Emerging Technologies for Food Preservation and Safety

Generally, foods are thermally processed to destroy the vegetative microorganisms for food preservation. However, only thermal treatment triggers many unwanted biochemical reactions, which leads to undesirable organoleptic and nutritional effects. Therefore, a number of nontraditional preservation techniques are being developed to satisfy consumer demand with regard to nutritional and sensory aspects of foods. Ensuring food safety and at the same time meeting such demands for retention of nutrition and quality attributes has resulted in increased interest in emerging preservation techniques. These emerging food preservation technologies can extend the shelf life of unprocessed or processed foods by inactivating the enzymes, reducing the food spoiling microbial growth rate or viability without altering the food quality attributes including flavor, odor, color, texture, and nutritional value.

Over the last few decades various new food preservation technologies have been developed to improve the quality of food production without neglecting its safety. We welcome authors around the world to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will stimulate the continuing efforts of food preservation and safety. This Research Topic in Frontiers in Microbiology will give an overview about the recent developments in food preservation technology and assessment of food quality, safety, and shelf life by using non-toxic compounds as a food preservative. It also covers the alternative and hurdle techniques for food preservation, including natural, thermal, and non-thermal emerging technologies, their fundamentals, and their effects on organoleptic as well as other important features of food.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Product Storage/Distribution and Shelf Life. Thermal Processing. Pasteurization. Sterilization. Canning. Osmotic Dehydration. Freeze Drying. Spray Drying Technology. Chilling. Freezing. Irradiation. Microwave Heating Technology. Vacuum Treatment Technology. Food Additives. Ohmic Heating. High Pressure food Processing. Pulsed Electric Fields Technology. Oscillating Magnetic Fields (OMF). Dielectric/Infrared Heating. UV Light. Ultrasound. High Voltage Discharge Technologies. Bioactive Components for Food preservation. Antimicrobial Edible Films and Coatings. Food Packaging. Aseptic Packaging. Biosensor technology. Ozone Processing. Food Safety-HACCP. Bacteriocins. Food Plant Sanitation and Operation. Safety Assurance. Waste food Management. Hurdle Technology in food preservation.