<i>Food Frontiers</i>: An academically sponsored new journal

Search on the Web of Science Core Collection online database clearly shows that food science and technology is a fast-growing research field. In fact, total articles in the area of food science and technology have grown from a market share of 0.84% in 2013 to 0.91% in 2017. China, United States, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, and Iran are the top 10 countries that publish most papers in the area of food science and technology. China has the fastest growing rate with a market share of 17.08% in the area of food science and technology and a 5-year growth rate of 20.81%. The publisher Elsevier dominates the market with a share of 35.56%, followed by Wiley, Springer Nature, and Taylor & Francis. These top four publishers publish about 65% of these food-related articles. Elsevier also has the highest average citation rate among the top 10 countries. Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and Tekno Scienze Publisher (an Italian Publisher) have a growth rate above the market average. Among all food-related research themes, the topic on food and health was ranked number one in the list. In terms of open access, the share of open access papers related to food and health remains stable; however, open access to food-related papers published by Wiley had an increase from 1.99% in 2013 to 4.24% total shares in 2017. Considering research institutes and universities, Spanish National Research Council was ranked the number one in publishing food-related papers followed by Jiangnan University, US Department of Agriculture, European Food Safety Authority, China Agricultural University, South China University of Technology, Wageningen University, Zhejiang University, and University of Putra Malaysia. Although there have been a plenty of food-related journals, the launch of this new journal, Food Frontiers, is timely and essential (Figure 1). The aim of Food Frontiers as an international open access journal is to bring high impact on the field of food science and health by providing all readers free access to the articles. Food Frontiers is co-sponsored by Zhejiang University, Jiangsu University, Nanchang University, Northwest University, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, and Wiley. The editorial board comprises 12 worlds’ highly cited researchers and consists of global top experts in diverse areas of nutritional sciences and food science and technology from 16 countries and regions, including China, Australia, Bulgaria, France, Iran, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Portugal, Romania, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, United States, Hong Kong, and Macau. Moreover, three distinguished scientists in food and nutrition, Prof. Zhen-Yu Chen from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the associate editor of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Prof. Bernhard Hennig from the University of Kentucky, the editor-in-chief of The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, and Prof. Youling Xiong from the University of Kentucky, the associate editor of Food Bioscience, have joined the advisory board to strengthen the academic impact of Food Frontiers. Food Frontiers is born with the mission to evolve into a flagship journal on food and health and the premier medium for the publication, worldwide, of fundamental and applied research in the field of chemical and biological sciences related to food, as well as the impact of whole food and specific food components on human health, agriculture, and environment. Significant discoveries are continuously being made, which contribute to our understanding of all aspects of foods, nutrition, and implications in human health. These discoveries, i.e., from basic theory to insights at the molecular level within living organisms by utilizing in vitro and in vivo model systems, require peer review and rapid open access publication. Food Frontiers strives to present these advances in the future to the scientific community worldwide. Food science is robust and vibrant and is poised for seminal new discoveries and spectacular advances made possible by recent developments in technology and instrumentation. It is the aim of Food Frontiers to keep abreast of these exciting discoveries and insights and to provide the international scientific community the state-of-the-art venue for the publication and broad dissemination of high quality fundamental research, both in the core areas of food discipline and in such emerging areas as the interface of human health, agriculture, and environment. Just as the sciences have advanced and changed in the last century, so has the field of publication. Advances in information technology and, in particular, the Internet and the World Wide Web have forever changed the publishing enterprise. Electronic publishing and the World Wide Web represent the biggest revolution in publishing and widespread dissemination of ideas and information since the invention of the printing press by Gutenberg in Germany over 500 years ago. It is imperative that scientific publishing in general and Food Frontiers, in particular, keep abreast and take full advantage of the latest advances in publishing. The goal of Food Frontiers is to rapidly publish and have scientific discoveries be immediately available (open access). Thus, the journal will implement an electronic procedure via the web for the submission and processing of articles, which will be upgraded on a regular basis by utilizing the most current publishing technologies. This convenient procedure will greatly facilitate the submission and review process for all authors and, in particular, for international contributors. Web-based publishing also provides an opportunity for depositing large quantities of data, graphics (including color), and experimental details which are economically impractical to print. Starting with the first issue, our new journal Food Frontiers presents a user-friendly format for a variety of scientific communications, including research articles and timely reviews of the literature. Food Frontiers is vital and will try to be well positioned to gain a leadership role, as well as to tackle the challenges of contemporary publishing in the 21st century. The Board of Editors and the Editorial Advisory Board are committed to maintain and enhance the excellence of Food Frontiers. We will offer all scientists worldwide the highest quality service we can provide, in the most expeditious way afforded by rapid advancement and modern technology, for the publication and broad dissemination of the very best research findings. Food Frontiers publishes research articles, reviews, commentary, highlights, perspectives, and correspondences of both experimental work and policy management in relation to food science and technology, with nutritional implications in human health. Examples of topics that will fit in the scope of Food Frontiers include: disease prevention by food-based approaches, combination effects of food and exercise, nanotechnology application in the food area, nano- or microencapsulation of food bioactive ingredients, formulation of functional food products, nutraceutical delivery for health improvement, dietary supplements, functional foods, nutraceuticals and phytochemicals, plant by-products as value-adding ingredients, plant proteins as functional ingredients in foods, molecular interaction of food components with gut microbiota, as well as adaptation of food production to climate change, linking food productivity with protection of ecosystems, improving productivity of aquaculture, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food production, and so on. Food Frontiers also welcomes Special Issues that will summarize articles of a specific theme or timely related scientific topic. Currently, two special issues: “Very Berry Health Benefits” and “Solutions for the Sustainability of the Food Production and Consumption System” have just been opened for submission. Let us emphasize the important role of our reviewers in ensuring the quality and originality of manuscripts and in contributing to rapid publication with a short manuscript processing time. The timely and detailed service of the reviewers will be very much appreciated. The journal would not be successful without the support of reviewers, authors, and readers. We look forward to receiving your contributions and hope to have a strong scientific relationship with all of you. The journal is already receiving multiple manuscripts. Our goal is to make Food Frontiers responsive and adaptable to new discoveries and rapid changes in all aspects of food science and health, as well as to the changing needs of authors and readers for rapid publication and availability of high quality scientific data.