IFT Examines Safety and Sustainability of Aquatic Foods

CHICAGO – IFT’s Journal of Food Science (JFS), a peer-reviewed journal featuring scientific food research, announced the release of its Special Issue on Health, Safety, and Sustainability of Aquatic Foods. The free issue, developed by IFT’s Aquatic Food Products Division, shares a series of critical reviews and explores the multifaceted aspects of aquatic food and their role in a sustainable future.

The issue addresses topics ranging from production, processing, safety, nutrition, shelf life and emerging technologies while also addressing key concerns in the aquatic food industry, such as monitoring for environmental toxins, pathogens and ensuring product authentication and labeling integrity. The issue also highlights innovations in processing methods as well as the efficient utilization of processing byproducts to minimize environmental impact and add value to the processing chain.

“With the continuous increase in global population, aquatic foods — including fish, shellfish, seaweed and microalgae — have become vital sources of nutrition. These foods offer high-quality proteins, essential omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds crucial for human health. Promoting aquatic foods can potentially reduce the consumption of red meat and poultry, which are associated with high carbon footprints, and bolster food security for vulnerable populations,” said IFT member Qinchun Rao, Ph.D., Betty M. Watts endowed professor of food science at Florida State University. Rao, a member of the IFT Aquatic Food Products Division, authored an article in the special issue on improving consumer acceptance of seaweed-based foods.

Founded in 1982, the IFT Aquatic Food Products Division serves as a hub for professionals, researchers and students in the field of aquatic food science and technology. The Division, featuring more than 400 members across 35 countries, is dedicated to advancing knowledge, fostering collaboration and promoting innovation in areas spanning safety, nutrition, sustainability and product development, said IFT. 

JFS is an academic publication of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). In recent months, JFS has created special issues on ultra-processed foods and advances in sensory science, and has released special collections focusing on Japanese and South American food science research, as well as fats, salt and sugar reduction. JFS also has a call for papers open for a new special issue on artificial intelligence in food science and nutrition.

IFT also publishes Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, which features a variety of unique reviews addressing the chemical, microbiological, physical, sensory and nutritional properties of foods, food processing and engineering.

View the special issue.