Novel Food and Beverages: Production and Characterization

In today’s market, the pursuit of product optimization is not just a trend but a necessity while facing the challenges of supplying a wider range of products, sustainability pressures, and the requirement for continuous innovation [1–3]. The situation at present is prompting researchers and manufacturers in the food and beverage industry to focus on development and optimization [4–7]. These aspects are approached from several perspectives. From enhancing the nutritional properties of food products to the incorporation of new food sources, studies are being conducted to optimize the manufacturing process [2,8]. This involves improving overall production performance by optimizing processing techniques or improving product storage [9–11]. The following Editorial refers to the Special Issue “Novel Food and Beverages: Pro- duction and Characterization”. The Special Issue emphasizes the evaluation of novel food from a rheological point of view, with the included studies discussing novel and traditional characterization techniques from the perspectives of rheology, food safety, sustainability, process engineering, (bio)chemical changes, and sensory issues.