About this Research Topic
Food processing plays an important role in modern lifestyle and affects the quality of a population’s diet. It includes a wide variety of conventional and emerging technologies, applied mainly to ensure microbiological and structural stability and sensory acceptance during the product’s shelf-life. Throughout the development of the food industry, substances classified as additives, such as preservatives, dyes, flavorings, stabilizers, and emulsifiers, have been incorporated into processed food in order to improve their stability and sensory acceptance. In addition, for better use of raw materials and reduction of waste and costs, the industry has developed ingredients for industrial use (e.g. such as milk whey, mechanically separated meat) which are less familiar for consumers. However, in recent years, consumers have become more concerned about the quality of processed foods and their impact on health and environment, increasing the demand for products with clean labels, i.e., products free from “artificial” additives/ ingredients.
Innovations in food processing, applying conventional and/or emerging technologies, can be used to address the challenge of producing clean labels for processed food that remains safe, attractive, and stable. Some of these strategies include processes that: (i) minimize damage of food color and taste, reducing the need of dyes and flavorings; (ii) increase the perception of sweetness with no/reduced addition of sugar and sweeteners; (iii) improve the structural proprieties of macromolecules, such as water holding capacity and emulsifying capacity, avoiding the use of stabilizers and emulsifiers; (iv) results in greater microbial reduction, minimizing the use of preservatives; (v) use microencapsulation to protect flavor and nutritional aspects of the product. Moreover, improvements in food packaging, such as greater barriers and the use of active packages, can be an additional tool to minimize the use of food additives in the processed food. Thus, this Research Topic in Frontiers in Nutrition aims to discuss the alternatives that food researchers and the food industry have been developing to face the challenge of clean label products, also focusing on ways to balance production costs (including price of ingredients) and nutritional quality of final product.
In this Research Topic, we therefore welcome Original Research, Mini Reviews, Full Reviews, Commentaries and Perspectives, on themes including but not limit to the following sub-topics:
1. Characterization of the changes in food components and food structures during food processing that allow the reduction/ removal of food additives in a product formulation;
2. Food processing strategies to reduce the use of unfamiliar ingredients (such as milk whey, lecithin);
3. Active packaging to extend the shelf life of clean label products;
4. Technology advancements to maximize microbial inactivation with minimal impacts on the product’s natural stability, color and taste;
5. Consumers studies focused on products with clean labels developed from innovations in food processing;
6. Challenges for the food industry (including costs, waste management, increased products stability, consumers expectation and others) to address the growing demand for products with clean label.
Innovations in food processing, applying conventional and/or emerging technologies, can be used to address the challenge of producing clean labels for processed food that remains safe, attractive, and stable. Some of these strategies include processes that: (i) minimize damage of food color and taste, reducing the need of dyes and flavorings; (ii) increase the perception of sweetness with no/reduced addition of sugar and sweeteners; (iii) improve the structural proprieties of macromolecules, such as water holding capacity and emulsifying capacity, avoiding the use of stabilizers and emulsifiers; (iv) results in greater microbial reduction, minimizing the use of preservatives; (v) use microencapsulation to protect flavor and nutritional aspects of the product. Moreover, improvements in food packaging, such as greater barriers and the use of active packages, can be an additional tool to minimize the use of food additives in the processed food. Thus, this Research Topic in Frontiers in Nutrition aims to discuss the alternatives that food researchers and the food industry have been developing to face the challenge of clean label products, also focusing on ways to balance production costs (including price of ingredients) and nutritional quality of final product.
In this Research Topic, we therefore welcome Original Research, Mini Reviews, Full Reviews, Commentaries and Perspectives, on themes including but not limit to the following sub-topics:
1. Characterization of the changes in food components and food structures during food processing that allow the reduction/ removal of food additives in a product formulation;
2. Food processing strategies to reduce the use of unfamiliar ingredients (such as milk whey, lecithin);
3. Active packaging to extend the shelf life of clean label products;
4. Technology advancements to maximize microbial inactivation with minimal impacts on the product’s natural stability, color and taste;
5. Consumers studies focused on products with clean labels developed from innovations in food processing;
6. Challenges for the food industry (including costs, waste management, increased products stability, consumers expectation and others) to address the growing demand for products with clean label.
Keywords: Food processing, Food structure, Clean label, Additives substitution, Emerging Processes, Natural ingredients, Intelligent food packaging, Consumer valuation
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
