Advanced Processing and Integration of Functional Ingredients in Sustainable Food Systems

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Process Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 741

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Engineering Department, Universidad Católica Del Uruguay, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
Interests: food product development; consumer perception; upcycled ingredients; plant-based product development; circular economy in food

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Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Investigación en Propiedades de los Alimentos (INPROAL), Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad Tecnológica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Estación Central 9170201, Chile
Interests: functional ingredients; green extraction technologies; by-product valorization; process design and optimization; encapsulation and stabilization; bioactive compounds

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Investigación en Propiedades de los Alimentos (INPROAL), Departamento de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Facultad Tecnológica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Estación Central 9170201, Chile
Interests: encapsulation and delivery of bioactive compounds; in vitro digestion; improving plant protein techno-functional properties; consumer perception
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The development of sustainable food systems increasingly depends on the adoption of responsible design of processes when obtaining and applying functional ingredients. This Special Issue aims to explore innovative and eco-efficient strategies for extracting, stabilizing, and incorporating functional compounds into food products, with a focus on minimizing environmental impact while maximizing health benefits and consumer acceptance.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

  • Sustainable extraction and processing of bioactive compounds.
  • Valorization of agri-food by-products and upcycled ingredients.
  • Integration of functional ingredients into food matrices.
  • Process modeling, optimization, and life cycle assessment (LCA).
  • Encapsulation, stabilization, and controlled release systems.

This Special Issue welcomes original research that offers insights into both technological innovation and practical implementation in the development of sustainable and functional food systems.

We hope you will consider participating in this Special Issue.

Sincerely,

Dr. Ana Curutchet
Dr. Silvia Beatriz Matiacevich
Dr. Carla Arancibia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • sustainable food processing 
  • functional ingredients 
  • green extraction technologies 
  • by-product valorization 
  • circular economy 
  • process design and optimization 
  • encapsulation and stabilization 
  • bioactive compounds 
  • life cycle assessment (LCA) 
  • clean label

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 5645 KB  
Article
Ultrasound-Assisted Germination: Impact of Time and Frequency on the Physical, Chemical, Thermal Properties and Bioactive Compounds of High Andean Quinoa
by Betsy S. Ramos-Pacheco, Diego E. Peralta-Guevara, Celia R. Yauris-Silvera, César A. Medina-Gutierrez and Juan J. Loayza-Buleje
Processes 2026, 14(1), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14010098 - 27 Dec 2025
Viewed by 387
Abstract
Germination is a biological process that can enhance the nutraceutical value of Andean grains, but its efficiency can be optimized through emerging, sustainable technologies. This study evaluated ultrasound as a pretreatment for the germination of Collana black quinoa. A 23 factorial design [...] Read more.
Germination is a biological process that can enhance the nutraceutical value of Andean grains, but its efficiency can be optimized through emerging, sustainable technologies. This study evaluated ultrasound as a pretreatment for the germination of Collana black quinoa. A 23 factorial design was used to assess the effect of ultrasound duration, ultrasound frequency, and germination time on the content of bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, color, water activity, amylase, and reducing sugars. Two controls (C48 and C72) were included as additional data points. Subsequently, analysis of variance and multiple-range tests were applied to assess the significance of differences between treatments (Tukey’s test) and between treatments and the control (Dunnett’s test). The content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, amylose, and reducing sugars were quantified by UV–Visible spectrophotometry. At the same time, FTIR, DSC, and TGA were used to evaluate functional groups and thermal behavior. Ultrasonic treatments resulted in increases of up to 12% in total phenolics, 24.5% in flavonoids, and 15% in antioxidant capacity compared to quinoa germinated for 72 h without ultrasonic treatment, along with reductions in amylose and increases in reducing sugars. Prolonged germination was the most influential factor; however, ultrasound acted as an abiotic stimulus, increasing cell permeability and promoting phenolic biosynthesis. Thermal and FTIR analyses revealed subtle modifications in starch and protein structure, associated with greater thermal stability and molecular reorganization. These results demonstrate that ultrasound-assisted germination is a sustainable and effective strategy for integrating functional quinoa ingredients into modern food systems. Full article
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