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150+ Food Research Paper Topics Ideas for Students

When writing a research paper on food, there are many angles to explore to choose great research topics about food. You can write argumentative essay topics on food processing methods or search for social media research topics . Moreover, the food industry is advancing, and food styles are changing – another inspiration for an outstanding research topic about food. In other words, if you are looking for your ideal topic for food research , there are many places to look.

How to Choose the “Ideal” Food Research Topics

150+ ideas of experimental research titles about food, research title about food processing.

• Interesting Research Topics on Fast Food

Research Title about Food Industry

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Nevertheless, it can be hard to decipher what characterizes a good example of a thesis title for food. Hence, this article will briefly explain what factors to look for in a research title about food so-to-speak. Then, we will provide up to 150 food topics you can explore.

Personal interest is a vital factor to consider when sourcing the best thesis title about food . If you’re choosing a research title about cookery, you want to ensure it is something you’re interested in. If you’re unsure where your interest lies, you can check out social issues research topics .

Also, the availability of information on the topic of food is important in any research, whether it’s a thesis statement about social media or nutrition topics . Furthermore, choose several food topics to have options if one thesis about food doesn’t work out. Last but not least, ensure your chosen topic about food is neither too broad nor too narrow.

If you are unsure what title about food to work on for your research paper, here we are. Below are some of the best examples of thesis titles or professional thesis writers about food for students and researchers.

• Plant sterols in treating high cholesterol
• Is skipping breakfast healthy?
• Macrobiotic diet: advantages
• Food trendmakers
• Chocolates and emotions: the connection
• Are trans fats carcinogenic?
• Does green tea burn calories?
• Humble lentil: a superfood?

Interesting Research Topics Fast Food

• Fast foods: impact on living organisms
• Food court restaurants
• Misconceptions about fast foods
• Is McDonald’s healthy?
• Fast food: a social problem?
• National cuisine
• Fast food: effect on the liver
• Fast food education
• Students’ nutrition
• Fast food in children’s diet
• Food and 3D virtual reality
• The contemporary hotel industry
• Food and fashion
• Food in different cultures
• Can food be used for cultural identification?
• Trends in food box consumption
• Information innovation in the food industry
• The food industry in developing countries
• Proper nutrition
• History and origin of food traditions
• Can dietary supplements increase bone density?
• Why nutrition science matters
• Organic food: impact on nutrition
• Antimicrobial resistance
• Services ensuring food safety in the US
• Food safety violations in the workplace
• pH balance impacts flavor
• Animal testing should be abolished
• Does overeating suppress the immune system?
• Lifestyle-related chronic diseases
• Food justice
• Government’s involvement in food justice
• Dietary deficiencies
• Spice rack organization
• Nutrients for body development
• Milk for kids: more or less?
• Organic food and health
• Animal-sourced foods: beneficial or dangerous?
• Continental dishes
• Continental dishes vs. Indian spices
• Food factor in national security
• Junk food vs. healthy food
• Environmental food safety
• Safety and control of food colors in the food industry today
• Criteria and scope of food security
• Ensuring food security
• Cooking technology
• Food quality of agricultural raw materials
• Problems and solutions to food safety
• Food security: the theory and methodology
• Recent labeling food innovations
• Health benefits of genetically modified foods
• The vegetarian diet
• Caloric foods
• Fast food affects on health
• Food allergies
• Fast foods: nutritional value
• Food in the 21st century
• The Slow Food movement
• Doughnut’s history
• Food safety: role in gene pool preservation
• Controlling synthetic colors used in food
• Food assessment and control
• Food: its influence on pharmacotherapy’s effectiveness
• Human rights to balanced nutrition
• Quality of food products in urban areas
• Food in rural areas vs. urban areas
• Food security in Uganda
• Food safety: developed vs. developing countries
• Food factor in biopolitics
• Corn starch in baking: the importance
• Bacteria concerns in baking: Clostridium botulinum
• Normal butter vs. brown butter
• Matcha in Japanese pastry
• Sweet in baked desserts
• Effect of flour type on cake quality
• Sugar vs. stevia
• Why so much sugar in packed cakes?
• Carob is use in baking
• Coca-Cola baking: is it safe?
• Cooking schools
• Protein food preservation
• Food preservation techniques
• Vegan vs. non-vegan
• Caffeine in drinks
• Plastic and food quality
• History of carrot cake
• Turmeric: health properties
• Japanese tea ceremonies
• Healthy sugar substitutes
• The popularity of plant-based diet
• Food steaming: history
• CBD-infused foods
• Achieving the umami flavor in cooking
• Climate and diet
• Quick-service restaurants: impact on life expectancy
• Drinking and Judaism
• Chinese tea: a historical analysis
• Meat canning
• Resistance of meat to antimicrobials
• Eliminating botulism
• Reducing food allergies
• Avian influenza
• Vitamin D nutrition: the worldwide status
• Nutritional supplements are available for the poor
• Food science: importance in human nutrition
• Amino acids and muscle growth
• Poor nutrition and bone density
• Women and diet
• Tea vs. coffee
• Is tea addictive?
• Cholesterol: myths
• Sugar vs. sweeteners
• Keto diet: effect on health
• Food sensitivities in children
• African superfoods
• Spirulina: the properties
• Wine in French cuisine
• Garlic and onions
• Stored foods
• Preventing food poisoning
• Food addiction
• How to fight against food waste
• Aqueous environment: the toxicity
• Fast food in hospitals
• The risks associated with junk
• Food culture and obesity
• The link between fast food and obesity
• Burgers: are they sandwiches?
• Food additives
• History of curry
• Freezing dough: impact on quality
• Best pizza Margherita recipe
• Making low-calorie food tasty
• Jamaica and British cuisine
• Picked food in India
• How to eat eggs
• Egg poaching
• Italian pasta: types

