Dear Colleagues,
As global demand for sustainable protein sources continues to rise, the need for innovative methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches to develop, evaluate, and scale alternative protein systems has become increasingly critical. Food science and bioprocess engineering stand at the forefront of this transformation, offering new pathways for producing nutritious and environmentally friendly food products. Meanwhile, the expansion of future food systems presents both unprecedented opportunities for reducing environmental footprints and significant challenges in ensuring economic viability, achieving industrial scalability, and maintaining consumer acceptance and sensory quality.
This special issue aims to explore the intersection of alternative proteins, sustainability principles, industrial scaling, and market integration. It seeks to highlight cutting-edge research, technological breakthroughs, and strategic frameworks that enhance the design, production, and responsible commercialization of sustainable protein foods. Topics of interest include:
• Plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cell-cultured protein production technologies
• Interdisciplinary frameworks for assessing life-cycle sustainability and nutritional adequacy
• Equity, access, and affordability in alternative protein adoption across diverse populations
• The evolving role of food industry stakeholders in scaling sustainable protein systems
• Ethical considerations and consumer trust in novel food product development
• Supply chain optimization, process intensification, and cost reduction in protein manufacturing
• Comparative studies on alternative protein performance across platforms and regions
• Policy frameworks and investment strategies for sustainable food system transformation
We welcome original research articles, case studies, and reviews that contribute to advancing the dialogue and practice in this dynamic and evolving field.
Manuscript Submission Information
Authors should submit their manuscripts for the special issue by emailing them as an attachment to specialissue@hillpublish.com or by using the online submission system. The manuscript should be submitted by one of the authors, and submissions by anyone other than the authors will not be accepted. Additionally, the submitted manuscript should include a cover letter that specifies the special issue to which the manuscript is being submitted.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). The submitted papers should be properly formatted and written in fluent English. All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Guidelines page.