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Innovative Food Processing and Quality Control

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A Special Issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717) belonging to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2026) | Viewed by 1530

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Editors

Dr. Krešimir Mastanjević

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Food Technology Osijek, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, HR-31000 Osijek, Croatia
Interests: quality and safety of traditinal meat products; risk assessment of food contaminants; themophisical properties of food
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Leona Puljić

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Agriculture and Food Technology, University of Mostar, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Interests: meat processing; quality and safety of smoked meat products; risk assessment of food contaminants

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the food industry has experienced significant advancements in processing technologies which have had a profound impact on food quality, safety, and sustainability. These developments not only respond to increasing consumer expectations for high-quality and safe food products, but also to the global challenges related to resource efficiency, environmental impacts, and regulatory compliance.

This Special Issue, entitled ‘Innovative Food Processing and Quality Control’, aims to showcase the latest research, innovations, and applications related to food processing techniques and their implications for quality management throughout the food production chain.

We invite researchers, practitioners, and industry experts to submit original research articles, reviews, and case studies that focus on the various aspects of food processing and quality control such as, but not limited to, the following:

Novel food processing methods (e.g., high-pressure processing, microwave-assisted processing, and non-thermal technologies);
Quality assessment techniques and standards in food production;
The role of process optimization in enhancing food quality and safety;
Innovative approaches to food preservation and shelf-life extension;
Sensory evaluation and consumer acceptance studies related to processed foods;
The impact of food processing on nutritional value and functional properties;
Sustainable practices in food processing to minimize waste and environmental footprint.

This Special Issue aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, providing valuable insights into how innovative processing methods can improve food quality and ensure consumer safety. We encourage submissions that highlight interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration among academia, industry, and regulatory bodies.

We look forward to receiving contributions that will advance our understanding of food processing and contribute to the ongoing dialogue on quality control within the global food sector.

Dr. Krešimir Mastanjević
Dr. Leona Puljić
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 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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes 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 2400 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

food processing
quality control
food safety
high-pressure processing
non-thermal technologies
nutritional quality
food preservation
sustainable food practices
food quality assessment
sustainable waste-minimizing processing

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 499 KB

Open AccessArticle

Pedo-Climatic Conditions and Drying Shape the Bioactive Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Herzegovinian Rosehip Fruits (Rosa canina L.)

by Višnja Vasilj, Nikolina Kajić, Jozo Ištuk, Leona Puljić, Jana Šic Žlabur, Mia Dujmović and Krešimir Mastanjević

Processes 2026, 14(11), 1712; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14111712 - 25 May 2026

Viewed by 313

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the influence of growing location and drying method on the physicochemical properties, bioactive compound composition, and antioxidant capacity of wild Rosa canina L. fruits collected from four Herzegovinian locations. Significant differences were observed among locations and drying methods for all analysed physico-chemical parameters. Fresh fruits exhibited high dry matter content (average 54.6%). The highest ascorbic acid content was recorded in fresh fruits from location L1 (112.20 mg/100 g fw), whereas drying reduced its concentration approximately 3.7-fold. Total phenolic content ranged from 1205.45 mg GAE/100 g fw in fresh fruits from location 1 to markedly lower values after drying (approximately 50% reduction). β-carotene content varied from 1.01 to 20.12 mg/100 g fw, with the highest level detected in fresh fruits from location 4, while lycopene ranged from 3.33 to 59.28 mg/100 g fw, with fresh fruits from location 1 showing exceptionally high values. Fresh fruits exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity (ABTS assay), while dried samples retained considerable activity, with significant location-dependent interactions between growing site and drying method. Results confirm that pedo-climatic conditions significantly shape the bioactive profile of rosehip fruits and highlight Herzegovinian rosehip as a valuable functional material for food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Food Processing and Quality Control)

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15 pages, 1195 KB

Open AccessArticle

Emerging Spectrophotonic Technologies to Predict the Maturation Time of Swiss-Type Cheese: Dielectric Spectroscopy vs. Portable NIR

by Tony Chuquizuta, Yuleysi Cieza, Joe González, Matthews Juarez, Marta Castro-Giraldez, Pedro J. Fito and Wilson Castro

Processes 2026, 14(6), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14061022 - 23 Mar 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 772

Abstract

The cheese maturation process involves complex physicochemical and structural changes that directly influence its final quality and consumer acceptance. The development of non-destructive and rapid analytical techniques is therefore essential for monitoring these changes and optimizing quality control strategies. This study evaluated the potential of dielectric spectroscopy and near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as tools to predict properties associated with the quality of Swiss-type cheese during the maturation process. The cheese samples were matured for 60 days, and NIR profiles (900–1700 nm), dielectric profiles (40¹–10⁶ Hz) and physical characteristics (color and texture) were obtained every 15 days. Based on these data, models were developed to predict the maturation time (days) and physical properties using partial least squares regression (PLSR). The performance of the model was evaluated using the determination coefficient (

R^{2}

) and the root mean square error (RMSE). The results showed that dielectric spectroscopy provided a better fit for all the parameters evaluated (

R_{day}^{2} = 0.999

R_{L^{*}}^{2} = 0.912

R_{a^{*}}^{2} = 0.983

R_{b^{*}}^{2} = 0.982

, and

R_{firmness}^{2} = 0.625

), with prediction errors of

{RMSE}_{day} = 0.219

{RMSE}_{L^{*}} = 1.184

{RMSE}_{a^{*}} = 0.163

{RMSE}_{b^{*}} = 0.308