From food innovation research titles to food sustainability research topics , there are many areas of the food industry to explore. With the list of topics and tips for choosing a topic provided here, finding your ideal topic should be easier.

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Food Safety Essay Examples and Topics

Food insecurity and what we can do to help.

• Words: 1299

Indigotine as Food Additive: Daily Intake and Risk Analysis

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Food Security and Growing Population

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Quality and Value of Food

Food security: the main challenges.

• Words: 1486

Kitchen Safety Assessment and Potential Corrections

Analysis and significance of food moisture content, food products: tomatoes and juice preservation.

• Words: 1580

Food Contamination and Adulteration: Environmental Problems, Food Habits, Way of Cultivation

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Food Service System: Overview

Chipotle company’s food crisis.

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Investigation of a Food Poisoning Incident

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Food Analysis and Its Methods in Practice

• Words: 1773

Chemicals in Foods: Natural Components and Their Toxic Properties

• Words: 1398

The Food Preservation Techniques

Food hygiene inspection of a food premises and the intervention strategies.

• Words: 2194

HACCP: Peanut Butter Contamination

Food safety in the modern world, chemicals used for microbial preservation of food.

• Words: 2364

Pros and Cons of Food Dyes: Experiments with Food

• Words: 1413

Food Preservation Methods and Their Classification

Food and beverage control software.

• Words: 1387

Food Safety and Health Violation at Workplace

Supply and demand influences on food in the recent years.

• Words: 1377

Perishable Product: Ice Cream Manufacture

• Words: 3054

The Intervention Plan For a Food Poisoning Incident

• Words: 2036

Analysis of Pig Feed Formulations

The application of arginine pyroglutamate as a food additive, processed food industry.

• Words: 1161

Benefits of Zip Lock Bags to Keep Fresh Cereals

Preserving food hygiene and safety, food safety policy for a music festival.

• Words: 2261

Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures in Donut Shops

Safe food supply system, hunger crisis and food security: research.

• Words: 1196

Negative Effects of Caffeine and Energy Drinks

Food hygiene legislation in the uk.

