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Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety
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Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Food".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 December 2022) | Viewed by 24702

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pedro Miguel Capêlo da Silva

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Agriculture Research Center, Agrofood Techis, 9020-418 Funchal, Portugal
Interests: sustainable agriculture; soil management; biofertilizers; agri-food quality; biotechnology; technological innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jorge Dinis Câmara Freitas

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Madeira Chemistry Research Centre (CQM), Madeira University, Funchal 9000-000, Portugal
Interests: food quality; aquaculture; foodborn illness; food safety; food control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of a world in deep change due to climate change, loss of biodiversity, a sharp increase in the world population, and in the midst of a health crisis due to Covid-19, the development of sustainable and efficient food systems is more fundamental that never. With the objective to feed an overpopulated world, sustainable practices are gathering more relevance in the food sector in order to protect the ecosystems and biodiversity, and principally, the consumers.

Food Safety is a very important quality pre-requisite, since food safety hazards directly affect public health and economies. As the product moves through the supply chain, safety can also be defined as the style of production, harvesting, preparing, handling and storing, to prevent infection and to help ensure that the food maintains its nutritional value for the consumer.

Therefore, we invite the submission of articles and reviews for the follow topics:

  • Food systems development based on sustainable practices and innovative technologies throughout all stages of food chain supply: food production (agriculture/aquaculture), food processing (fresh/heated/frozen) and food packing (biodegradable/recycled).
  • Food management strategies to improve the quality control and guarantee the safety of foods from sustainable systems during the production, harvest, processing, storage and transport.
  • Analytical methods development and application to analysis of pathogens, metals, toxins, pesticides, food additives, preservatives, physical hazards and spoilage during the food chain supply of sustainable systems.

Dr. Pedro Miguel Capêlo da Silva
Dr. Jorge Dinis Câmara Freitas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food sustainable systems
  • food safety
  • food chain supply
  • analytical methods

