Engineering Principles in Food Science: From Traditional Food Processing to Education and Practice

Traditional foods are those which are produced in a specific geographical region using locally available raw materials. They are unique in their production processes and/or recipes and are part of gastronomic heritage. For their successful commercial production, important requirements must also be addressed, including raw material consistency, standardized and reproducible processing conditions, food safety assurance, shelf-life stability, appropriate packaging, regulatory compliance, and scalability without loss of authenticity or consumer acceptance. Traditional foods represent a rich tapestry of culinary heritage, reflecting the identities and practices of local populations around the world. Despite their cultural significance, traditional food products face growing challenges stemming from the evolution of consumer demands, the necessity of high food safety standards, and the imperative for sustainability and large-scale production. Contemporary studies indicate that the integration of food process engineering operations—such as soaking, kneading, mixing, dehydration, heat and mass transfer, fermentation, and novel processing technologies—has a significant impact on the physicochemical, textural, sensory, and nutritional attributes of traditional foods. At different stages of manufacturing, food process engineering plays an important role in raw material pretreatment, formulation and mixing, fermentation, thermal processing, drying, packaging, storage, and process control, thereby supporting product consistency, safety, and scale-up. However, there remains a substantial gap between empirical traditional methods and scientifically optimized processes; in particular, the lack of standardization leads to concerns over repeatability, nutritional retention, safety, and scalability. While recent research is beginning to address these issues, comprehensive frameworks and reproducible models for the optimization and commercialization of traditional foods are still limited. This Research Topic aims to explore the transformative role of food engineering in enhancing traditional food processes. The principal objective is to bridge the gap between ancestral practices and modern scientific understanding by systematically investigating the operational parameters that define product quality and consumer acceptance. By focusing on food process engineering, unit operations, process modelling, and novel techniques, the goal is to optimize and standardize traditional foods without sacrificing authenticity, and to facilitate safe, sustainable, and scalable production. This includes addressing critical questions related to process control, quality preservation, the interplay between sensory and structural modifications, and the successful transition from artisanal to industrial-scale preparation. Sustaining progress in food engineering also depends on how effectively the underlying principles are taught and communicated. Food science and engineering education plays a critical role in preparing students to understand, apply, and advance the engineering concepts central to this field — from heat and mass transfer to process design, packaging, and scale-up. As the complexity of food systems grows, so too does the need for curricula and teaching approaches that connect engineering theory with applied food science practice. Research that advances how these concepts are taught, assessed, and made accessible contributes directly to building the scientific capacity needed to address the challenges this Research Topic seeks to resolve. To gather further insights in the scope of food engineering interventions for traditional food products and food science and engineering education, this Research Topic welcomes research that examines the interface between traditional methods, modern processing science, and the application and teaching of engineering principles in food science contexts. The boundaries are set to engineering-focused improvements and education rather than purely cultural or historical evaluations. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Application of engineering principles in transforming traditional processing;- Transition from household/traditional methods to industrial-scale production; - Process modelling and simulation of traditional food operations;- Use of novel techniques (e.g., extrusion, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, freeze-drying) in traditional foods;- Hybrid processing approaches combining traditional knowledge with modern engineering;- Kinetics of quality degradation and shelf-life extension in traditional foods- Structural, rheological, and textural characterization of engineered traditional foods; - Influence of food processing operations on nutritional and sensory quality; - Balancing commercialization and modernization with preservation of food authenticity; - Consumer acceptance studies for traditionally engineered foods;- Sustainable packaging technologies for fresh produce and traditional foods;- Teaching and application of food engineering principles in food science education; - Curriculum innovation and pedagogical approaches linking engineering theory to food science practice;- Assessment of student learning and competency development in food science and engineering. Topic editors: Harsh B Jadhav, Shyam S Sablani Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79651/engineering-principles-in-food-science-from-traditional-food-processing-to-education-and-practice