Innovative Directions in the Development of Functional Food
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editors
Interests: probiotics; prebiotics; functional food; food product development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: probiotics; postbiotics; food fermentation; functional food; food safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: food technology and microbiology; pro-, pre- and syn-biotics; food quality management; food waste management; human nutrition
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The development of the functional food market is one of the most dynamic areas of modern food technology, combining the achievements of biology, biotechnology, dietetics and medical sciences. In recent years, there has been a change in the perception of the term “food”, moving away from the role of meeting only energy needs in favour of products with active, health-promoting effects. The modern consumer expects not only a high quality and safety of the finished product but also a beneficial effect on health. In response to these expectations, both scientists and food industry workers are introducing innovative technological solutions, thus developing a new generation of the functional food sector. One of the key directions of development is the use of biotechnology, including fermentation using starter cultures, which allows for the enrichment of products with bioactive compounds with confirmed health effects. In terms of sustainability, the source of beneficial bioactive compounds, and diet, plant-based food products are important. There is also growing interest in the trend of personalization of functional foods. Therefore, we would like to invite the authors to submit original research articles or review articles that describe various aspects of innovative directions in the development of functional food.
Dr. Aleksandra Szydłowska
Dr. Barbara Sionek
Dr. Danuta Kołożyn-Krajewska
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- food fermentation
- functional food
- nutritional value of food
- probiotics
- prebiotics
- texture of food
- antioxidant activity
- chemical composition
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