Mediterranean Foods: Quality, Safety and Sustainability

The recovery of the concept of the Mediterranean diet has been a constant in recent years, especially after its recognition as UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage. It involves the use of many plant-based food products common to several Mediterranean countries, such as olive oil, fruits and vegetables, cereals, pulses, nuts, wine, but also meat and fish. The adoption of this diet has favourable and direct implications on health, but also on social and economic aspects, with implications for the sustainability and resilience of agrofood systems inherent to production, topics of great importance in the current context of climate change and water scarcity.
Moreover, these topics are aligned with the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, mainly contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 12 (Responsible Consumption).

In the current context of the 21st century, new challenges are imposed on all of us involved in the food distribution chain, from producers to consumers, including researchers in this wide area of knowledge. In parallel to food security, with the access to safe food, the reduction of losses and waste is also an urgent challenge to be addressed.
To achieve these worldwide objectives, it is necessary to use innovative strategies for production of raw materials, from transforming unused raw materials into raw materials for food production, to new manufacturing processes, as well as innovative conservation methods. All these achievements should be developed whilst taking into account not causing any harm to the environment. This is the only way to ensure the availability of quality food that enables the Mediterranean diet to be adopted. This combination of objectives contributes to the availability and accessibility of quality food to enable adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

This Research Topic aims to focus on studies on various food products that can be included in the Mediterranean diet, including in relation to environmental sustainability, production systems, and even socio-economic aspects.

We welcome original articles, and reviews or mini reviews, covering, but not limited to, the following sub-themes:

• Fresh foods included in the Mediterranean diet;
• Fermented foods included in the Mediterranean diet;
• Traditional and ethnic Mediterranean food products, their production, and manufacturing processes;
• Innovative food technologies to better preserve foods, including those associated with clean labels;
• Natural innovative technologies to improve or enhance the organoleptic properties of Mediterranean foods.

Keywords: mediterranean diet, food quality, food safety, sustainable agrofood systems, health benefits

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.