Functional and Sustainable Aquatic Foods: Valorization, Processing Innovation, and Nutritional Potential

Aquatic foods—encompassing finfish, shellfish, seaweed, and other marine and freshwater organisms—represent one of the most nutritionally dense and globally significant food sources. Yet their potential as functional foods and nutraceutical platforms remains underexplored relative to terrestrial food systems. Mounting evidence links regular consumption of aquatic foods to reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and inflammation, largely due to their abundance of omega-3 fatty acids, bioactive peptides, minerals, and antioxidants. At the same time, rapid growth in aquatic food production and processing generates extensive by-product streams—heads, skin, viscera, shells—that are often discarded despite their high bioactive and nutritional value. According to FAO’s 2024 State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture Report, the sustainable utilization of marine by-products and low-value species is becoming central to both food security and ecosystem stewardship under the Blue Transformation strategy. Against a backdrop of rising global protein demand, climate stressors, and growing consumer interest in health-promoting diets, there is an urgent need to advance the science of aquatic food valorization, processing innovation, and quality assurance. Biotechnological developments in preservation, encapsulation, bioactive extraction, and circular economy approaches offer promising solutions—but greater integration across food technology, nutritional science, and systems-level sustainability research is vital to bring these innovations to scale. Goals and Scope This Research Topic invites original research, reviews, and case studies exploring the functional, nutritional, and sustainable dimensions of aquatic food systems. We particularly welcome contributions spanning: Functional and nutraceutical properties of aquatic food ingredients (peptides, lipids, polysaccharides, pigments) Processing technologies for quality, safety, and shelf-life enhancement Valorization of aquatic by-products and waste streams within a circular economy framework Encapsulation and delivery systems for bioactive compounds derived from aquatic sources Nutritional and health benefit assessment of aquatic food products Consumer acceptance, policy, and sustainable market development for value-added aquatic foods Studies combining biochemical innovation with socio-economic and policy analysis are particularly encouraged, as are contributions from diverse production systems—small-scale fisheries, aquaculture, and industrial processing alike. Topic editors: Shuchi Upadhyay, MONIKA THAKUR, Manisha Nanda Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/85054/functional-and-sustainable-aquatic-foods-valorization-processing-innovation-and-nutritional-potential