Sustainable Food: Safety, Contaminants, and Microbial Risks

Dear Colleagues,

Food safety is a growing global concern, driven by the complexity of supply chains, climate change and the emergence of new pathogens, and this Special Issue the journal Sustainability focuses on the latest advances in the identification, assessment, and mitigation of risks associated with chemical contaminants and microbial hazards in food. We seek to explore innovative strategies to ensure the production and distribution of safe and nutritious food for the world's population.

Objectives:

• Chemical contamination analysis:
  • Investigate the presence and impact of emerging chemical contaminants, such as microplastics, pesticides and heavy metals, in various foods.
  • Develop and validate advanced analytical methods for the detection and quantification of these contaminants.
• Microbial risk assessment:
  • Examine the dynamics of foodborne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and parasites, in different food matrices.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of food preservation and processing technologies to control microbial growth and prevent disease outbreaks.
• Mitigation and prevention strategies:
  • Explore innovative approaches to reduce contamination at all stages of the food chain, from primary production to consumption.
  • Develop predictive models and risk assessment tools to anticipate and prevent the emergence of new hazards.
  • Promote the application of good hygiene and safety practices in food handling.
• Impact on public health:
  • Analyze the relationship between exposure to food contaminants and pathogens and the incidence of foodborne diseases.
  • Encourage collaboration between researchers, the food industry and regulatory authorities to implement effective control and prevention measures.

This Special Issue aims to provide a platform for the dissemination of cutting-edge research and promote dialogue between scientists, industry professionals, and policy makers. By addressing these critical challenges, we hope to contribute to the improvement of global food safety and the protection of public health.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Soraya Paz Montelongo
Dr. Samuel Alejandro-Vega
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.