Food Contamination: Analysis, Control, Exposure & Risk Assessment

Dear Colleagues,

Food contaminant risk assessment is undergoing a critical paradigm shift: Traditional evaluation systems centered on acute toxicity and maximum residue limits increasingly reveal limitations in addressing scientific bottlenecks—including low-dose chronic exposure risks, combined toxicity of chemical mixtures, and dynamic bioavailability transformations during multimedia migration. To overcome these challenges, this Special Issue focuses on those thematic domains:

Theme 1: High-Resolution Detection of Food Contaminants and Discovery of Novel Biomarkers

Focus on innovative applications of mass spectrometry imaging, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), and other advanced detection technologies to explore highly sensitive identification methods for emerging contaminants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants, nanoplastics). Key research areas include:

• Application of non-targeted screening techniques in the discovery of unknown contaminants
• Development of exposure biomarkers based on metabolomics/proteomics
• Industrial transformation of portable sensors and on-site rapid detection systems

Theme 2: Trans-Scale Risk Assessment System for Low-Dose Multiple Exposures

Break through the limitations of traditional toxicological assessment to construct Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP)-related multi-scale risk assessment models. Key focuses include:

• Mechanistic analysis of combined toxicity and interaction models for complex contaminants
• In vitro exposure simulation systems based on cell culture, organ-on-a-chip, and organoid technologies
• Integrative analytical methods for human cohort studies and exposomics data

Theme 3: AI-Driven Intelligent Monitoring of Contaminants Across the Full Supply Chain

Integrate big data analysis and Internet of Things technologies to construct a risk early-warning system for the food supply chain. Research directions cover:

• Application of machine learning in contaminant migration prediction (e.g., blockchain traceability + spatiotemporal modeling)
• Integrated analysis platforms for multi-source data (monitoring data, dietary patterns, meteorological parameters)
• Development of real-time risk early-warning algorithms and visual decision support systems

Theme 4: Active Contaminant Interception Strategies Mediated by Intelligent Materials

Focus on innovative applications of functional materials in risk intervention to promote technological transformation:

• Mechanisms of contaminant removal by biomimetic adsorption materials (e.g., metal-organic frameworks [MOF], covalent organic frameworks [COF])
• In-situ degradation technologies using photocatalytic/enzymatic nanomaterials
• Integration of intelligent interception systems in food processing (e.g., research on online monitoring-interception integrated devices)

• Your forward-looking research will provide theoretical and methodological foundations for identifying, assessing, and governing food contaminant risks.

Prof. Dr. Yun Li
Guest Editor

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. Toxics 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 2600 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.

• exposomics
• cells and organ-on-a-chip
• biomarkers and sensors
• chemical mixtures
• combined effect risk assessment
• adverse outcome pathways (AOPs)
• artificial intelligence (AI)
• risk interception
• blockchain traceability