• Words: 1542

Microbial Growth in Dough and Bakery Industry

• Words: 1938

Odwalla Inc and the E. Coli Outbreak

• Words: 2063

Sugar Substitutes: Benefits and Threats

Food safety risk assessment.

• Words: 2724

Utilitarianism in Food Safety Management

• Words: 1127

The Feasibility Study of Natural Pigments as Food Colorants

Food insecurity: key principles, food is dangerous: nutrition transition, food security policy problem analysis.

• Words: 3929

Implications of the Russia–Ukraine War for Global Food Security

The actuality of issue of food safety, safety of food: weaning management practices.

• Words: 1438

Food Insecurity in Maryland State

• Words: 2045

Trends in Food Sources and Diet Quality Among US Children and Adults

Food safety modernization act and its importance.

• Words: 2295

The Necessity of Chemical Food Additives

• Words: 1401

Monk Fruit Sweetener: Safety, Properties, and Usage

Antibiotic use in livestock: for and against, investigating the flavor profile and antioxidant changes of pomegranate wine, food safety and organic growing in the usa, impacts of climatic changes on food insecurity, the gustation function importance for today’s people.

• Words: 1321

Reducing Food Waste Problem by Creating a Platform to Sell Expiring Food

• Words: 1536

Food Security Under Hot Climate in Saudi Arabia

Promoting fast food ingredient awareness, wildlife conservation and food safety for human, food processing and preservation methods.

• Words: 1440

The Role of Sweeteners in Weight Gain

Good manufacturing practice concept, the sunshine wok: food hygiene inspection.

• Words: 1990

Food Provision at the Annisburgh District Music Festival

• Words: 2099

Antibiotics in Meat and Health Effects for People

The routine food hygiene inspection.

• Words: 1568

Food Borne Diseases Associated With Chilled Ready to Eat Food

• Words: 1624

The Causes of Food-Borne Illnesses

• Words: 1646

Facing Food Insecurity: Causes & Current Programs

• Words: 2072

Safe Food Handling for Optimum Nutrition

• Words: 1133

Expired Fruits and Vegetables in Grocery Shops Next Door

• Words: 1240

The Importance of Food Safety in Live

• Words: 2835

Are Packaged Foods Fat-Free Products?

Recommendations for food security.

• Words: 1019

Chemicals Toxicology of Plants

Nicotine poisoning in michigan in 2002-3, the measurement of egg quality.

• Words: 2175

Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based Diagnostics for Pathogens in Food

Folic acid and neural tube defects relationship.

• Words: 2493

Implementation of Menu Labeling

Fad diets and fat burners versus eating right and exercising for results.

• Words: 1210

Independent Food Safety Inspections in US Restaurants

Protecting americans from food-related illnesses, effects of air purification (ethylene) on food sector.

• Words: 1632

Food Insecurity and Health in India

Food security and environmental designers, adverse impacts of food on human health: toxicity, nutritional deficiency, and allergenicity, root problems of dietary supplements.

• Words: 3351

Appropriateness of a Food Production and Service

• Words: 2075

3D Printed Food and Utensils Safety

Food safety and regulations in china.

• Words: 1152

Food and Water Access. Human Security Perspective

Oxidative rancidity in lipids and food storing, food security solutions for kenya.

• Words: 1042

Science and Grow Food Sustainability

Casa vasca restaurant’s food safety and sanitation, sugar production stages and quality.

• Words: 1112

Food Inspection Procedures in Saudi Arabia

• Words: 9531

Food Poisoning and Hygiene Awareness in Saudi Arabia

Food business and government regulation in the us, microbial hazards: salmonella in chicken.

• Words: 1214

Food Texture and Health Outcomes Association

Food safety at introducing of new meal.

• Words: 3072

Food Product Risk Assessment

• Words: 3003

The Effect of Food Texture on Health Outcomes

• Words: 1110

Bacterial Factor in Foodborne Illness Cases

• Words: 1503

Food Safety: Washing Contact Surfaces and Cooking

• Words: 2541

Food Allergies Management

Raw milk regulations in the united states, food corporations’ damaging influence, salmonella in raws for paws pet food, the impact of health supplements and vitamins.

