Incorporating Non-Thermal Technologies to Enhance Food Fortification Strategies: Current Trends and Future Directions in Personalized Nutrition

Food fortification, the deliberate addition of essential micronutrients to staple foods, has been a cornerstone of public health interventions aimed at combating micronutrient deficiencies globally. However, traditional thermal processing methods used in food production can often degrade heat-sensitive nutrients, limiting the effectiveness of fortification strategies. This has spurred significant interest in non-thermal processing technologies. These techniques, including pulsed electric fields (PEF), high-pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound (US), and cold plasma (CP), offer the potential to enhance food fortification by minimizing nutrient loss while simultaneously improving microbial safety and extending shelf life. Specifically, PEF disrupts microbial cell membranes without significantly raising product temperature, preserving vitamins and bioactive compounds. HPP inactivates enzymes and microorganisms through isostatic pressure, retaining flavor and nutritional quality. Ultrasound enhances mass transfer during extraction and encapsulation of fortificants, while cold plasma modifies food surfaces and packaging to improve nutrient retention and reduce microbial load. Furthermore, the increasing focus on personalized nutrition necessitates more targeted and efficient delivery of micronutrients. Non-thermal technologies, coupled with advanced encapsulation and delivery systems, can facilitate the development of fortified foods tailored to individual needs based on genetic predispositions, dietary habits, and health status. This approach holds promise for optimizing nutrient bioavailability and maximizing health benefits, moving beyond a "one-size-fits-all" approach to fortification.

This Research Topic aims to address the growing need for effective and personalized food fortification strategies to combat micronutrient deficiencies and optimize health outcomes. Current food fortification methods often face challenges related to nutrient stability, bioavailability, and uniform distribution within food matrices. Furthermore, a "one-size-fits-all" approach to fortification fails to account for individual variations due to genetic makeup, lifestyle, and dietary needs. This research topic aims to explore the potential of non-thermal technologies, such as pulsed electric fields, high-pressure processing, and encapsulation techniques, to enhance food fortification strategies. By preserving nutrient integrity, improving bioavailability, and enabling targeted delivery, these technologies offer promising avenues for developing personalized fortified foods. This Research Topic will examine current trends in non-thermal processing for food fortification, identify future research directions, and discuss the implications for personalized nutrition, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective and tailored dietary interventions.

This Research Topic explores the innovative application of non-thermal technologies to enhance food fortification strategies within the context of personalized nutrition, highlighting current trends, emerging technologies, and future directions in this rapidly evolving field. We encourage submissions that address the challenges of nutrient bioavailability, stability, and targeted delivery in fortified foods, while considering individual dietary needs and preferences. This topic emphasizes the synergistic potential of non-thermal processing and personalized nutrition to optimize health outcomes and promote food security.

This research topic accepts original research articles, reviews, and mini-reviews etc. Authors are encouraged to address the following specific themes:

• Impact of specific non-thermal technologies on nutrient stability and bioavailability in fortified food matrices: This includes studies on Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF), High-Pressure Processing (HPP), Ultrasound (US), Cold Plasma (CP), UV irradiation, and Pulsed Light (PL), focusing on vitamins, minerals, and other bioactive compounds, with specific data on retention rates, changes in chemical structure, and in vitro/in vivo bioavailability.

• Development of novel encapsulation and delivery systems for fortified nutrients using non-thermal techniques: This includes studies on micro- and nanoencapsulation, liposomes, emulsions, and other delivery vehicles, with a focus on improving nutrient protection, controlled release, and targeted delivery, along with information on encapsulation efficiency, release kinetics, and stability during processing and storage.

• Integration of non-thermal technologies with personalized nutrition strategies: This includes studies exploring the use of non-thermal processing to create customized fortified foods based on individual genetic, metabolic, or dietary needs, discussing the potential of combining non-thermal processing with nutrigenomics, nutrigenetics, and other personalized nutrition approaches.

• Assessment of sensory and quality attributes of fortified foods due to non-thermal processing: This includes studies that evaluate changes in color, texture, flavor, and other sensory properties of fortified foods subjected to non-thermal treatments, providing quantitative sensory data and correlate it with consumer acceptance.

• Life cycle assessment and sustainability considerations of non-thermal food fortification technologies: This includes studies that evaluate the environmental impact, energy consumption, and economic feasibility of non-thermal processing for food fortification, providing comparative analyses with traditional thermal processing methods.