This Special Issue will highlight state-of-the-art research and foster scientific exchange in the field of sustainability-driven innovations for food waste upcycling. Submit your manuscript by August 31, 2025.
A sustainable global agriculture and food system demands waste reduction and efficient use of natural resources. Upcycling food waste and by-products back into the food production chain offers an effective solution to critical challenges such as shortage of natural resources, environmental pollution, and socioeconomic issues, thereby facilitating the sustainable growth of the food industry. Various approaches – including chemical, physical, and biotechnological methods – have been applied to upcycle diverse food wastes such as dairy whey, brewery spent grains, grape pomaces, spent coffee grounds, fruit peels and seeds, and vegetables. Among these, bio-approaches such as using enzymes and microbial fermentation stand out as natural, health-relevant strategies for valorizing waste into value-added food products and ingredients.
This Special Issue from Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, ACS Food Science & Technology, and ACS Agricultural Science & Technology will highlight state-of-the-art research and foster scientific exchange in the field of sustainability-driven innovations for food waste upcycling, with an emphasis on biotechnological advances such as enzyme processes and fermentation technologies across various food waste streams. The journals seek submissions of high-quality research articles, reviews, viewpoints and perspectives on the latest advances and insights on the topic of upcycling food waste into value-added natural foods and ingredients.
Organizing Editors
Xiaofen Du, Ph.D., Guest Editor
Texas Woman’s University, United States
Minwei Xu, Ph.D, Guest Editor
North Dakota State University, United States
Kevin Zhang, Ph.D., Guest Editor
Daisy Brand, United States
Submission Instructions
- Interested authors should send a manuscript proposal including a title, short abstract and manuscript type by email to the Guest Editors at hofmann-office@jafc.acs.org stating whether they intend to submit their manuscript to Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, ACS Food Science & Technology, or ACS Agricultural Science & Technology.
- Authors will be sent a link to submit their manuscript directly to the Special Issue. Any submissions made through the ACS Publishing Center outside of the direct submission link may not be included in the Special Issue.
- Manuscripts must adhere to the journal’s Author Guidelines.
- All invited and contributed manuscripts will be screened for suitability upon submission and are subject to the standard peer-review procedure of the journal. The final submission deadline for inclusion in the Special Issue is August 31, 2025.
- There are diverse open access options for publications in American Chemical Society journals. Please visit our Open Science Resource Center for more information.
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Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry publishes high-quality, cutting-edge original research representing complete studies and research advances dealing with the chemistry and biochemistry of agriculture and food.
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ACS Food Science & Technology
ACS Food Science & Technology focuses on reports of new research related to characterization, development, processing, and/or safety of foods that assures food security.
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ACS Agricultural Science & Technology
ACS Agricultural Science & Technology is an international forum for cutting-edge original research in all areas of agricultural science, technology, and engineering, highlighting the role of agricultural science and technology to address challenges facing humankind and the planet.
