Journal profile · Food Science & Technology
Food Chemistry
ISSN 0308-8146 · eISSN 1873-7072 · Elsevier Ltd · ENGLAND · Semimonthly · Founded 1976
Food Chemistry: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 10.4; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,930; median 177 days to acceptance (195 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 4,708 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Food Chemistry is published by Elsevier Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities, Proteins in Food Systems and Meat and Animal Product Quality, together about 29.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Food Science and Nutrition and Dietetics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Aims and Scope of Food Chemistry are assessed and modified on an annual basis to reflect developments in the field. This means that research topics that have been deemed in scope previously may now fall outside of the scope of the journal as our scientific and technical understanding of the fields evolve and topics become less novel, original or relevant to Food Chemistry .Food Chemistry publishes papers dealing with the advancement of the chemistry and biochemistry of foods or the analytical methods/approach used. All papers should focus on the novelty of the research carried out. The assessment of the manuscripts considers a number of elements including novelty, scientific rigour, scientific advancement of a particular field and the overall interest to the readership.Research advancing the theory and practice of molecular sciences of foods or cure/prevention of human diseases will not be considered for inclusion in Food Chemistry .Topics featured in Food Chemistry 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, storage, distribution and domestic conditions;Effects of processing including novel ones and different extraction methods on the composition, quality and safety of foods, co-products, bio-based materials, , and processing wastes;Chemistry of food additives, contaminants, processing aids, and agro-chemicals, together with their metabolism, toxicology and food fate.We also accept Analytical 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.For Analytical Papers, especially those dedicated to the development and validation of methods, authors are encouraged to follow internationally recognized
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Food Science & Technology
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Phytochemicals and Antioxidant ActivitiesMedicine11.7%
- Proteins in Food SystemsAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.7%
- Meat and Animal Product QualityAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.7%
- Food composition and propertiesNursing6.9%
- Fermentation and Sensory AnalysisAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.6%
- Protein Hydrolysis and Bioactive PeptidesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Advanced Chemical Sensor TechnologiesEngineering4.4%
- Polysaccharides Composition and ApplicationsAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Applied | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Food Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Nutrition & Dietetics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Applied | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Food Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Nutrition & Dietetics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Chemistry, Applied | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Food Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Nutrition & Dietetics | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 10.4LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 10.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 17.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 17.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.87LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.05LetPub ·
- h-index
- 221LetPub ·
- h-index
- 400OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 39,661OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 10.23OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 12.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 12.9%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 4,479LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 52,350 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3,297 | 546 | 3,627 |
| 2025 | 4,708 | 737 | 39,434 |
| 2024 | 4,131 | 842 | 81,064 |
| 2023 | 2,694 | 581 | 86,491 |
| 2022 | 3,095 | 586 | 127,308 |
| 2021 | 2,842 | 539 | 144,160 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
177 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 135 days – 224 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (195 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 179 days
- Sample
- 195 articles with submission and acceptance dates (10,642 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 5.3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,930 / EUR 4,610 / GBP 3,950 / JPY 611,470 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 150 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted13, with length limits
- analytical methods4. Analytical Methods - original methods or adaptions of existing methods to improve scope and/ or outcomes or technologies demonstrating potential to be used i…Length not stated
- commentaryOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…Length not stated
- editorialOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…Length not stated
- letterOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…Length not stated
- letters to the editorOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…Length not stated
- letters to the editor/commentary5. Letters to the Editor/Commentary - Letters are published from time to time on matters of topical interest.Length not stated
- original research paperOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…Length not stated
- research paperOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- research papers1. Research papers - original full-length research papers that have not been published previously, except in a preliminary form.Length not stated
- review articleOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…main text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articles2. Review articles - will be accepted in areas of topical interest, will normally focus on literature published over the previous five years.Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal research papers; review articles; short communications; Analytical Methods, letters to the Editor/Commentary. 1. Research papers - original full-length…main text ≤ 3,000 words
- short communications3. Short communications - Short communications of up to 3000 words from introduction to conclusion (not including references) will be considered, describing wor…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Peer review type: single anonymized review process. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1976
- ISSN
- 0308-8146
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-7072
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Food Chemistry
What CAS zone is Food Chemistry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Food Chemistry is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Chemistry, Applied / Food Science & Technology / Nutrition & Dietetics; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Food Chemistry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 10.4; CiteScore 17.5, h-index 400.
How long does peer review take at Food Chemistry?
Based on the dates recorded on 195 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 177 days (interquartile range 135–224 days); authors report an average review time of about 5.3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Food Chemistry?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 150 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Food Chemistry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Food Chemistry is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Food Chemistry open access, and what is the APC?
Food Chemistry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,930.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-24). Last updated: .