• Words: 1378

Calorie Labeling in American Restaurants

Raw meat eating and its dangers.

• Words: 1146

Fresh Food Provision for Low-Income Families

Nestle nesquik cereal ingredients.

Culinary and Food Research Topics: 100 Tasty Ideas for Students

The world of food is intriguing because of how it permeates every aspect of our life. In today’s fast-paced digital world, processed and fast food have risen to become the dominant options in the culinary scene.

The convenience of these choices is appealing, but they have also raised some health concerns. Therefore, it is crucial to look into food research paper topics. Research in this area is very important for a variety of reasons, including ensuring food safety, understanding the effects of the food industry, and discovering new sources of healthy food.

Here, we explore the varied world of food to provide you with some interesting research paper topics on this fascinating subject.

Food Research Paper Topics on Nutrition

Understanding the effects of food on our health requires extensive research on nutrition-related subjects. Included in the broad category of food research paper topics are issues like food safety, fast food, organic food, and even the food industry.

Exploring this topic via study helps us learn more about healthy food options, food science, and dietary practices. In addition, Edusson writing service can offer professionally written research papers on these subjects, with reliable sources and organized analysis.

• The Role of Dietary Fiber in Preventing Chronic Diseases.
• The Impact of Fast Food Restaurants on Eating Habits and Nutritional Intake Across Age Groups.
• Prevalence and Causes of Food Allergies in the Modern Population.
• Fast Food Intake and the Risk of Obesity and Chronic Diseases.
• Nutritional Education on Food Choices and Dietary Habits.
• Effects of Food Poisoning Outbreaks on Consumer Trust in the Fast Food Industry.
• Factors Influencing Food Safety Practices in Fast Food Establishments.
• Investigating the Impact of Organic Foods on Human Nutrition
• Organic Food Versus Conventionally Grown Food in Terms of Nutritional Value.
• Relationship Between Junk Food Consumption and Mental Health Outcomes.

Research Paper Topics on Food Safety and Quality Control

Topics for food research papers on food safety and quality control are very important for resolving issues in the food industry, as a whole. These discussions dive into food science and other related fields to find solutions to problems with food quality and safety.

A safer food system and greater public health are the direct results of research paper efforts to identify potential risks, and strengthen relevant laws. Listed below are some suggestions for research paper topics on the subjects of Food Safety and Quality Control:

• Investigating the Relationship Between Food Allergies and Food Safety Measures.
• Junk Food Intake on Food Safety Standards.
• Quality Control Systems in the Food Industry.
• The Role of Food Science in Enhancing Food Safety and Quality.
• Nutritional Profile and Safety of Fast Foods.
• Food Safety Regulations on the Fast Food Sector.
• Food Safety Measures and Waste Reduction.
• Food Safety and Quality Control in Preventing Foodborne Illnesses.
• Consumer Perceptions of Organic Foods and Food Safety.
• Food Safety Practices and Food Industry Sustainability.

Culinary Traditions and cultural heritage

Food research paper topics on culinary traditions and cultural heritage include a society’s history, values, and identity via food customs and recipes. Culinary research paper topics are important because they show how food has influenced different civilizations and foster understanding.

Fast food’s health impacts, food science, human nutrition, and overlooked regional cuisines are research paper topics in this area. Explore the paper topics samples below to help spark ideas for your next research paper:

• Culinary Traditions in Preserving Cultural Identity.
• Rediscovering Forgotten Culinary Traditions.
• Traditional Diets and Nutrition.
• Protecting Culinary Traditions and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
• Diaspora Food Traditions: Migrant Food Practices.
• Cultural Appropriation vs. Culinary Appreciation.
• From Antiquity to the Present: A History of Food and Cooking.
• The Impact of Globalization on Culinary Traditions
• Impact of Colonial Powers on Indigenous Food Practices.
• Culinary Traditions and Generational Shifts: Examining Age-Related Food Preferences and Preparation Methods.

