Presently, consumers are looking for safe food products with high quality and nutritional value. However, their behavior on the market is more and more influenced by aspects related to environmental protection and sustainable development. Thus, the aim of this Special Issue of Sustainability is to present current research and relevant state-of-the-art reviews focused on the sustainable methods of food production and management linked with traditional and innovative unit operations. Sustainable food production is associated with processes that avoid environmental degradation, do not use a high amount of energy, and are safe. To ensure sustainable development of food technology, existing processing methods are altered or completely new and innovative technologies are introduced. Among different examples, the importance of the following is of the essence: pulsed electric fields (PEF), ultrasounds (US), high-pressure processing (HPP) and homogenization (HPH), microwaves (MV), pulsed light (PL) or cold plasma (CP). Moreover, some traditional technologies can be applied and optimized in order to be more sustainable. What is more, novel technologies or optimized traditional methods allow obtaining high-quality products with minimal degradation of nutrients, preserving at the same time their thermolabile compounds, flavor, taste, texture, and overall quality. Finally, the valorization of byproducts can lead to ingredients (proteins, biopolymers, antioxidants, among others) which can modify both the functional and technological properties of foods, conjoining sustainability with value addition. Therefore, we would like to invite authors to contribute with original research articles as well as review articles regarding contemporary issues and future trends in sustainable food production.
Keywords: Nonthermal technologies; Traditional and innovative processes in food; Sustainable methods of food production; Emerging technologies; Valorization of byproducts.