Rui Cruz holds a Ph.D. in Food Science and Engineering from the Catholic University of Portugal and is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Food Engineering, ISE, at the University of Algarve. His research interests include the application of emerging technologies in food preservation, particularly the development of new biodegradable packaging systems, the application of new technologies in food processing, and the extraction of bioactive compounds from plants of Mediterranean origin. He has participated in and evaluated numerous research projects and authored several articles in scientific journals, book chapters, and editions of international books. He also serves as a reviewer and member of the editorial board of several international scientific journals in the area of food science and technology, such as Food Control, Applied Food Research, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Discover Food, Foods, African Journal of Food Science, Frontiers in Food Science and Technology, LWT-Food Science and Technology, and Open Agriculture.