Food Systems and Policy

The terms food systems and food policies refer to the intricate webs of relationships and rules that shape the food supply chain from farm to fork. Writing about food topics for research paper is important for a number of reasons. It aids policymakers in their quest for long-term, equitable answers to problems including fast food, junk food, food poisoning, and food science. Investigating food research paper topics in this field can  help us encourage constructive improvements to our food systems.

• Food Systems and Policies in Addressing Food Insecurity and Hunger.
• Organic Food Policies and Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Conservation.
• The Role of Government Regulations in Reducing Food Wastage Throughout the Supply Chain.
• Food Systems and the Promotion of Human Nutrition and Well-Being.
• Suggested Policies to Tackle Food Addiction and the Unhealthy Consumption of Junk Foods.
• Economic Implications of Organic Food Production and Marketing.
• Psychological Factors Contributing to Food Addiction and Its Implications for Policy.
• Possible Policies on Food Technologies on the Quality and Safety of Processed Foods.
• Agricultural Subsidies on Food Security and Sustainability.
• Social and Economic Implications of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the Food System.

Culinary Innovations

Innovations in the kitchen are major steps forward for the food industry. They feature deviations from conventional cooking in the ways of method, ingredients, and presentation. Researching food related topics in this field is essential for making advances in fast food, the culinary arts, and other related fields. Improved food quality, sustainability, and health are all possible outcomes of selecting a food research paper topic in this field.

Exploring food research paper topics in this field helps us find ways to improve our diets and have more enjoyable dining experiences. Here are some examples of culinary arts research paper topics to get you thinking about your own research topic about food;

• Culinary Innovations and Healthy Fast Foods
• Plant-Based and Vegan Culinary Innovations: A Growing Trend in The Food Industry
• Culinary Innovations on Fast Food Employee Training and Skill Development
• Role of Molecular Gastronomy in Culinary Innovations
• Sustainability and Culinary Innovations: Exploring Eco-Friendly Food Production
• Culinary Innovations in Food Packaging and Preservation
• Role of Food Science in Culinary Innovations: From Molecules to Dishes
• Social and Environmental Implications of Culinary Innovations in Fast Food Industry
• Culinary Innovations in Food Education
• Nutritional Implications of Culinary Innovations in Fast Food Menu Items

Food and psychology, consumer behavior

The interesting relationship between food and our minds is explored in food research topics on psychology and consumer behavior. This research examines mental, emotional, and sensory variables that influence human diets, such as the media’s effect on fast food intake.

Food related research topics in this discipline aim to understand consumer behavior and create effective ways to promote healthier eating choices. The effects of social media on eating habits and the psychology of food cravings are among the many food research paper topics available.

• Fast Food Packaging Design on Consumer Perception and Purchase Behavior.
• Sensory Marketing and Its Influence on Food Choices and Consumer Behavior.
• Psychological Factors that Drive Food Intake During Times of Stress.
• Social Media and Its Influence on Food Choices and Eating Behaviors.
• Food Advertising and Its Effects on Children’s Food Preferences and Consumption Patterns.
• Food Neophobia in Shaping Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors Towards New Food Products.
• Understanding Its Influence on Dietary Choices and Well-Being.
• Food Imagery and Visual Cues in Shaping Consumer Perceptions and Preferences.
• The Effects of Different Labeling Strategies on Consumer Behavior.
• Mood and Emotions in Food-Related Decision-Making and Consumption Behaviors.

Research Topics on Food Science

Among the many things that go under the umbrella of food science topics are nutritional analysis, sensory assessment, and various methods of safety and preservation of food. Improving food quality, addressing new issues, and creating novel solutions all need more study in this field.

