Journal profile · Food Science & Technology
International Journal of Food Microbiology
ISSN 0168-1605 · eISSN 1879-3460 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Semimonthly · Founded 1984
International Journal of Food Microbiology: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 5.7; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,090; median 96 days to acceptance (99 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 436 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
International Journal of Food Microbiology is published by Elsevier 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 Listeria monocytogenes in Food Safety, Probiotics and Fermented Foods and Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiology, together about 32% of its articles. Its main subfields are Food Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An official journal of the International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene (ICFMH) of the IUMSThe International Journal of Food Microbiology publishes papers dealing with all aspects of food microbiology. Articles must present information that is novel, has high impact and interest, and is of high scientific quality. They should provide scientific or technological advancement in the specific field of interest of the journal and enhance its strong international reputation. Preliminary or confirmatory results as well as contributions not strictly related to food microbiology will not be considered for publication.Full-length original research papers, review articles in the fields of bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology, and immunology as they relate to the production, processing, service and consumption of foods and beverages are welcomed. Within this scope, topics of specific interest include: (1) incidence and types of food and beverage microorganisms, microbial interactions, microbial ecology of foods, intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting microbial survival and growth in foods, and food spoilage; (2) microorganisms involved in food and beverage fermentations (including probiotics and starter cultures); (3) food safety, indices of the sanitary quality of foods, microbiological quality assurance, biocontrol, microbiological aspects of food preservation and novel preservation techniques, predictive microbiology and microbial risk assessment; (4) foodborne microorganisms of public health significance, and microbiological aspects of foodborne diseases of microbial origin; (5) methods for microbiological and immunological examinations of foods, as well as rapid, automated and molecular methods when validated in food systems; and (6) the biochemistry, physiology and molecular biology of microorganisms as they directly relate to food spoilage, foodborne disease and food fermentations.Papers that do not have a direct food or beverage connection will not be considered for publication. The following examples provide some guide as to the type of papers that will not be admitted to the formal review process (for a more extensive list please refer to the journal’s Guide for Authors: Studies in animal models that determine the responses of probiotic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract;Fundamental physiology and gene expression studies of food/ beverage microorganisms, unless they directly relate to the food/ beverage ecosystem;The isolation and characterization of antimicrobial substances such as essential oils, bacteriocins etc, unless their efficacy is tested and validated in the food/beverage ecosystem;Development of new methods for the analysis of microorganisms, unless the method is tested and validated in the food/beverage ecosystem.This journal also publishes special issues of selected, peer-reviewed papers from suitable meetings, workshops, conferences, etc, related to the field of food microbiology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Food Science & Technology
Editor-in-chief Sophia JohlerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 14 in mainland China (about 11%); most named Mainland China 14, United States 12, Italy 11, Canada 9, Australia 9 (125 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Listeria monocytogenes in Food SafetyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology13.6%
- Probiotics and Fermented FoodsAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.2%
- Salmonella and Campylobacter epidemiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.2%
- Microbial Inactivation MethodsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.2%
- Meat and Animal Product QualityAgricultural and Biological Sciences5%
- Fermentation and Sensory AnalysisAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Food Safety and HygieneAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.6%
- Essential Oils and Antimicrobial ActivityAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.4%
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 | Food Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
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 | Food Science & Technology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
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 | Food Science & Technology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 2 |
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
- 5.7LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 5.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.12LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.43LetPub ·
- h-index
- 170LetPub ·
- h-index
- 270OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,759OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.3OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 393LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 12,596 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 383 | 104 | 220 |
| 2025 | 436 | 141 | 2,119 |
| 2024 | 375 | 162 | 3,984 |
| 2023 | 304 | 131 | 5,058 |
| 2022 | 345 | 121 | 7,687 |
| 2021 | 302 | 104 | 7,493 |
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
96 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 78 days – 115 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (99 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 98 days
- Sample
- 99 articles with submission and acceptance dates (938 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 2.2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 48 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 107 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- 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 4,090 / EUR 3,830 / GBP 3,270 / JPY 507,280 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,680 | — | — |
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
- Foundations of Food MicrobiologyDeadline
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Highlights
- Required
- Not considered
- Development of methods if not validated in situ; Microbiological aspects of the production of ingredients
Article types accepted3
- full-length research articlesFull-length Research Articles are complete reports of original, scientifically sound research. They must contribute new knowledge and be organized as described …Length not stated
- reviewA peer review system involving two or three reviewers is used to ensure high quality of manuscripts accepted for publication. The Editor-in-Chief and Editors ha…Length not stated
- reviewsReviews are papers which provide an analysis of a scientific or applied field, which include all important findings and bring together reports from a number of …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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 ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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
Single anonymized review process; submissions initially assessed by editors; if suitable, sent to a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the accept/reject decision. 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 sharing allowed; does not count as prior publication; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered. Model summary
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
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1984
- ISSN
- 0168-1605
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-3460
- Society / sponsor
- International Committee on Food Microbiology and Hygiene
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about International Journal of Food Microbiology
What CAS zone is International Journal of Food Microbiology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, International Journal of Food Microbiology is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Food Science & Technology / Microbiology; 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 International Journal of Food Microbiology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 5.7; CiteScore 10, h-index 270.
How long does peer review take at International Journal of Food Microbiology?
Based on the dates recorded on 99 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 96 days (interquartile range 78–115 days); authors report an average review time of about 2.2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”. 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 International Journal of Food Microbiology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Vancouver; Highlights: 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.
Where are the editorial board members of International Journal of Food Microbiology based?
Of the 125 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 14 (about 11%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (14), United States (12) and Italy (11). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index International Journal of Food Microbiology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, International Journal of Food Microbiology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is International Journal of Food Microbiology open access, and what is the APC?
International Journal of Food Microbiology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,090.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .