The global food industry faces increasingly complex challenges in ensuring food safety, preserving quality, and enhancing nutritional value—all while meeting rising consumer expectations for sustainability, transparency, and minimal processing. What sets this topic collection apart is its interdisciplinary focus, bridging food microbiology, ingredient functionality, preservation technologies, and regulatory frameworks to offer a holistic perspective on food quality and safety.

Current international concerns—such as transnational food fraud incidents, the harmonization of food safety regulations across regions, and the implementation of Codex Alimentarius standards—underscore the global urgency of coordinated, science-based solutions. These issues highlight the need for integrated research that not only advances scientific understanding but also informs policy and industry practices worldwide.

This Collection of Discover Food invites contributions that explore cutting-edge scientific advancements and technological innovations that collectively address the full spectrum of food system challenges—from microbial ecology and ingredient interactions to preservation strategies and regulatory compliance. By integrating microbiological, technological, and policy-oriented research, this collection aims to foster a systems-level understanding of how to produce safer, higher-quality, and more trustworthy food.

We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies addressing the following themes:

• Food Microbiology: Investigations into the role of microorganisms in food safety and quality, including microbial contamination, spoilage, fermentation, and probiotics. Studies on microbial community dynamics, detection of foodborne pathogens, and the influence of microbes on shelf life and sensory characteristics are especially encouraged.

• Food Ingredients and Additives: Research on the function, safety, and health impact of food additives and ingredients, both natural and synthetic. Topics may include clean-label alternatives, bioactive compounds, and ingredient innovations that support both product quality and consumer acceptance.

• Food Preservation Technologies: Advances in preservation methods such as high-pressure processing, cold plasma, biopreservation, and antimicrobial packaging. We are particularly interested in studies that evaluate the effects of these technologies on microbial safety, nutrient stability, and environmental sustainability.

• Food Safety and Quality Control: Development and implementation of innovative tools and frameworks for ensuring food safety across the supply chain. This includes rapid pathogen detection, risk assessment models, traceability systems, and the integration of international regulatory standards.

By showcasing interdisciplinary research that connects microbial science with technological innovation and regulatory insight, this Collection seeks to inform and inspire the development of more resilient, sustainable, and consumer-focused food systems on a global scale.

Keywords:

Food Microbiology; Functional Food Ingredients; Food Safety; Sustainable Food Systems; Food Preservation Technologies; Probiotics; Foodborne Pathogens; Shelf-life Extension; Natural Additives; Quality Control

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 9, SDG 12, SDG 13 and SDG 17.

The structure and processing of food are critical in shaping sensory perception, influencing satiety, guiding eating behaviour, and determining nutrient retention. As global food systems evolve, understanding these complex interactions is crucial for developing products that are not only appealing to consumers but also promote health and well-being. This area of study is increasingly significant in the context of personalised nutrition, where tailoring food structures and processing techniques can optimise health outcomes.

This topical collection invites researchers, scholars, and industry professionals to contribute their latest findings on the interplay between food structure, oral processing, and their effects on sensory perception, eating behavior, and nutrient retention. To differentiate this collection and ensure it provides fresh and valuable insights, we encourage submissions that focus on specific emerging trends, innovative approaches, and cutting-edge methodologies. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• The potential use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to optimise food structure and processing for enhanced sensory experiences, satiety, and nutrient retention.

• Application of state-of-the-art imaging (e.g., MRI, CT, and electron microscopy) and analytical methods to study food microstructures and their transformations during food processing as well as oral processing.

• Novel approaches to creating food matrices that modulate sensory properties, digestion, and nutrient release.

• Exploration of the role of texture and rheology in oral processing and its impact on sensory perception and satiety.

• Investigations into how emerging processing methods (e.g., pulsed electric field, high-pressure processing) influence nutrient retention, bioaccessibility, and functional properties of foods.

• Research focused on food structures and formulations tailored for demographic groups with unique nutritional needs, such as elderly populations or individuals with specific metabolic conditions.

Through highlighting novel approaches and innovative technologies in the study of food structure and processing, this collection aims to provide a platform for groundbreaking research that pushes the boundaries of current knowledge. We encourage contributions that explore these cutting-edge areas and offer new perspectives that are not widely covered in existing literature.

Keywords:

• Food structure

• Sensory perception

• Oral processing

• Nutrient bioavailability

• Satiety

• Eating behaviour

• Food matrix design

• Texture and rheology