Journal Guide

Food Chain is an international journal for all those involved in developing the supply of high-quality foods from ‘farm gate to plate’ and those who use food processing to alleviate poverty and hunger. By bridging the gap between research and practice, we encourage papers written by researchers for the benefit of people who put ideas into practice in the field, and those written by practitioners to inform the need for further research. 

The content of Food Chain covers all aspects of promoting food chains, from on-farm processing to storage, transportation, food processing businesses, hygiene and quality assurance, marketing, finance and the business environment. Although agriculture and nutrition does not feature per se in the journal, it does include aspects of post-harvest technology, crop quality, and nutrition/food security and food relief operations, where these impact on local food processors.

The journal includes in-depth articles of up to 8000 words; technical reports and case studies of 2–3000 words; Crossfire debate, in which contentious issues are discussed by two authorities on the subject.; appropriate methods of marketing, business organization and financial management for small food businesses; reports of academic research and other developments that are of interest for food chain development; regular features, including reviews of Internet and published sources of information, book reviews, news of forthcoming meetings, conferences and exhibitions. 

Food Chemistry publishes original research papers dealing with the chemistry and biochemistry of foods and raw materials covering the entire food chain from `farm to fork.'Topics include:– Chemistry relating to major and minor components of food, their nutritional, physiological, sensory, flavour and microbiological aspects;– Bioactive constituents of foods, including antioxidants, phytochemicals, and botanicals. Data must accompany sufficient discussion to demonstrate their relevance to food and/or food chemistry;– Chemical and biochemical composition and structure changes in molecules induced by processing, distribution and domestic conditions;– Effects of processing on the composition, quality and safety of foods, other bio-based materials, by-products, and processing wastes;–Chemistry of food additives, contaminants, and other agro-chemicals, together with their metabolism, toxicology and food fate.Analytical SectionAnalytical papers related to the microbiological, sensory, nutritional, physiological, authenticity and origin aspects of food. Papers should be primarily concerned with new or novel methods (especially instrumental or rapid) provided adequate validation is described including sufficient data from real samples to demonstrate robustness. Papers dealing with significant improvements to existing methods, or data from application of existing methods to new foods, or commodities produced in unreported geographical areas, will also be considered.– Methods for the determination of both major and minor components of food especially nutrients and non-nutrient bioactive compounds (with putative health benefits) will be considered.– Results of method inter-comparison studies and development of food reference materials for use in the assay of food components;– Methods concerned with the chemical forms in food, nutrient bioavailability and nutritional status;– General authentication and origin [e.g. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Certificate of Specific Character (CSC)] determination of foods (both geographical and production including commodity substitution, and verification of organic, biological and ecological labelling) providing sufficient data from authentic samples should be included to ensure that interpretations are meaningful.

Food Chemistry International promotes multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary food science research, bringing together authors and audiences from chemistry, epidemiology, biomedicine, engineering and sociology. We champion research that advances the field of food chemistry, nutrition, and safety.

Food Control is an international journal that provides essential information for those involved in food safety and process control.Food Control covers:• Microbial food safety and antimicrobial systems• Mycotoxins• Hazard analysis, HACCP and food safety objectives• Risk assessment, including microbial risk assessment• Quality assurance and control• Good manufacturing practices• Food process systems design and control• Food Packaging• Rapid methods of analysis and detection, including sensor technology• Environmental control and safety• Codes of practice, legislation and international harmonization• Consumer issues• Education, training and research needs.The scope of Food Control is comprehensive and includes original research papers, authoritative reviews, short communications, comment articles that report on new developments in food control, and position papers.The work described should be innovative either in the approach or in the methods used. The significance of the results either for the science community or for the food industry must also be specified. Contributions that do not fulfil these requirements will not be considered for review and publication.Benefits to authorsWe also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services .Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our support pages: http://support.elsevier.com

The journal publishes original papers and reviews that describe interrelationships between foods and all aspects of the physiological, biophysical, microbial and neuro-humoral components of digestion, acquisition and assimilation, with particular emphasis on the role of food structure. The scope includes papers describing the influence of the hierarchical elements of food structure including nanoparticulate formulations, also foods containing prebiotics, probiotics, genetically engineered microorganisms and other agents which influence digestion in its broadest sense including effects on gut associated immune and neurohumoral systems on any of the gut components including the hind gut. While the principal area of focus of the journal is in regard to human digestion we welcome papers that explore these areas in animal and in vitro models and which compare these processes in an evolutionary sense particularly in regard to hominids.

Food Engineering Reviews publishes reviews covering all engineering aspects of today’s food industry. Coverage concentrates on classic as well as modern novel food engineering topics, exploring such essential factors as the health, nutritional, and environmental aspects of food processing. The journal identifies and discusses trends that will drive the discipline over time. The scope of topics addressed is broad, encompassing Transport phenomena in food processing; Food process engineering; Physical properties of foods; Food nano-science and nano-engineering; Food equipment design; Food plant design; Modeling food processes; Microbial inactivation kinetics; Preservation technologies; Engineering aspects of food packaging; Shelf life, storage and distribution of foods; Instrumentation, control and automation in food processing; Food engineering, health and nutrition; Energy and economic consideration in food engineering and Food engineering education.

