Journal profile · Food Science & Technology
Meat Science
ISSN 0309-1740 · eISSN 1873-4138 · Elsevier BV · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1977
Meat Science: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.41; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,740; median 116 days to acceptance (106 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 212 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Meat Science is published by Elsevier BV 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 Meat and Animal Product Quality, Animal Nutrition and Physiology and Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies, together about 55.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The journal Meat Science has been the leading journal in its field now for more than 40 years.The qualities of meat – its composition, nutritional value, wholesomeness and consumer acceptability – are largely determined by the events and conditions encountered by the embryo, the live animal and the postmortem musculature. The control of these qualities, and their further enhancement, are thus dependent on a fuller understanding of the commodity at all stages of its existence – from the initial conception, growth and development of the organism to the time of slaughter and to the ultimate processing, preparation, distribution, cooking and consumption of its meat.It is the purpose of Meat Science to provide an appropriate medium for the dissemination of interdisciplinary and international knowledge on all the factors which influence the properties of meat. The journal is predominantly concerned with the flesh of mammals and does not accept submissions on fish or poultry. Papers on large birds (e.g. emus, ostriches) and wild capture mammals and crocodiles will be considered.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Food Science & Technology
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 5%); most named United States 13, Canada 7, Australia 6, Mainland China 3, France 3 (56 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Meat and Animal Product QualityAgricultural and Biological Sciences36.6%
- Animal Nutrition and PhysiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences15%
- Advanced Chemical Sensor TechnologiesEngineering4.1%
- Protein Hydrolysis and Bioactive PeptidesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.6%
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestockBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.1%
- Animal Behavior and Welfare StudiesVeterinary3%
- Sensory Analysis and Statistical MethodsAgricultural and Biological Sciences2.7%
- Bee Products Chemical AnalysisAgricultural and Biological Sciences2.5%
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 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 |
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 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
- 6.41LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.4LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.78LetPub ·
- h-index
- 142LetPub ·
- h-index
- 247OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,609OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.28OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 9.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 23.91%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 184LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,184 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 138 | 61 | 76 |
| 2025 | 212 | 76 | 980 |
| 2024 | 237 | 104 | 2,630 |
| 2023 | 246 | 99 | 4,911 |
| 2022 | 283 | 87 | 7,301 |
| 2021 | 220 | 75 | 8,113 |
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
116 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 84 days – 145 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (106 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 121 days
- Sample
- 106 articles with submission and acceptance dates (434 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 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 57 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 123 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 4,740 / EUR 4,430 / GBP 3,790 / JPY 587,900 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,050 | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted9
- full paperResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- letters to the editorResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- research articleResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- research paperResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- research papers reporting original workResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- reviewResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- reviews of books, conferences and meetingsResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- short communicationResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…Length not stated
- short communicationsResearch papers reporting original work; reviews by authorities on specific topics in the field of muscle/meat; short communications; reviews of books, conferen…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
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 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 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.
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 BV
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1977
- ISSN
- 0309-1740
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-4138
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Meat Science
What CAS zone is Meat Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Meat Science is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Food Science & Technology; 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 Meat Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.41; CiteScore 13.6, h-index 247.
How long does peer review take at Meat Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 106 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 116 days (interquartile range 84–145 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Meat Science based?
Of the 56 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (13), Canada (7) and Australia (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Meat Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Meat Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Meat Science open access, and what is the APC?
Meat Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,740.
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: .