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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19 pages, 999 KiB  
Article
Islands of Milk Insecurity in World’s Leading Milk Producer: A Case of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
by Ashish Kumar, Bakul Rao and Arun Kumar De
Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010206 - 23 Dec 2022
Viewed by 3716
Abstract
India, with the world’s largest cattle population, is a leading producer of milk, and claims to be self-sufficient for dairy production. However, such an important component for nutritional security has been reported to be adulterated by 68% by the national food safety agency. [...] Read more.
India, with the world’s largest cattle population, is a leading producer of milk, and claims to be self-sufficient for dairy production. However, such an important component for nutritional security has been reported to be adulterated by 68% by the national food safety agency. This study challenges the basic claim of self-sufficiency in terms of milk production and food security for milk and milk products. A novel model for studying milk safety is presented, which evaluates the prevailing conditions in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (A&N), India. There are no comprehensive data nor studies available for this region. The assessment of the pillars of food security found that with the present population load, there is an annual deficit of 25673.7 MT of fluid milk in the A&N Islands. The study found that the average herd size is 1.9, with about 26.9% of the animals rearing desi (non-descriptive) cattle, characterized by low production levels of 3.95 L/day and with gene frequency of 16.48% for the A1 allele. None of the milk samples were found to be positive for antibiotic (tetracycline and aminoglycoside) residues. However, 4% of the milk samples were found to be positive for the aflatoxin residues above the permitted MRL. The KAP study shows that awareness regarding clean milk production, antimicrobial residues, withdrawal timings, aflatoxins, etc. is poor/highly limited among the farmers of the region. The output may act as a referral study and a template for future studies for the assessment of product-specific food security. Our findings highlight the limitations of the present approach and the need for additional data, using a wider range of research techniques for assessing dairy. Whilst not definitive, it aims to highlight those factors which are considered crucial to an understanding of contemporary milk safety controls. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety)
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10 pages, 1672 KiB  
Article
Suggesting an Extensive Interpretation of the Concept of Novelty That Looks at the Bio-Cultural Dimension of Food
by Margherita Paola Poto and Mathilde D. Morel
Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 5065; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13095065 - 30 Apr 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2107
Abstract
“Novel food” in the European Union’s (EU) legal terms refers to any food that was not used for human consumption to a significant degree within the EU before 15 May 1997 (Regulation 2015/2283/EU (2015)). Placing novel food on the market requires a safety [...] Read more.
“Novel food” in the European Union’s (EU) legal terms refers to any food that was not used for human consumption to a significant degree within the EU before 15 May 1997 (Regulation 2015/2283/EU (2015)). Placing novel food on the market requires a safety assessment when such novelty is ascertained, with the consequent need of an authorization procedure that is not required for food traditionally conceived in the EU. Studies have highlighted how such a Eurocentric proof of traditional/novel use of food results in unequal treatment of third countries, with a slowdown of their market investments in the EU market. This contribution addresses this aspect by critically examining the disparity of treatment and suggesting the adoption of a wide-ranging interpretation of food novelty that considers the biocultural context in which food is embedded. This work is based on a critical legal analysis through the hermeneutics of Reg. 2015/2283/EU (2015) and a case study on algae from Northern Norway and Sápmi, carried out by the project SECURE. We conclude that a legal interpretation connecting food to its biocultural context would contribute to qualify it as traditional and therefore facilitate its placement on the market. Our case study provides an example of the macroalgae collected in Northern Norway/Sápmi that through the criterion of the biocultural context would qualify as traditional food, without recourse to the authorization procedure. Further research could assess whether the European Commission’s list of authorized novel foods (which include algae whose status as novel food has been inquired and assessed) expands to also comprehend some of the low-trophic marine resources (LTMR) harvested in Northern Norway/Sápmi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety)
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9 pages, 587 KiB  
Communication
Retail Potential for Upcycled Foods: Evidence from New Zealand
by Francesca Goodman-Smith, Siddharth Bhatt, Robyn Moore, Miranda Mirosa, Hongjun Ye, Jonathan Deutsch and Rajneesh Suri
Sustainability 2021, 13(5), 2624; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13052624 - 1 Mar 2021
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 6427
Abstract
Food waste is a problem that manifests throughout the food supply chain. A promising solution that can mitigate the food waste problem across various stages of the food supply chain is upcycling food ingredients that would otherwise be wasted by converting them into [...] Read more.
Food waste is a problem that manifests throughout the food supply chain. A promising solution that can mitigate the food waste problem across various stages of the food supply chain is upcycling food ingredients that would otherwise be wasted by converting them into new upcycled food products. This research explores perception of upcycled foods from a panel of 1001 frequent shoppers at a large grocery retailer in New Zealand. Findings from this research uncover several hitherto unexamined aspects of consumers’ evaluations of upcycled foods. These include consumers’ indications about shelf placements of upcycled foods, willingness to buy upcycled foods for people or pets other than themselves, and consumers’ preferences about information pertaining to these foods. This research advances our understanding of how consumers perceive upcycled foods and provides actionable insights to practitioners in the food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety)
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Review

