As in many fields, the impact factor is a critical metric that helps food scientists and professionals identify high-quality, trustworthy sources of research and prioritize the highest impact content. Researchers care about the quality and reputation of the journal they are submitting to, therefore, for many, impact factor remains an important consideration when deciding where to submit. Taking into consideration the breadth and depth of food science, the impact factor is a standardized way to gauge the quality of a scientific source before investing time into the content. Industry professionals need to trust in the rigor and quality of their sources, as their jobs or consumer safety could be at risk. This task is made easier by the impact factor, which can help them prioritize sources.

That being said, because the field is split between professionals and academics, the impact factor isn’t the only measure of quality or impact. Industry professionals read research but tend not to write articles that would cite the research that they use. As a result, citations aren’t the best measurement of determining quality and impact because as much as half the audience will never cite the article, no matter how helpful it is to their own work. As a result, the average impact factor in Food Science & Technology hovers just above 2.0. Our food science & technology portfolio spans 21 journals, 20 of which have an impact factor. Wiley publishes three of the top 10 journals in Food Science & Technology: Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science & Food Safety (#2, 2019 Impact Factor 9.912), Molecular Nutrition & Food Research (#8, Impact Factor 5.309), and Food & Energy Security (#9, Impact Factor 5.212).

In addition, because the impact factor measures impact retroactively, it isn’t always the best barometer for what’s “hot” in the field of food science. At present, contributions in the field of food safety and food processing are gaining a lot of citations. There is great interest in the community in the nature of food, such as texture, which has a major influence on food choice. Above all, however, there is a strong interest in food safety; in particular, issues such as food quality, genetically modified food, and harmful substances in food. Interestingly enough, we do not see any particular trends in terms of article type here. Original papers, as well as Review Articles, are represented in the "most cited articles". Very often, however, Review Articles are cited more than Original papers or Communications.

We are sure, however, that we will see a shift towards more health-related contributions and sustainability in the coming years. Wiley’s Food Science & Technology portfolio is well-positioned in this direction, with journals such as Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, Journal of Food Science, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, and the gold open access titles Food Science & Nutrition and Legume Science.

Publishing special issues on emerging or trending topics in food science is a great way to capture current impactful content, and they offer an effective means of reflecting current developments in individual journals. Here, authors can publish their latest findings and results in original articles but also overview articles on the "development" of a trend. Special issues are usually cited above average, as the community finds everything in one "place", if we may put it so succinctly. Publishing in such special issues offers researchers the opportunity to have their work published alongside other impactful, cutting-edge research on specific topics, while being assured of the support of dedicated editors who are experts in their field.

In July, STARCH will publish a special issue on biomedical and pharmaceutical applications of modified starch and composites. The International Journal of Food Science & Technology, a publication of EFFOST, has a number of forthcoming special issues, including one on the Microbiome, currently a very popular subject of study. The new gold open access journal Legume Science is working on a special issue on Legume Genomics, which is planned to publish later in the year.

Special issues are powerful tools to capture high-impact content, with included articles often more highly cited than articles published in traditional issues. This in turn increases a journal’s impact factor, telling researchers and industry professionals that the journal publishes important, timely, and impactful content.

To learn more about Wiley’s Food Science portfolio and discover impactful research, you can enjoy free access to these top-cited articles spanning various titles across the portfolio until 30th July 2020.

The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks in 2017
EFSA Journal

Guidance on the characterisation of microorganisms used as feed additives or as production organisms
Roberto Edoardo Villa, Maria Saarela, Fernando Ramos, Baltasar Mayo, Alberto Mantovani et al.
EFSA Journal

Antioxidant and anticholinergic properties of olivetol
Parham Taslimi, İlhami Gulçin
Journal of Food Biochemistry

Effect of rearing substrate on growth performance, waste reduction efficiency and chemical composition of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae
Marco Meneguz, Achille Schiavone, Francesco Gai, Andrea Dama, Carola Lussiana et al.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture

