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Sustainability
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Application of Sustainable Practices in Food Engineering
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Application of Sustainable Practices in Food Engineering

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 1930

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Gjore Nakov

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Guest Editor
College of Sliven, Technical University of Sofia, 8800 Sliven, Bulgaria
Interests: valorization of food waste; sustainability; food chemistry; functional foods
Dr. Alyssa Hidalgo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS), Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: valorization of food waste; food quality; functional foods; antioxidants; heat damage; optimization of food processing and food products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue “Application of Sustainable Practices in Food Engineering” aims to explore and promote environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially responsible approaches within the food engineering sector. Its scope encompasses sustainable technologies, resource efficiency, and environmental impact reduction throughout the food production process. This includes waste minimization, water conservation, and sustainable packaging solutions. Furthermore, it considers the impact of sustainable practices on food safety, food quality, nutritional value, and the circular economy.

The purpose of this issue is to encourage the widespread adoption of sustainable innovations within the food industry by highlighting best practices, successful case studies, and technological advancements. It seeks to provide a platform for collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers to address global food security challenges while minimizing environmental degradation. This issue also aims to raise awareness among stakeholders about the importance of sustainability in food production and foster educational efforts for the next generation of food engineers. Ultimately, this initiative supports the development of a more sustainable food system that meets global demands while preserving natural resources and enhancing economic and social well-being.

Dr. Gjore Nakov
Dr. Alyssa Hidalgo
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-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability 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

  • sustainability
  • waste minimization
  • circular economy
  • food safety
  • food quality
  • nutritional value

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

20 pages, 358 KB  
Review
Solar Driven Refrigeration Systems in Food Supply Cold Chain: The State-of-the-Art, Challenges, and Environmental Impact
by Ahmed Hamza H. Ali and Jillan Ahmed Hamza H. Ali
Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2442; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052442 - 3 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1181
Abstract
A considerable proportion of perishable goods, including fruits and vegetables, deteriorate prior to reaching customers. Inadequate refrigeration infrastructure, particularly in developing nations with arid climates and markets distant from agricultural sources, accounts for most of these losses. A food cold chain has three [...] Read more.
A considerable proportion of perishable goods, including fruits and vegetables, deteriorate prior to reaching customers. Inadequate refrigeration infrastructure, particularly in developing nations with arid climates and markets distant from agricultural sources, accounts for most of these losses. A food cold chain has three primary phases: pre-cooling, cold storage, and refrigerated transportation. All phases of the cold chain rely fundamentally on refrigeration to preserve perishable products at designated temperatures, relative humidity, and CO2 concentrations, thus prolonging their shelf life. Solar-driven or aided refrigeration systems use solar energy to power cooling systems and preserve the food in the cold chain. These systems are especially beneficial in off-grid or developing areas for preserving perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables, and other food items, mitigating postharvest losses that can exceed 30–50% in areas with inconsistent energy supplies. Despite progress in efficiency and scalability, numerous research gaps remain across technological, economic, social, policy, and regional dimensions, including technical aspects, optimization, and integration. There is a need to enhance energy-efficient designs, particularly by managing solar intermittency to address non-uniform cooling, which leads to inconsistent ripening and spoilage, and by integrating sustainable refrigerants to mitigate environmental impact. Further development is necessary for micro-scale, transportable, or decentralized systems designed for small farms, while economic and financing obstacles include high upfront costs and limited financial accessibility. Substantial deficiencies exist in creating affordable models and funding channels for small-scale agriculturalists. Addressing these deficiencies could expedite adoption, thereby reducing global food loss and waste (accounting for 8–10% of GHG emissions) while improving food security. Future research must emphasize multidisciplinary methodologies that amalgamate engineering, economics, and social sciences to provide comprehensive solutions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Sustainable Practices in Food Engineering)
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