If you’re interested in making a significant contribution to the development of food science, consulting a research paper guide might be a great resource for doing so. The following are some examples of potential food science research topics:

• Food Processing Techniques on Nutrient Retention and Bioavailability.
• Exploring the Potential Health Benefits of Functional Foods Fortified with Probiotics.
• Factors Influencing Consumer Acceptance of Genetically Modified (GM) Foods.
• Role of Antioxidants in Preventing Food Deterioration and Extending Product Shelf Life.
• Fast Food Production Practices on Food Safety and Microbial Contamination.
• Potential of Plant-Based Proteins as a Sustainable Alternative to Animal-Based Proteins.
• Nutritional Composition and Health Benefits of Traditional Fermented Foods.
• The Role of Food Additives in the Development of Food Allergies and Intolerances
• Food Storage Conditions and the Formation of Harmful Substances, Such as Acrylamide and Aflatoxins
• Fast Food Packaging Materials and The Migration of Harmful Chemicals Into Food Products

Argumentative Food Research Topics

In the realm of argumentative food research, a wide variety of controversial food topics are examined and argued. This field lays the groundwork for food argumentative essay ideas, allowing us to dive into the nuances of food-related problems and examine their effects on people, the planet, and agriculture.

Delving into argumentative essay topics about food, allows us to learn more about the pros and cons of various dietary options. Our selection of theme ideas might assist, whether you’re looking for fast food argumentative essay topics or more traditional food arguments topics.

• Should Genetically Modified Crops Be Embraced or Banned? Assessing the Implications for Agriculture and Food Security.
• Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and Human Health: Examining the Evidence and Debunking Misconceptions
• Sugar Consumption on Obesity and Chronic Diseases: Is Sugar the Main Culprit?
• Organic vs. Conventional Farming: Evaluating the Environmental and Health Implications
• Benefits and Drawbacks of Meat Consumption: Is a Plant-Based Diet Superior?
• Fast Food Chains and the Global Obesity Epidemic: Is Regulation the Solution?
• Are Food Allergens Safe and Health?
• Is the Western Diet Responsible for The Rise in Chronic Diseases? Investigating the Link Between Diet and Health Conditions.
• Should Food Education Be a Mandatory Part of the School Curriculum? Assessing the Importance of Nutrition Knowledge for Children.
• Is There a Connection Between Food Insecurity and Obesity? Investigating the Paradoxical Relationship and Potential Solutions.

Interesting Food Research Paper Topics for College/University Projects

There is a plethora of interesting food topics available in the realm of food research, making it ideal for use in academic writing. Students that are interested in nutrition, food science, sustainability, and the culinary arts can find many food topics to research to investigate.

To better understand food-related concerns, boost public health, and tackle global difficulties like food security, research topics about food are crucial. Buying research papers for sale might be helpful for students looking for both speed and quality. It helps them save time, gives them access to articles produced by experts, and provides useful information that may direct their own studies.

• Relationship between Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors.
• Cultural and Social Significance of Traditional Foods in Different Ethnic Communities.
• Impact of Climate Change on Food Production and Global Food Security.
• Relationship between Food Allergies and the Gut Microbiome.
• School-based Nutrition Interventions on Students’ Dietary Behaviors and Academic Performance.
• Relationship between Food Wastage and Environmental Sustainability.
• Genetic Engineering in Food Production: Benefits, Risks, and Ethical Considerations.
• Potential Health Benefits of Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals.
• Food Additives and Human Health.
• Safety and Efficacy of Novel Food Ingredients and Food Supplements.

Food Sustainability and Waste Reduction

The food industry is an important framework in which to consider the themes of food sustainability and waste reduction. They are concerned with the sustainability of our food system, including its production, distribution, and consumption.

Researching the problems associated with fast food and related themes, such as fast food research topics or fast food essay topics, is crucial. We can reduce food waste, save resources, and build a more resilient food system for future generations if we work together to find new ways to do things and get the word out.

• Analyzing the Role of Technology in Reducing Food Wastage.
• Organic Farming and How It Fosters Reducing Food Wastage.
• Packaging Design and Minimizing Food Wastage.
• Promoting Sustainable Diets for Reducing Environmental Impact.
• The Impact of Food Wastage on Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
• Economic Implications of Food Waste Reduction.
• Potential of Edible Food Packaging Materials.
• Sustainable Approaches to Managing Food Surplus.
• Sustainable Strategies for Reducing Food Loss During Transportation.
• The Efficiency of Composting Systems for Food Management.

