About this Research Topic
The future of food can take many avenues of exploration, from the product itself, such as unusual sources like grass, microalgae, acorns, and so on, to by-products from the food industry (e.g., fruit pomaces and brewer spent grains), to disruptive technologies from data management and integration (e.g., digital twins) to processing (e.g., additive manufacturing, precision fermentations, cell ag).
When considering the future of food, sometimes this is more accurately seen as the cycle of food. Development is continual, but sometimes to address the future, we must look historically - for example, a resurgence in pulses for protein, or the increase in shelf-stable foods due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The future of food requires many considerations, such as life cycle assessment, customization, social impact, environmental impact, and economic impact. In particular, when developing new foods with sustainability in mind (eg., alternative proteins), one has to take into account the health benefits as well as indulgence and sensory appeal, and these factors must be weighed against the financial cost of the production processes, and the ultimate cost to the consumer.
We invite authors to submit topics that explore the future of our food production, addressing key challenges such as climate change and sustainability. Topics of interest to this collection include, but are not limited to:
• The transformation of food waste into valuable resources and innovative products (e.g., bioactive phytochemicals, fertilizers, biopolymers, pharmaceuticals, bioplastics, renewable energy, etc)
• The optimization of processes and food product flows and supply chains
• The social, economic, and environmental impact of food waste
• The relevance and feasibility of novel technological tools in food manufacturing, processing, and monitoring
• The end-to-end impact of food production/manufacturing on environmental health
• The use of wearables data to customize products that meet specific consumer's daily needs
When considering the future of food, sometimes this is more accurately seen as the cycle of food. Development is continual, but sometimes to address the future, we must look historically - for example, a resurgence in pulses for protein, or the increase in shelf-stable foods due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The future of food requires many considerations, such as life cycle assessment, customization, social impact, environmental impact, and economic impact. In particular, when developing new foods with sustainability in mind (eg., alternative proteins), one has to take into account the health benefits as well as indulgence and sensory appeal, and these factors must be weighed against the financial cost of the production processes, and the ultimate cost to the consumer.
We invite authors to submit topics that explore the future of our food production, addressing key challenges such as climate change and sustainability. Topics of interest to this collection include, but are not limited to:
• The transformation of food waste into valuable resources and innovative products (e.g., bioactive phytochemicals, fertilizers, biopolymers, pharmaceuticals, bioplastics, renewable energy, etc)
• The optimization of processes and food product flows and supply chains
• The social, economic, and environmental impact of food waste
• The relevance and feasibility of novel technological tools in food manufacturing, processing, and monitoring
• The end-to-end impact of food production/manufacturing on environmental health
• The use of wearables data to customize products that meet specific consumer's daily needs
Keywords: Future foods, Food waste, Environmental impact, Economic impact, Novel tools, Food production, Sustainability
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.
