Innovative and sustainable food preservation techniques are vital for enhancing food quality, safety, and reducing environmental impact. In this review, the methods aligned with sustainability goals are explored, focusing on their mechanisms, applications, and environmental benefits. It examines non-thermal technologies such as cold plasma, pulsed light technology, high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric fields (PEFs), and ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which effectively inactivate microbes while preserving nutritional and sensory qualities. Natural preservatives, including plant extracts, microbial agents, and enzymes, are highlighted as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic chemicals, supporting clean label initiatives. Advanced packaging solutions, such as biodegradable materials, intelligent packaging systems, and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), are assessed for their role in reducing plastic waste, maintaining product quality, and extending shelf life. The review uses life cycle analyses to evaluate these techniques’ environmental impact, considering factors like energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and waste reduction. It also explores the potential of emerging technologies, such as plasma-activated water (PAW) and nanotechnology, to further enhance sustainability. By identifying research gaps and discussing industry challenges, the review calls for innovation and the broader adoption of these practices to promote food security, improve public health, and foster a more sustainable and resilient food system

The present review highlights the potential of insect-based proteins to address the growing need for sustainable and secure food systems. The key findings suggest that edible insects offer a viable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional livestock, requiring significantly less land, water, and feed while emitting lower levels of greenhouse gases. Insect farming can also reduce waste and recycle nutrients, supporting circular economy models. Nutritionally, insects provide high-quality protein, essential amino acids, and beneficial fats, making them valuable to human diets. Despite these benefits, this review emphasizes the need for comprehensive regulatory frameworks to ensure food safety, manage potential allergenicity, and mitigate contamination risks from pathogens and environmental toxins. Additionally, developing innovative processing technologies can enhance the palatability and marketability of insect-based products, promoting consumer acceptance. This review concludes that with appropriate regulatory support and technological advancements, insect-based proteins have the potential to significantly contribute to global food security and sustainability efforts.

This study explores the influence of hydrocolloid interactions between Guar Gum (GG) and Xanthan Gum (XG) on the stability and release dynamics of essential thyme oil emulsions. We systematically characterized six emulsions with varying GG and XG ratios, employing spray-drying techniques for the encapsulation process. The stability of the emulsions was quantitatively analyzed, revealing a marked decrease in stability rates correlated with higher initial emulsion activity (zero-order kinetic constant r = −0.972). Furthermore, this study demonstrated that emulsions with carefully optimized hydrocolloid ratios could achieve high encapsulation efficiency (74%) and controlled release profiles. Kinetic modeling and diffusion analyses elucidated that increased XG concentrations tend to reduce diffusivity, thereby enhancing emulsion stability. The effective diffusivity of the thyme oil within the emulsion matrix was determined to be within a range of 0.7 to 2.4 × 10⁻¹⁰ m²/s, significantly influencing release kinetics. The Pearson correlation matrix underlined a substantial negative association between emulsion activity and effective diffusivity (r = −0.740), indicating that denser hydrocolloid networks impede oil mobility. The findings conclusively establish that the interplay of GG and XG concentrations is pivotal in dictating the emulsion’s physicochemical properties, with denser networks formed by higher XG content leading to slower oil release rates and enhanced stability. This research provides critical insights for the design of encapsulated food and pharmaceutical products, highlighting the imperative of strategic hydrocolloid selection to realize specific functional attributes and performance criteria.

The rising demand for sustainable protein is driving interest in insects as a raw material for advanced food ingredients. This review collates and critically analyses over 300 studies on the conversion of crickets, mealworms, black soldier flies, and other farmed species into powders, protein isolates, oils, and chitosan-rich fibers with targeted techno-functional roles. This survey maps how thermal pre-treatments, blanch–dry–mill routes, enzymatic hydrolysis, and isoelectric solubilization–precipitation preserve or enhance the water- and oil-holding capacity, emulsification, foaming, and gelation, while also mitigating off-flavors, allergenicity, and microbial risks. A meta-analysis shows insect flours can absorb up to 3.2 g of water g⁻¹, stabilize oil-in-water emulsions for 14 days at 4 °C, and form gels with 180 kPa strength, outperforming or matching eggs, soy, or whey in specific applications. Case studies demonstrate a successful incorporation at 5–15% into bakery, meat analogs and dairy alternatives without sensory penalties, and chitin-derived chitosan films extend the bread shelf life by three days. Comparative life-cycle data indicate 45–80% lower greenhouse gas emissions and land use than equivalent animal-derived ingredients. Collectively, the evidence positions insect-based ingredients as versatile, safe, and climate-smart tools to enhance food quality and sustainability, while outlining research gaps in allergen mitigation, consumer acceptance, and regulatory harmonization.

This research focuses on the drying kinetics of industrial pineapple processing waste on a flat plate, revealing a two-phase drying process: an initial phase with a constant drying rate followed by a phase with a decreasing drying rate. During the constant rate phase, the convective mass transfer coefficient, influenced by temperature variations from 40 to 70 °C, ranged from 5.69 × 10⁻⁷ to 2.79 × 10⁻⁷ m s⁻¹. The study introduced a novel approach to modeling the decreasing drying rate phase, applying equations derived from the Fick equation. This process involved determining the activation energy and thermodynamic properties of drying using an experimental forced convection dryer at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C, and an air velocity of 1.5 m/s. Data were fitted to several mathematical models, including Fick’s with four series terms, and versions of the Henderson–Pabis and Page models modified by Cavalcanti-Mata, among others. The Cavalcanti-Mata and modified Page models provided the most accurate fit to the experimental data. Results showed that diffusion coefficients vary per model yet align with literature values. Additionally, enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) values decreased with temperature, while Gibbs free energy (ΔG) increased, indicating that drying is an energy-dependent, non-spontaneous process.