Food Gels: Gelling Process and Novel Applications

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue on “Food Gels” is dedicated to recent developments from theoretical and fundamental aspects to the characterization and applications of food gels. The intrinsic gel formation mechanisms and structural and mechanical properties of food gels are critical to food properties and stability. Within this context, a broad range of subjects, including structure and dynamics, molecular modeling and simulation, and applications of gels, will be discussed. The gelation mechanism depends on the nature of the gelling agent(s) and the conditions of gel formation, such as temperature, pH, concentration of gelling agents, etc. These factors can affect the process of gel formation as well as gel texture, the most critical factor for consumer acceptance. The gel-forming ability of proteins or polysaccharide is one of the most important functional characteristics in some common food products. For example, thermally induced protein–protein association is recognized as a key molecular event in the transition of a viscous myofibrillar protein sol-to-gel matrix during meat processing. The formed protein gels are important because they contribute greatly to meat binding, water entrapment, and fat immobilization in processed meat products.

Since it is impossible to cover all aspects of food gel science in one issue, this Special Issue will contain only a few representative examples, illustrating the complexity of the food gel: the gelling process and novel applications. It is hoped that the topics will stimulate new research and discoveries in the field of food gels.

Dr. Mangang Wu
Dr. Baomiao Ding
Prof. Dr. Wangang Zhang
Dr. Rui Liu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• gel
• protein
• gelation
• rheological properties
• texture
• synthesis, characterization, and applications
• structural and mechanical properties
• rheological properties