Advances in Process Detection and Control Technologies for Optimizing Food Processing

Dear Colleagues,

The food processing sector faces persistent and multifaceted challenges ranging from ensuring product safety and excellent quality to optimizing operational efficiency, promoting sustainability, and responding to growing consumer demand for healthier products with full traceability. In this context, process sensing and control technologies are indispensable tools for effectively addressing these challenges. The strategic implementation of advanced sensors, intelligent control systems, and real-time data analytics enables not only precise monitoring and agile decision-making but also the comprehensive optimization of operations from the receipt of raw materials to the dispatch of final products. This Special Issue will collate and disseminate cutting-edge, peer-reviewed research and paradigmatic case studies that represent the most recent advances in and transformative practical applications of these technologies, with the aim of catalyzing innovation and accelerating their adoption across the industry.

This Special Issue welcomes original research contributions, in-depth review articles, and relevant case studies addressing, but not limited to, the following thematic areas.

• Advanced and Emerging Detection Technologies:
• Spectroscopic sensors (NIR, MIR, Raman, fluorescence, hyperspectral imaging) for noninvasive characterization.
• Advanced computer vision and image analysis for objective quality assessment and defect detection.
• Electronic olfactory and gustatory systems for instrumental sensory analysis.
• Biosensors and biosensing platforms for the rapid and sensitive identification of pathogens, toxins, allergens, and adulterants.
• Ultrasonic sensors and acoustic techniques for the characterization of physical and textural properties.
• The development and implementation of sensors for the online and real-time monitoring of critical process parameters (pH, temperature, aw, humidity, viscosity, color, etc.).
• The design and application of nanosensors and nanomaterials in the evaluation of food safety and quality.
• The design and implementation of intelligent control systems, including fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, evolutionary algorithms, and expert systems.
• Transformative applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for the optimization, prediction, and autonomous control of processes.
• The integration and optimization of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems and DCSs (Distributed Control Systems) in the food Industry 4.0.
• Strategic Applications in Food Processing:
• The comprehensive monitoring and control of quality and safety from raw materials to consumers (Farm-to-Fork management).
• The advanced optimization and control of thermal processes (pasteurization, sterilization, UHT, drying, and baking) and non-thermal processes (high pressure, electrical pulses, and pulsed light).
• The control and monitoring of fermentation processes, bioprocesses, and the production of functional ingredients.
• Improving efficiency and consistency in unit processes, including mixing, milling, extrusion, emulsification, etc.
• Advanced systems for the detection and prevention of foreign bodies and chemical and biological contaminants.

We invite you to contribute to this Special Issue by submitting a scholarly article or review sharing your latest findings and advances in this field.

Prof. Dr. Emmanuel De Jesús Ramírez‐Rivera
Dr. José Andrés Herrera Corredor
Prof. Dr. Jesús Rodríguez-Miranda
Prof. Dr. Adán Cabal-Prieto
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. Processes 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 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.

• food processing
• food detection
• food safety
• food quality
• food Industry 4.0
• thermal process
• non-thermal process
• fermentation
• drying
• food chemical
• instrumental analysis