Trends Food Sci Tech: Journal Scope & Review Guide

Trends Food Sci Tech—officially titled Trends in Food Science & Technology (print ISSN: 0924-2244, electronic ISSN: 1879-3053)—is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific review journal published by Elsevier. Established in 1990, the journal serves as an official publication of both the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) and the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). Unlike primary laboratory publications, the trends in food science and technology journal publishes critical reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, and commentaries rather than original bench data, bridging the gap between specialized research papers and general food industry publications.

What it is

Trends in Food Science & Technology functions as an international review platform evaluating technological, physical, chemical, and biological transformations across food science. The journal focuses on interpretive synthesis: rather than compiling descriptive literature catalogs, authors must provide critical evaluation, comparative frameworks, and structured taxonomies that synthesize recent research and project industrial applications.

The publication addresses academic researchers, food scientists, industrial R&D leaders, and regulatory specialists. By highlighting emerging processing techniques, analytical protocols, and novel ingredients, it translates fundamental molecular and engineering breakthroughs into operational concepts for pilot-scale and commercial food production.

Who runs it and what it covers

The journal is published by Elsevier from its Cambridge and Amsterdam publishing hubs. Its editorial governance is directed by Editor-in-Chief Prof. Fidel Toldrà, based at the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC) in Valencia, Spain. The editorial board includes international researchers from universities and research institutes across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australasia.

Manuscripts are processed through Elsevier Editorial Manager under a single-blind peer-review model. Reviewers evaluate papers on conceptual novelty, synthesis depth, and methodological clarity. For an examination of how reviewer blinding impacts review integrity, consult our analysis of single-blind vs double-blind vs open peer review.

The scope of trends in food science and technology covers core technological pillars:

• Novel Food Materials: Alternative proteins (plant-based, fungal, insect, and cell-cultivated), bioactive peptides, functional polysaccharides, and lipid restructuring.
• Food Engineering and Processing: Non-thermal technologies (pulsed electric fields, high-pressure processing, cold plasma), advanced thermal systems (ohmic and microwave heating), preservation, intelligent packaging, and process automation.
• Food Molecular and Microstructures: Microstructural and nano-structural characterization of food matrices, emulsion stability, encapsulation, and textural design.
• Food Safety and Traceability: Rapid hazard detection, chemical and microbiological risk assessment, allergen management, and molecular food fraud detection.
• Biotechnology and Omics: Precision fermentation, food genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and enzyme engineering.
• Sustainability and Valorization: Circular bioeconomy strategies, agro-industrial side-stream upcycling, and environmental footprint reduction.
• Nutrition and Regulation: Structure-nutrition interactions, digestive fate of novel matrices, and international food regulatory harmonization.

The journal enforces strict subject exclusions. The following categories are desk-rejected without review:

• Original experimental research papers presenting primary laboratory data.
• Narrow agricultural crop management, agronomics, and plant breeding without food processing integration.
• Animal feeding trials or clinical pharmacological studies evaluating bioactives in isolation without food matrix context.
• Cosmetic, non-food chemical synthesis, or pharmaceutical drug discovery investigations.
• Purely descriptive bibliometric summaries lacking analytical synthesis.

How to search or use it

Researchers navigating the journal’s literature or preparing review submissions can interact with the platform through the following steps:

1. Access the Journal Portal: Visit the Trends in Food Science & Technology homepage on ScienceDirect to view current volumes, articles in press, and editorial notices.
2. Browse Curated Themes: Use the “Special Issues” tab to find thematic collections focused on urgent developments, such as alternative proteins or sustainable packaging.
3. Inspect Indexing and Performance Metrics: Review verified indexing details on the ScienceDirect “About” tab. The journal is indexed in Scopus and Clarivate Web of Science (SCIE). When assessing research metrics, review our comparative guide on CiteScore vs. Journal Impact Factor and the foundational definition of Journal Impact Factor (JIF).
4. Review the Guide for Authors: Review Elsevier’s Guide for Authors before drafting. Submissions must adhere to designated formats—Critical Reviews (8,000–15,000 words), Mini-Reviews (up to 6,000 words), or Perspectives—incorporating conceptual figures and synthesis taxonomies.
5. Evaluate Publication Economics: The journal operates on a hybrid model. Authors can publish without cost under the traditional subscription route, or select Gold Open Access by paying an article processing charge (APC) of $5,250 USD (standard list price). Transformative agreements negotiated between universities and Elsevier frequently cover this APC. Learn more about how hybrid open access journals work.
6. Submit via Elsevier Editorial Manager: Upload manuscripts, highlights, graphical abstracts, structured disclosures, and suggested peer reviewers through the Editorial Manager submission portal.
7. Exercise Self-Archiving Rights: Authors selecting subscription publication can archive their peer-reviewed author accepted manuscript (AAM) in institutional repositories after Elsevier’s required embargo period.

