Advances in Food Metabolomics

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolomics is a relatively new component of systems biology that was first proposed in 1999 and focuses on the high-throughput characterization of small-molecule metabolites in biological systems. Metabolomics has emerged as a technology for studying changes in metabolism and the response of organisms to external and internal environmental influences, and it has been widely used in various scientific fields, particularly in the food sector, where its excellent detection and prediction capabilities make it highly suitable for the analysis of more complex matrices. Metabolomics is mainly used in food composition analysis and studies regarding food quality safety and food traceability. Metabolomics is a comprehensive and systematic analytical method that has the potential to elucidate the mechanisms of action of bioactive components, find new biomarkers, and evaluate metabolic disease management interventions and nutritional interventions. Metabolomics has gained a great deal of importance, especially after the development of new technologies such as ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and capillary electrophoresis (CE). These technologies have proven to be particularly useful in the food sector, as they are excellent for detecting complex metabolomes or elucidating their structure. The use of metabolomics technologies enables the monitoring of metabolite changes during food processing, which allows for the optimization of processing methods and the improvement of product quality because, as we all know, food metabolites can be and usually are influenced by various factors (animal species, environment, processing and storage methods) that can directly affect food quality and safety. These potentially harmful components of food processing and manufacturing (food toxins and drug residues) can be identified using metabolomics technology to ensure human health. With the improvements in science and technology in recent years, the adulteration of food through the addition of food additives or other additives is becoming more common. In addition, there are also adulteration methods that involve using similar but cheap ingredients to ensure that they final food product can masquerade as an expensive food. Conventional analytical methods usually have limitations, such as long identification times and low identification accuracy, making it difficult to solve these problems. However, by using advanced food metabolomics techniques, changes in food composition can be easily observed, especially in terms of food composition, safety, classification, and traceability. This Special Issue is dedicated to advances in food metabolomics and its role in analyzing food composition, food safety, food traceability, and food classification. Emphasis is placed on the use of new metabolomics technologies that have been applied to food science in recent years, as well as the potential applications of metabolomics technologies in the food industry. However, other high-quality contributions related to the field of food metabolomics will also be considered.

Prof. Dr. Claudio Medana
Guest Editor

Dr. Aljaz Medic
Guest Editor Assistant

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• secondary metabolism
• volatile compounds
• food analysis
• innovative technologies
• food quality
• food composition analysis
• food safety