Journal profile · FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Nature Food
ISSN 2662-1355 · Springer Nature
Nature Food: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 24.74; hybrid open access; APC about USD 12,690; median 372 days to acceptance (54 articles, last 24 months); 194 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Nature Food is published by Springer Nature 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 Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact, Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability and Climate change impacts on agriculture, together about 40.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The world faces unprecedented challenges in sustaining the health of the planet and 10 billion people occupying it by 2050. Research from the many scientific disciplines in food production, processing, distribution and consumption is well established and growing — the food community now requires high-quality thematic resources for joined-up thinking on global food challenges and their solutions. Nature Food is a monthly online journal publishing top-tier original research, reviews, comments and opinions on the theme of food, crossing the disciplines of food-related research in the natural, applied and social sciences. With a comprehensive scope, Nature Food provides researchers and policy-makers with a breadth of evidence and expert narratives on optimising and securing food systems for the future. Supporting the Sustainable Developmental Goals We are proud to acknowledge that over 50% of the articles published in Nature Food in 2025 were related to one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Springer Nature supports the SDGs through a dedicated SDG Programme and is a signatory of the SDG Publishers Compact.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 8%); most named United States 5, United Kingdom 2, Germany 2, Mainland China 1, Italy 1 (12 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Science23.6%
- Food Waste Reduction and SustainabilityAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.1%
- Climate change impacts on agricultureAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.7%
- Nutritional Studies and DietMedicine6.1%
- Agriculture, Land Use, Rural DevelopmentAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Environmental Impact and SustainabilityEnvironmental Science4.2%
- Consumer Attitudes and Food LabelingMedicine3.9%
- Child Nutrition and Water AccessNursing3.7%
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 |
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 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 | Food Science & Technology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 24.74LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 24.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 31.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 33.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 6LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 4.52LetPub ·
- h-index
- 127OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 654OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 13.21OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 33.33%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 100LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,111,286Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,440 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 159 | 57 | 222 |
| 2025 | 194 | 72 | 2,227 |
| 2024 | 186 | 78 | 4,670 |
| 2023 | 217 | 91 | 6,742 |
| 2022 | 240 | 91 | 11,140 |
| 2021 | 229 | 79 | 20,668 |
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 Crossref · to
372 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 280 days – 502 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 40 days (54 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 425 days
- Sample
- 54 articles with submission and acceptance dates (381 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
- Peer review
- Double 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 12,690 / EUR 10,690 / GBP 9,190 | — | — |
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Cover letter
- Required
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Peer review
- AI use Responsible use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for food security early warning systems
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are already enhancing food security early warning systems by improving data collection, event monitoring and forecasting. However, to avoid costly errors, artificial intelligence and machine learning should be applied selectively alongside expert oversight, robust governance and transparent practices to maintain accountable and effective humanitarian de…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 3 – Editorial Process, Peer Review, Appeals & Transfers
Once you have submitted your manuscript, it goes through our editorial process. If your manuscript is sent out for peer review, you will receive an email asking you to read and sign our Editorial Policies. To appeal against a decision, or transfer your submission to another journal – Appeals and Transfers. ____________________________________________________________________________________________…
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
- Springer Nature
- ISSN
- 2662-1355
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Nature Food
What CAS zone is Nature Food in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Nature Food is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 1 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 Nature Food?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 24.74; CiteScore 33.2, h-index 127.
How long does peer review take at Nature Food?
Based on the dates recorded on 54 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 372 days (interquartile range 280–502 days). 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 Nature Food based?
Of the 12 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 8%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (5), United Kingdom (2) and Germany (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Nature Food?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Nature Food is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Nature Food open access, and what is the APC?
Nature Food is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 12,690.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .