abstract
Honey is a complex natural product with nutritional and therapeutic properties that depend on the diversity of its chemical composition, which includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs in honey are key indicators of its botanical and geographical origin, as well as its quality [...] Read more.
Honey is a complex natural product with nutritional and therapeutic properties that depend on the diversity of its chemical composition, which includes volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs in honey are key indicators of its botanical and geographical origin, as well as its quality and authenticity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the analytical instruments and methods used for the identification and quantification of VOCs in different types of honey. Techniques such as headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) are used for VOC extraction, and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and electronic nose (e-nose) systems for honey analyses, as well as their advantages, limitations, and applications and challenges related to VOC analysis, such as for different types of honeys, their aroma profile, compound variability, and data interpretation, are also discussed. By summarizing recent advancements in analytical methodologies, this review provides an overview of the analysis of VOCs for authentication and research purposes in honey production and processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives on Analytical Methods in Food Products)
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