Food Processing and Preservation: Innovative Solutions for Natural Food Preservation, 2nd Edition

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural food products refer to minimally processed foods and their derived ingredients (e.g., vitamins, phenolic compounds, organic acids, sugars, proteins, minerals, fibers, and antioxidants). Before commercialization, these products require processing and preservation to be used in ready-to-eat meals or as natural food ingredients. However, extending their shelf life while maintaining their nutritional and functional properties remains a significant challenge. For this reason, in recent years, research has focused on innovative food processing techniques to prevent spoilage, enhance shelf stability, and simultaneously preserve the characteristics and chemical composition of these products. Scientific advancements continue to refine existing technologies and drive the development of novel approaches to ensure that natural food products retain their quality, safety, and bioactivity throughout their storage and distribution. Among these approaches, fermentation plays a crucial role not only in preserving food but also in enhancing its functional and sensory properties. Fermented food products serve as a significant source of microbial strains with excellent food processing and preservation properties and as bioactive compounds with potential applications in biotechnology, medicine, and the food industry. This Topic, “Food Processing and Preservation: Innovative Solutions for Natural Food Preservation, 2nd Edition”, aims to present innovative solutions and integrated approaches to preserve natural food products, with an emphasis on both non-fermented and fermented food systems. The main topics to be covered include advances in food processing and preservation, emerging technologies, green and innovative techniques, microbial-based preservation methods, and consumer acceptance. It is crucial that the nutritional, chemical, physical, and quality properties of food products are encompassed, reinforcing the role of fermentation as a natural strategy for food stabilization and enhancement. Therefore, we invite authors to contribute original research articles and reviews to this Topic.

Dr. Ângela Fernandes
Dr. Filipa Mandim
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.3	6.3	2011	19.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Beverages beverages	3.0	4.6	2015	19.1 Days	CHF 1600	Submit
Dairy dairy	-	4.9	2020	27.8 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Fermentation fermentation	3.3	5.7	2015	15.4 Days	CHF 2100	Submit
Foods foods	4.7	8.7	2012	14.5 Days	CHF 2900	Submit

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All Agriculture Beverages Dairy Fermentation Foods

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Open AccessArticle

Food-Derived Compounds Extend the Shelf Life of Frozen Human Milk

by Justin E. Silpe, Karla Damian-Medina and Bonnie L. Bassler

Foods 2025, 14(12), 2018; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14122018 - 7 Jun 2025

Viewed by 190

Abstract

Breastmilk is known to provide optimal nutrition for infant growth and development. A cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative US data from 2016 to 2021 revealed that >90% of lactating mothers reported using breast pumps to express milk. We conducted a survey of n [...] Read more.

Breastmilk is known to provide optimal nutrition for infant growth and development. A cross-sectional analysis of nationally representative US data from 2016 to 2021 revealed that >90% of lactating mothers reported using breast pumps to express milk. We conducted a survey of n = 1049 lactating or recently lactating individuals from a US nationally representative population to explore breastmilk storage practices among this group. The data revealed that 83% of respondents store breastmilk in their homes, with 68% using freezers to do so for >1 month. The lowest available temperature in most household freezers is −20 °C, a temperature that is inadequate to maintain human milk’s emulsified structure, leading to separation, degradation of fats, loss of key vitamins, and changes in palatability. We developed a first-of-its-kind high-throughput screening platform to identify food-derived compounds and combinations of compounds that, when added to human breastmilk, preserve fat content, retain antioxidant capacity, and reduce production of rancid-associated free fatty acids during extended freezer storage. Our screening identified pectin (0.5% w/v) and ascorbic acid (100 μg/mL) as optimal preservation agents. Compared to untreated controls, this formulation reduced glycerol production by approximately 60% and maintained antioxidant capacity after 6 months of storage at −20 °C. Lysozyme and protease activity were maintained at >75% of the levels in fresh breastmilk. This formulation represents a lead for the development of safe and affordable frozen breastmilk shelf-life extenders for at-home use to increase the longevity of stored breastmilk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Food Processing and Preservation: Innovative Solutions for Natural Food Preservation, 2nd Edition)

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