Welcome to the inaugural issue of Sustainable Food Technology

Dear readers, we are delighted to introduce the first issue of Sustainable Food Technology published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). It is a distinct pleasure to be part of this exciting project, of which the main objective is to provide a platform for open dissemination of research leading to greener and more environmentally respectful technological solutions to the food chain.

Sustainable Food Technology publishes research focused on the https://sdgs.un.org/goals (SDG), mainly but not exclusively SDG2 and SDG12: to achieve the zero-hunger objective through responsible consumption and production, or in other words, to provide everyone with sufficient safe and quality food, produced and processed in an environmentally friendly manner. With this purpose in mind, the journal welcomes cutting-edge studies that provide technological solutions to problems at all stages of food processing, from farm to fork, aligned with the central food sustainability goals.

You should be aware that about 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are generated by food production and processing. This means that the food chain is directly involved in and greatly contributes to this global problem that requires a global solution. Therefore, studies focused on alternative food resources, especially novel protein sources, which might represent fewer contaminants and more sustainable alternatives to current food sources, are very welcome contributions. The journal is also open to research on novel food processing and engineering technologies that are more efficient and eco-friendlier but also respectful of the most precious food nutritional components.

Even more troubling is the fact that about 30% of the food produced is lost or wasted, while the corresponding GHG emissions are still produced. To address this problem, Sustainable Food Technology welcomes novel non-thermal food preservation technologies that are more efficient and respectful of the nutritional food value but also able to extend the shelf-life of food products with a view to reducing food losses. Special attention will also be paid to novel packaging technologies, including not only active and intelligent packaging solutions but also the development of bioplastics, biodegradable and edible films that prevent the global problem of plastic release into the environment. Likewise, the journal is committed to providing circular economy strategies for adding value to food by-products and food waste. Thus, we welcome research on the recovery and valorisation solutions focused on the procurement of not only techno-functional ingredients but also bioactive compounds that may contribute to making food more nutritious and healthier. In addition, the journal focuses on the diffusion of technologies able to provide traceability, authenticity and safety tools as integral parts of the food chain and invites studies providing cutting-edge omics technologies able to ensure food authenticity and detect the presence of chemical and biological hazards in foodstuffs. A more detailed list of topics included in the journal’s scope is available on the journal homepage.

Sustainable Food Technology is a Gold Open Access journal and guarantees that all published original and review articles receive high visibility among the scientific community, thus enhancing the impact of your research. Moreover, the RSC is committed to covering the article processing charges of all publications until mid-2025, which guarantees that your research is available to everybody at no cost to you.

We are delighted to welcome Prof. Qin Wang (Maryland University, USA) and Prof. Rekha S. Singhal (Mumbai University, India) as inaugural Associate Editors who will, together with the Editor-in-chief, take care of the peer review process. In addition, the RSC’s dedicated editorial team oversees the process to guarantee that submissions are handled timely and to high editorial standards. The journal has also a magnificent Advisory Board composed of internationally reputed experts from all around the world that will surely contribute to placing Sustainable Food Technology as a leading international forum on food sustainability.

In this first issue, we are delighted to share with you significant contributions focused on the analysis of GHG emissions by elements of the food chain, novel processing, preservation and packaging technologies focused on providing greener solutions and other innovative topics in the field that will surely attract your interest. More contributions are to come, so please sign up for e-alerts or follow us on https://twitter.com/foodrsc to have the opportunity to learn about the newly published papers as soon as they are available.

We also encourage you to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWoa0T3K5Jk in which six members of our Editorial and Advisory Boards as well as other international experts discussed hot topics in food sustainability aligned to the SDG goals, with remarkable contributions on the main challenges and perspectives. This event was part of the RSC’s strategy to support the COP27 conference in November 2022.

This is just the beginning of a journey to achieve global food sustainability. We look forward to having you on board with us not only as readers but also as contributors to our journal in 2023 and future years.

 

Professor Jorge Barros Velazquez, Editor-in-Chief

Dr Anna Rulka, Executive Editor

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