Topic Editors
Sustainable Alternative Proteins: Extraction, Modification and Food System Application
Topic Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global food system is facing unprecedented challenges from population growth, climate change, and resource constraints. The development of sustainable alternative proteins—including plant-based proteins, microbial proteins, insect proteins, and proteins recovered from agricultural and food processing byproducts, such as whey protein and rapeseed protein—has emerged as a critical strategy to improve food security, reduce environmental impact, and meet the growing demand for high-quality protein from a global population projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050.
While alternative proteins offer promising environmental and nutritional benefits, their widespread application in the food system faces multiple technical bottlenecks: low extraction efficiency from raw materials; unfavorable functional properties (e.g., solubility, emulsification, gelling); off-flavor issues; inconsistent retention of bioactive components during processing; lack of standardized nutritional evaluation frameworks for complex alternative protein products; as well as unclear long-term health effects and dose–response relationships of alternative protein consumption. This Topic aims to gather cutting-edge research on the entire value chain of sustainable alternative proteins, from green extraction technologies, nutritional property optimization, and health effect validation to functional modification strategies and end-product application in complex food systems, providing a multidisciplinary platform for researchers to share advances in this rapidly growing field.
We invite original research papers and review articles covering, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Exploration and characterization of novel alternative protein sources (plant, microbial, insect, marine and byproduct-derived proteins);
- Green and efficient protein extraction technologies (pulsed electric field, ultrasound-assisted, enzyme-assisted and supercritical fluid extraction);
- Physical, chemical and biological modification technologies to improve the functional and nutritional properties of alternative proteins;
- Approaches to the complete or partial replacement of proteins contained in traditional animal products (e.g., sausages, hams, dairy products);
- Structure–function relationship studies of modified alternative proteins;
- Nutritional profile characterization and comparative analysis of different types of alternative proteins;
- Health benefit evaluation of alternative protein consumption, including effects on weight management, gut microbiota, metabolic syndrome, and chronic disease prevention;
- Application of alternative proteins in food systems (plant-based meat, dairy alternatives, baked goods, nutritional supplements, etc.);
- Sensory evaluation, consumer acceptance, and market analysis of alternative protein products.
Prof. Dr. Yongbin Han
Dr. Chong Xie
Dr. Yan Xu
Dr. Ting Wang
Topic Editors
Keywords
- proteins
- sustainability
- extraction
- functional modification
- alternative proteins
- marine proteins
- bioavailability
- fermentation
- plant-based proteins
- insects
- byproduct valorization
- nutritional properties
- gut microbiota
- consumer acceptance
Participating Journals
| Journal Name | Impact Factor | CiteScore | Launched Year | First Decision (median) | APC | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Beverages
|
3.0 | 4.7 | 2015 | 23.7 Days | CHF 1800 | Submit |
Dairy
|
3.0 | 5.4 | 2020 | 26.6 Days | CHF 1400 | Submit |
Foods
|
6.0 | 10.3 | 2012 | 15 Days | CHF 2900 | Submit |
Nutrients
|
5.8 | 10.2 | 2009 | 15 Days | CHF 2900 | Submit |
Sci
|
4.1 | 5.4 | 2019 | 26.7 Days | CHF 1400 | Submit |
Sustainability
|
4.1 | 8.9 | 2009 | 17.9 Days | CHF 2400 | Submit |
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