Dear Colleagues,

Food technology is the science and engineering of food production, processing, preservation, and distribution. It is a fast-changing field that aims to meet the food demand, quality, safety, and sustainability challenges. Some of the most innovative food technology trends are:

Alternative proteins: These are plant-based, cultured, or fermented products that mimic animal proteins in taste, texture, and nutrition, but with lower environmental and ethical impact. Some examples are precision fermentation, 3-D printing, and CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.

Nutraceuticals: These are foods or ingredients that have health benefits beyond basic nutrition. They can help prevent or treat various diseases, such as diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Nutraceuticals can be natural or synthetic, such as probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytochemicals.

Sugar reduction: This is the use of novel sweeteners or food modification to reduce sugar consumption without compromising on taste. Sugar reduction can help prevent health problems, such as obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. Some examples of sugar reduction technologies are stevia, monk fruit, allulose, erythritol, and flavor enhancement.

Sustainable food packaging: This is the development of biodegradable, compostable, edible, or recyclable packaging materials from renewable sources. Sustainable food packaging can help reduce waste and pollution from food packaging. Some examples of sustainable food packaging technologies are plant fibers, starches, proteins, algae, and smart features.

Food safety technologies: These are methods to detect and prevent food contamination by pathogens, toxins, allergens, or adulterants. Food safety technologies can help ensure food quality and safety for consumers and regulators. Some examples of food safety technologies are biosensors, nanosensors, spectroscopy, PCR (polymerase chain reaction), NGS (next-generation sequencing), and blockchain.

Research articles and reviews in this field of study are welcome. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Kaiser Younis

Section editor