Food Quality Overview

Principles

Definition

Food quality is an academic concept and research field that investigates the intrinsic and extrinsic attributes of food products, encompassing aspects such as safety, nutritional value, sensory properties, origin, and processing methods. This field is significant for understanding factors influencing consumer perception, health outcomes, market value, and compliance with regulatory standards throughout the food supply chain.

Ontological type

Measurement Indicators

Processing Impacts

Analytical Techniques

Key developments

Key Figures

Sensory-Physicochemical Standardization era

Jacob Jacoby [1] was associated with Boston University [3] and Columbia University [4] during the Sensory-Physicochemical Standardization era. His 1971 work Price, brand name, and product composition characteristics as determinants of perceived quality [7] identified how price, brand name, and composition shape perceived quality, laying groundwork for standardized sensory- and chemistry-informed quality metrics in this era. A. M. Pearson [2] was affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology [5] and Northwestern University [6] during this era. His 1965 paper Chicken Flavor: the Identification of Some Chemical Components and the Importance of Sulfur Compounds in the Cooked Volatile Fraction [8] highlighted the role of sulfur compounds in cooked aroma and advanced flavor chemistry and sensory profiling in this era.

Edible Coatings and Postharvest Packaging era

Paul D. Cotter [1] is associated with the National University of Ireland [3] and University College Cork [4] during the Edible Coatings and Postharvest Packaging era. His key contribution, as described in the 2013 paper Nucleic acid-based approaches to investigate microbial-related cheese quality defects [6], introduced nucleic acid methodologies to diagnose microbial-related cheese quality defects and thereby improved quality control during cheese processing and storage, aligning with postharvest packaging goals of the era. Paul L.H. McSweeney [2] is linked with University College Cork [4] and University of Basilicata [5] in this era. McSweeney's contributions, drawn from the same 2013 paper [6], emphasize promoting nucleic acid-based approaches to explore microbial-related cheese quality defects, underscoring the role of molecular diagnostics in informing shelf-life extension and quality preservation within edible coatings and packaging.

Active-Intelligent Packaging and Sensing era

Carlos Augusto Monteiro[1] is a prominent scholar associated with Ghent University[3] and the University of Hong Kong[4] in the Active-Intelligent Packaging and Sensing era (2015–2023). His influential work Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them[7] reframed quality signals by clarifying processing levels and guiding policy directions in this era. Olga Martín‐Belloso[2] is a leading investigator at Universitat de Lleida[5] and Tecnológico de Monterrey[6] whose work underpins edible coatings and preservation strategies in this era. Her studies, Use of antimicrobial nanoemulsions as edible coatings: Impact on safety and quality attributes of fresh-cut Fuji apples[8] and Preservation of fresh-cut apple quality attributes by pulsed light in combination with gellan gum-based prebiotic edible coatings[9], contribute to safe, high-quality fresh-cut products by enabling effective coating technologies and processing methods aligned with active packaging and sensing.