Next-Generation Protein and Functional Ingredients: Nutritional Quality, Processing, and Environmental Trade-Offs

The field of sustainable nutrition is rapidly evolving, with significant attention directed toward the development and implementation of next-generation proteins and functional ingredients to support dietary patterns that are both health-promoting and environmentally conscious. Traditional animal-based proteins are facing scrutiny due to their environmental impact and resource demands, prompting innovation in alternative sources such as plant-based, insect-based, microbial, and cell-cultured proteins. Alongside these protein innovations, functional ingredients, compounds that provide health benefits beyond basic nutrition, are increasingly incorporated into foods to enhance wellness and address dietary deficiencies. However, integrating these next-generation ingredients into sustainable diets raises important questions regarding their nutritional adequacy, processing challenges, consumer acceptance, and life cycle environmental trade-offs.Recent studies highlight the wide range of novel proteins and functional ingredients assessed, including their bioavailability, scalability, and compatibility with staple diets. Advances in compound extraction technology and food processing, including fermentation, extrusion, and upcycling, offer promise in optimizing quality and sensory attributes while reducing resource inputs. Nonetheless, there remain unresolved debates around the relative superiority of these ingredients compared to conventional options, as well as about their long-term health impacts and comprehensive sustainability across production chains. Current knowledge gaps persist in harmonizing nutritional goals with environmental priorities, understanding consumer perceptions, and ensuring food system resilience.This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding of how next-generation protein sources and functional ingredients can be harnessed to promote sustainable, healthy diets. It seeks to explore the interplay among nutritional quality, processing methods, and environmental impacts; to clarify the practical and theoretical benefits of novel ingredients; and to identify the opportunities and limitations associated with their incorporation into mainstream dietary patterns. Ultimately, this topic strives to inform food innovation, public policy, and consumer guidance for sustainable nutrition.To gather further insights into the opportunities and challenges for next-generation protein and functional ingredients in sustainable diets, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Nutritional quality and health impacts of novel proteins and functional ingredients• Processing and extraction technologies and their influence on ingredient functionality and sustainability• Life cycle assessment and environmental trade-offs of alternative protein sources• Sensory, consumer acceptance, and market integration of next-generation ingredients• Policy, regulatory, and ethical considerations in the adoption of innovative proteins and ingredients• Comparative analysis of traditional and next-generation protein production systems• Strategies for integrating functional ingredients into diverse dietary patternsPreferred article types include original research articles, reviews, perspectives, mini-reviews, case studies, and brief research reports Topic editors: Rubén Agregán, Mauricio Opazo-Navarrete Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78220/next-generation-protein-and-functional-ingredients-nutritional-quality-processing-and-environmental-trade-offs