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16 pages, 793 KiB  
Review
Eating Sturgeon: An Endangered Delicacy
by António Raposo, Hmidan A. Alturki, Rabab Alkutbe and Dele Raheem
Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3511; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043511 - 14 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2917
Abstract
Since ancient times, sturgeon species have been valued for their rich nutritional qualities, which are crucial for human health today. They are linked with gastronomic delicacy and offer economic benefits, especially for the caviar industry. Today aquaculture produces more farmed and hybrid species [...] Read more.
Since ancient times, sturgeon species have been valued for their rich nutritional qualities, which are crucial for human health today. They are linked with gastronomic delicacy and offer economic benefits, especially for the caviar industry. Today aquaculture produces more farmed and hybrid species due to rapidly declining wild sturgeon populations. Sturgeon diversification through processing can yield fingerlings, stocking material, meat or caviar. Because of its variety, sturgeon flesh includes highly digestible proteins, lipids, vitamins and minerals. Consuming sturgeon provides essential fatty acids that play important oxidative and anti-inflammatory roles in human cells. The purpose of this study is to examine the sustainability and economic value of eating sturgeon worldwide, the technology applied in food processing, and the challenges that food quality and authenticity, nutritional content and health effects pose. The issue of counterfeiting high-quality sturgeon products by dishonest means has to be adequately addressed. Digital tools to guarantee authenticity and transparency in the sturgeon value chain should be considered in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety)
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18 pages, 952 KiB  
Review
Sustainable Agricultural Systems for Fruit Orchards: The Influence of Plant Growth Promoting Bacteria on the Soil Biodiversity and Nutrient Management
by Jorge Freitas and Pedro Silva
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13952; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113952 - 27 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2720
Abstract
Awareness towards the loss of soil quality as well as consumer perception about the environmental impact of agricultural activity have stimulated research and government activity toward the implementation of a sustainable agricultural system. The European Commission, in the next funding program, established specific [...] Read more.
Awareness towards the loss of soil quality as well as consumer perception about the environmental impact of agricultural activity have stimulated research and government activity toward the implementation of a sustainable agricultural system. The European Commission, in the next funding program, established specific objectives to promote the conversion towards a more environmentally sustainable agricultural system through its Green Deal Strategy. The demand for ecologically and sustainably cultivated fruits increases every year; however, suppressing such demand is necessary to improve the production performance of orchards. The sustainable management of orchard production requires combined knowledge from different fields. The key challenge is to design orchard systems that can integrate sustainable practices, nutrient cycle knowledge and promotion of soil biodiversity. Therefore, this review compiles works that address the challenges in the implementation of a sustainable agriculture system based on Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) and their impact on soil biodiversity as well as that of nutrient management on the development of fruit orchards. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety)
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20 pages, 2829 KiB  
Review
Review of Sewage Sludge as a Soil Amendment in Relation to Current International Guidelines: A Heavy Metal Perspective
by Nuno Nunes, Carla Ragonezi, Carla S.S. Gouveia and Miguel Â.A. Pinheiro de Carvalho
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 2317; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042317 - 20 Feb 2021
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 5687
Abstract
Overexploitation of resources makes the reutilization of waste a focal topic of modern society, and the question of the kind of wastes that can be used is continuously raised. Sewage sludge (SS) is derived from the wastewater treatment plants, considered important underused biomass, [...] Read more.
Overexploitation of resources makes the reutilization of waste a focal topic of modern society, and the question of the kind of wastes that can be used is continuously raised. Sewage sludge (SS) is derived from the wastewater treatment plants, considered important underused biomass, and can be used as a biofertilizer when properly stabilized due to the high content of inorganic matter, nitrate, and phosphorus. However, a wide range of pollutants can be present in these biosolids, limiting or prohibiting their use as biofertilizer, depending on the type and origin of industrial waste and household products. Long-term applications of these biosolids could substantially increase the concentration of contaminants, causing detrimental effects on the environment and induce hyperaccumulation or phytotoxicity in the produced crops. In this work, some critical parameters for soils and SS agronomic use, such as organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium (NPK), and heavy metals concentration have been reviewed. Several cases of food crop production and the accumulation of heavy metals after SS application are also discussed. SS production, usage, and legislation in EU are assessed to determine the possibility of sustainable management of this bioresource. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines are addressed. The opportunity to produce bioenergy crops, employing sewage sludge to enhance degraded land, is also considered, due to energy security. Although there are numerous advantages of sewage sludge, proper screening for heavy metals in all the variants (biosolids, soil, food products) is a must. SS application requires appropriate strict guidelines with appropriate regulatory oversight to control contamination of agricultural soils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Food Systems and Food Safety)
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