Dr Cristina M. Sabliov is Professor in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department of Louisiana State University and LSU Ag Center, Baton Rouge, USA. Dr Hongda Chen is the National Program Leader in Bioprocessing Engineering and Nanotechnology at USDA – National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Washington DC, USA. Dr Rickey Y. Yada is Dean of the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, and Professor of Food Science at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.