Inaugural editorial

Food is essential for humans and is one of the most important elements of life. In recent decades, the food industry has advanced to directly utilize and process a dynamic and complex blend of materials, which are integrated into standardized and innovative food products. These food materials come from a broad range of both animal and plant sources. In addition to 'traditional' foods, novel food alternatives such as in vitro cell-cultured animal meats, plant-based protein simulated via extrusion to mimic food quality traits, and fermentation-based food products represent healthy options for consumers. The introduction of these innovative alternative markets prompts the development of new food materials and products that are safe, healthy, eco-friendly, and ethical.

Food-related research has provided remarkable discoveries and technological advancements in enhancing production, quality and properties of foods. Appropriate food materials can further enhance certain food aspects such as chemical constituents, nutritional value, organoleptic properties, effects of processing and storage without altering the product quality. The diversity of genetics, functionality, and application of food materials offer both challenges and opportunities for research in improving food materials and related processing to boost the quality of life.

Changing the current food systems simultaneously towards providing healthy diets and environmental sustainability is one of the principal challenges faced today and in the future, an integral part of the UN Sustainable Developments Goals^[1]. Therefore, there is no better time than now to launch a new journal, Food Materials Research (FMR), as a subfield of food science, to capture and publish significant discoveries from diverse food materials, applications, and the everchanging environmental challenges, animal welfare, and public health issues being faced globally.

FMR serves as a distinct outlet for advancing and disseminating research discoveries to the international scientific community of food scientists. This became feasible through a long-term vision of Nanjing Agricultural University, which strives to become one of the leading global research institutions in the agricultural and life science fields, and the collaboration of Maximum Academic Press (www.maxapress.com). All articles published in FMR will represent significant advances in the genetic, molecular, biochemical, physiological processes and pathways in food materials and sources, as well as providing scientific information towards overcoming technological limitations in developing conventional and alternative foods. Furthermore, the journal also publishes Editorials, Perspectives, and special issues about trending food-related areas on specific food related topics.

We are very grateful to the highly qualified inaugural editorial board of renowned experts who will contribute their expertise and time to launch and develop FMR. We cordially invite food scientists worldwide to join us to build this new journal into a globally recognized outlet for insightful and trusted information specifically related to food materials, by contributing original research and review articles including suggestions and opinions.