Strengths and limits

Evaluating Trends in Food Science & Technology reveals key advantages alongside operational constraints:

• Authoritative Standing: Endorsement as the official review publication of EFFoST and IUFoST provides broad international visibility and high citation rates across academic and industrial food science sectors.
• Interpretive Synthesis Rigor: Requiring comparative frameworks and industrial relevance ensures articles serve as foundational reference works.
• Publication Flexibility: Authors without dedicated open access funding can publish peer-reviewed reviews without author fees via the traditional subscription track.
• High Open Access APC: The $5,250 USD APC represents a significant cost barrier for teams whose institutions lack transformative read-and-publish agreements.
• No Outlet for Primary Bench Data: Authors seeking to report primary experimental results cannot publish them in this venue.
• Selective Desk-Rejection Rate: The editorial team strictly eliminates submissions that do not meet review criteria or that stray into plant agronomy or pharmacology.

Alternatives

Researchers seeking review outlets or primary research venues in food technology have several established alternatives:

Journal Name	Publisher / Society	Publication Format	Access Model	Scope and Differentiator
Trends in Food Science & Technology	Elsevier / EFFoST & IUFoST	Critical reviews, mini-reviews, viewpoints	Hybrid (Subscription or $5,250 APC)	Focuses on emerging technologies, material structures, food safety, and industrial application synthesis.
Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety	Wiley / Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)	Comprehensive systematic reviews	Gold Open Access (APC applies)	Official journal of IFT covering exhaustive syntheses across food engineering, microbiology, and safety.
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition	Taylor & Francis	Critical and state-of-the-art reviews	Hybrid (Subscription or Gold OA)	Emphasizes clinical human nutrition, dietary interactions, and bioactive mechanisms alongside technology.
Annual Review of Food Science and Technology	Annual Reviews	Commissioned annual review volumes	Subscription / Subscribe to Open	Publishes invited, broad-scope syntheses assessing landmark developments across the global food system.
Food Research International	Elsevier / CIFST	Original research papers and targeted reviews	Hybrid (Subscription or Gold OA)	Serves as an experimental research venue publishing original laboratory trials alongside topic reviews.

FAQ

Does Trends in Food Science & Technology publish original experimental research?

No. The journal strictly publishes reviews, mini-reviews, perspectives, viewpoints, and commentaries. Manuscripts describing primary laboratory experiments, bench assays, or raw analytical surveys are desk-rejected. Researchers conducting primary experimental research should submit to experimental journals such as Food Research International, LWT – Food Science and Technology, or Food Chemistry.

What is the peer-review model of the journal?

Trends in Food Science & Technology uses a single-blind peer-review model administered through Elsevier Editorial Manager. Under this model, reviewers know the identities and institutional affiliations of the authors, while reviewer identities remain confidential.

How much does it cost to publish in Trends in Food Science & Technology?

Publishing under the traditional subscription model is free of charge to authors. Authors who choose Gold Open Access pay a standard list article processing charge (APC) of $5,250 USD (excluding applicable local taxes). Corresponding authors affiliated with institutions that hold transformative read-and-publish agreements with Elsevier can often publish open access with full or partial fee waivers.

Is the journal indexed in PubMed or MEDLINE?

According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM ID: 9426004), Trends in Food Science & Technology is not currently indexed in MEDLINE in its entirety. However, individual articles funded by public research grants (such as NIH or European grants) are deposited into PubMed and PubMed Central (PMC) in compliance with public-access mandates.

Who publishes Trends in Food Science & Technology?

The journal is published monthly by Elsevier as part of its Trends journal series, serving as an official publication for both the European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST) and the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST).

Sources

• Elsevier. Trends in Food Science & Technology Journal Portal and Guide for Authors (read 2026-11-07): https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/trends-in-food-science-and-technology
• National Library of Medicine. NLM Catalog: Trends in Food Science & Technology (NLM ID: 9426004, read 2026-11-07): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/9426004
• European Federation of Food Science and Technology (EFFoST). Official Journals Portfolio (read 2026-11-07): https://www.effost.org/
• International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST). Publications and Official Review Journals (read 2026-11-07): https://iufost.org/