Pathogens and Toxigenic Contaminants in Food Supply
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 16
Special Issue Editor
Interests: food microbiology; foodborne pathogens; antimicrobial resistance; antimicrobial tolerance; antimicrobial persistence
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Pathogens and toxigenic contaminants in the food supply represent a major concern for global public health and food safety. Foodborne microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxin-producing fungi, may contaminate foods at different stages of the production chain, from primary production to processing, distribution, and consumption. These hazards can lead to a wide range of foodborne diseases, ranging from mild gastrointestinal illness to severe infections and long-term health consequences.
Understanding the factors that influence microbial contamination, survival, and toxin production in different food matrices is essential for developing effective monitoring and control strategies. The interaction between microorganisms and intrinsic and extrinsic food parameters, such as pH, water activity, composition, and processing conditions, plays a crucial role in determining microbial behavior and food safety outcomes.
These aspects are particularly relevant considering both traditional food products and the increasing diversity of novel and innovative food preparations, whose microbiological dynamics and safety implications may still require further investigation.
This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, and case studies addressing the occurrence, detection, monitoring, and control of pathogens and toxigenic contaminants in the food supply, with the aim of improving food safety and protecting public health.
This Special Issue will accept contributions addressing topics such as the following:
- Occurrence of foodborne pathogens in the food supply
- Toxigenic microorganisms and mycotoxins in food
- Detection and monitoring methods for foodborne hazards
- Microbial dynamics in different food matrices
- Influence of intrinsic factors (e.g., pH, water activity) on microbial growth
- Food safety of ready-to-eat, traditional, and innovative food products
- Emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance in food systems
- Strategies for the prevention and control of microbial contamination in food production
Dr. Luca Nalbone
Guest Editor
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. Pathogens 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 2200 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
- foodborne pathogens
- toxigenic contaminants
- food safety
- microbial contamination
- foodborne toxins
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