The journal is a global forum for academic discussions on food ethics. As a consequence it is trans-, multi- and interdisciplinary, as well as non-partisan and cross-cultural. Thematically the journal spans the whole value chain from producer to consumer, including important agents such as processing industry and retailers. It covers all aspects related to the production and consumption of human food, and it has a focus on the utilization of seafood, crops and plants, and animals. Environmental issues such as the sustainable use of land areas and the natural resources, e.g. freshwater, are included in the thematic focus, and special attention is given to the development and use of modern technology, e.g. biotechnology, as a way to improve global food security.  Attention is also paid to issues like animal welfare and fair trade, as well as just and democratic governance of the value chains. Food security, food safety and sovereignty, rights and responsibilities, as well as cultural determinants and frameworks of understanding food are natural thematic focal points.

Food Hydrocolloids only publishes original and novel research that is of high scientific quality. Research areas include basic and applied aspects of the characteristics, properties, functionality and use of macromolecules in food systems. Hydrocolloids in this context include polysaccharides, modified polysaccharides and proteins acting alone, or in mixture with other food components, as thickening agents, gelling agents, film formers or surface-active agents. Included within the scope of the journal are studies of real and model food colloids - dispersions, emulsions and foams - and the associated physicochemical stability phenomena - creaming, sedimentation, flocculation and coalescence.In particular, Food Hydrocolloids covers: the full scope of hydrocolloid behaviour, including isolation procedures, chemical and physicochemical characterization, through to end use and analysis in finished food products; structural characterization of established food hydrocolloids and new ones ultimately seeking food approval; gelling mechanisms, syneresis and polymer synergism in the gelation process; rheological investigations where these can be correlated with hydrocolloids functionality, colloid stability or organoleptic properties; theoretical, computational or simulation approaches to the study of colloidal stability, provided that they have a clear relationship to food systems; surface properties of absorbed films, and their relationship to foaming and emulsifying behaviour; phase behaviour of low-molecular-weight surfactants or soluble polymers, and their relationship to food colloid stability; droplet and bubble growth, bubble nucleation, thin-film drainage and rupture processes; fat and water crystallization and the influence of hydrocolloids on these phenomena, with respect to stability and texture; direct applications of hydrocolloids in finished food products in all branches of the food industry, including their interactions with other food components;and toxicological, physiological and metabolic studies of hydrocolloids.Benefits to authorsWe also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services .Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our support pages: http://support.elsevier.com

Food Microbiology publishes original research articles, short communications, review papers, letters, news items and book reviews dealing with all aspects of the microbiology of foods. The editors aim to publish manuscripts of the highest quality which are both relevant and applicable to the broad field covered by the journal. Studies must be novel, have a clear connection to food microbiology, and be of general interest to the international community of food microbiologists. The editors make every effort to ensure rapid and fair reviews, resulting in timely publication of accepted manuscripts.Papers relating to the following topics will be considered:• Physiology, genetics, biochemistry, and behavior of microorganisms that are either used to make foods or that represent safety or quality problems• Effects of preservatives, processes, and packaging systems on the microbiology of foods• Methods for detection, identification and enumeration of foodborne microorganisms or microbial toxins• Microbiology of food fermentations• Predictive microbiology• Microbial ecology of foods• Microbiological aspects of food safety• Microbiological aspects of food spoilage and qualityDatabase coverage includes Biological Abstracts (BIOSIS); Chemical Abstracts; Current Contents/Agriculture, Biology, and Environmental Science; Dairy Science Abstracts; Food Science and Technology Abstracts; Maize Abstracts; and Research Alerts.Benefits to authorsWe also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services .Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our support pages: http://support.elsevier.com

Food packaging plays a vital role in preserving food throughout the distribution chain. Without packaging, the processing of food can become compromised as it is contaminated by direct contact with physical, chemical, and biological contaminants. In recent years, the development of novel food packaging (modified atmosphere & active packaging) has not only increased the shelf life of foods, but also their safety and quality - therefore bringing convenience to consumers. Directly related, and interlinked, with food packaging is the concept of shelf life - the length of time that foods, beverages, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption.Food Packaging and Shelf Life caters to the needs of scientists, material scientists, food chemists and microbiologists in the area of food packaging and shelf life. The journal will mainly publish original research papers, review articles and short communications in the following areas:• Food packaging material development • Designing food packaging machinery • Physical & chemical properties of food packaging materials • Polymer, glass, metal and paper packaging systems • Nano packaging • Vacuum, gas, aseptic and sterile packaging • Modified atmosphere packaging systems • Active and intelligent, & antimicrobial packaging systems • Edible packaging • Bio-plastics for food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry • Food package testing • Sensory properties of packaged foods • Microencapsulation • Migration from packaging materials • Food package interactions • Shelf life of packaged food products • Recycling of food packaging Materials • Packaging sustainability • Microbial stability of food during storage, handling and transportation • Sensory changes during food storage • Chemical, physical and microbial determinants for shelf life • Shelf life simulation • Shelf life and food safety • Accelerated shelf life testsPapers focusing exclusively on food product development, functional foods, food chemistry, post-harvest technology, food microbiology, dairy processing will not be covered by this journal.