Kudingcha and Fuzhuan Brick Tea Prevent Obesity and Modulate Gut Microbiota in High-Fat Diet Fed Mice
Guijie Chen, Minhao Xie, Zhuqing Dai, Peng Wan, Hong Ye et al.
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research

Application of a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Atmospheric Cold Plasma (Dbd-Acp) for Eshcerichia Coli Inactivation in Apple Juice
Xinyu Liao, Jiao Li, Aliyu Idris Muhammad, Yuanjie Suo, Shiguo Chen et al.
Journal of Food Science

The effects of hesperidin on sodium arsenite-induced different organ toxicity in rats on metabolic enzymes as antidiabetic and anticholinergics potentials: A biochemical approach
Cuneyt Caglayan, Yeliz Demir, Sefa Kucukler, Parham Taslimi, Fatih Mehmet Kandemir et al.
Journal of Food Biochemistry

UV resistant transparent bionanocomposite films based on potato starch/cellulose for sustainable packaging
Preetha Balakrishnan, Sreerag Gopi, Sreekala M S, Sabu Thomas
Starch ‐ Stärke

Combined effects of pulsed electric field and ultrasound on bioactive compounds and microbial quality of grapefruit juice
Rana Muhammad Aadil, Xin-An Zeng, Zhong Han, Amna Sahar, Anees Ahmed Khalil et al.
Journal of Food Processing and Preservation

Alcohol reduction in red wines by technological and microbiological approaches: a comparative study
L. Rolle, V. Englezos, F. Torchio, F. Cravero, S. Río Segade et al.
Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research

Understanding perceptions and beliefs about different types of fermented milks through the application of projective techniques: A case study using Haire's shopping list and free word association
Letícia de Paula F. Pinto, Hugo L. A. Silva, Shigeno P. Kuriya, Paula M. Maçaira, Fernando L. Cyrino Oliveira et al.
Journal of Sensory Studies

Investigating the influence of novel drying methods on sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.): Kinetics, energy consumption, color, and microstructure
Daniel I. Onwude, Norhashila Hashim, Khalina Abdan, Rimfiel Janius, Guangnan Chen
Journal of Food Process Engineering

Improvement of tenderness and water holding capacity of spiced beef by the application of ultrasound during cooking
Yunhe Zou, Wangang Zhang, Dacheng Kang, Guanghong Zhou
International Journal of Food Science & Technology

Microwave-assisted extraction and ultrasound-assisted extraction for recovering carotenoids from Gac peel and their effects on antioxidant capacity of the extracts
Hoang V. Chuyen, Minh H. Nguyen, Paul D. Roach, John B. Golding, Sophie E. Parks
Food Science & Nutrition

Rheological behaviour, sensory properties and syneresis of probiotic yoghurt supplemented with various prebiotics
Somayeh Heydari, Atefeh Amiri-Rigi, Mohammad Reza Ehsani, Mohammad Amin Mohammadifar, Nasim Khorshidian et al.
International Journal of Dairy Technology

Curcumin Attenuates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Hepatic Lipid Metabolism Disorder by Modification of m⁶A RNA Methylation in Piglets
Na Lu, Xingmei Li, Jiayao Yu, Yi Li, Chao Wang et al.
Lipids

Application Of Microwaves and Megasound to Olive Paste in an Industrial Olive Oil Extraction Plant: Impact on Virgin Olive Oil Quality and Composition
Alessandro Leone, Roberto Romaniello, Antonia Tamborrino, Stefania Urbani, Maurizio Servili et al.
European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology

Paper-based microfluidic aptasensor for food safety
Xuan Weng, Suresh Neethirajan
Journal of Food Safety

Cross-modal influence of colour from product and packaging alters perceived flavour of cider
Meaghan Sugrue, Robin Dando
Journal of the Institute of Brewing

Influence of different functional ingredients on physical properties, rheology, tribology, and oral perceptions of no fat stirred yoghurt
Sophia Bao Xian Ng, Phuong T. M. Nguyen, Bhesh Bhandari, Sangeeta Prakash
Journal of Texture Studies