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Food safety and security: what were favourite topics for research in the last decade?

The world is faced with the challenge to feed an estimated 9 billion population of the Earth by 2050. To address the scientific evidence for the safety of food, I searched the Web of Science bibliographical and citation database for most cited articles from this research area. The topics with greatest impact on the research community, judged by their annual rate of citations during the last decade, were food-borne pathogens and toxins, with emerging genetic studies and new methods of visualising toxins on surfaces. Epidemiological and survey studies demonstrated that there was systematic effort to document, rapidly detect and control epidemic spread of disease and that these measures decreased the threat to food safety in developed countries, but that there is still much room for improvement. Research relevant for developing countries included the potential molecular targets to alleviate accumulation of arsenic in rice. As in other areas of research and life, human factor seems to be the most important one for the safety of food. The five keys to safer food of the WHO – keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, use safe water and raw materials – are thus still very relevant for the developed as much as the developing world.

The safety of food is an important health, social and economical issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), foodborne and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases kill an estimated 2.2 million people annually, 1.9 million of them children (1). Unsafe food can be the cause of or contribute to many diseases, from diarrhoea to some cancers, so that food safety, nutrition and food security are among WHO’s 13 strategic objectives (1). Food safety also has potential impact on at least 4 of the 8 millennium development goals set by the United Nations for 2015 (2): eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, reduction of child mortality, improvement of maternal health, and ensuring of environmental stability. To ensure safer food for health, WHO also developed training materials called ‘Five Keys to Safer Food’, promoting simple health measures based on evidence from scientific research for use of food handlers, including customers, in order to decrease the burden of foodborne diseases (3).

Food and its safety has become the topic of globally increasing research efforts, particularly in view of the growth of human population. The interest of the scientific community in food safety is illustrated by the recent special issue of the Science magazine, which explored the potential of science to tackle the challenge of feeding the estimated 9 billion people who will inhabit the Earth by 2050 (4). The topic stirred a heated debate on the printed and electronic pages of the journal (5). The 2011 crisis at a nuclear power plant after the earthquake in Japan and the detection of radioactivity in certain food samples contributed to the concerns about the safety of food from that area (6). Most recent outbreak of a deadly haemolytic-uremic syndrome in Germany, caused by bacterial contamination of vegetable sprouts (7), also drew the attention to food safety. In view of the attention of the scientific community to the topic of food, I was interested in the scientific evidence for its safety. To assess research published on this topic in the last decade, I searched the Web of Science, bibliographical database that also uses citations to published research as a measure of impact on research community (8).

I performed the search of the Web of Science (WoS), the citation database of the Thomson Reuters, formerly the Institute for Science Information (ISI) (8). WoS was chosen as a widely used citation database (9-12), so that the results of the study could be comparable to other citation analyses. The search was performed on 18 March 2011 and included all databases available in WoS ( Science Citation Index Expanded , Social Sciences Citation Index and Arts and Humanities Citation Index ). The search term was ‘food safety’, as this term is used by the WHO (3) and the time span was limited to the last 10 years (2001–2010). The search was then refined by selecting ‘article’ as the document type. The articles with highest citations rates, defined as the number of citations per year after publication (11), were analyzed. WoS tools were used to present the number of articles and their citations, relevant research areas, leading journals, countries, institutions and funding sources.

To get an insight into the possibly most influential articles in the area of food safety, I identified top 10 articles according to their citation intensity, defined as the average number of citations received per year after the publication date. Because of the different times of publication, the total number of citations at a certain time point may not be the best measure of the article’s visibility and influence, so the citation intensity was taken as the proxy for the interest of the research community for the research, regardless of the time of its publication (11). Only the most recent studies, particularly those published in 2010 would have disadvantaged by such approach (11).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The search retrieved 11 565 out of 14 417 309 indexed items for the 2001–2010 time span. Out of those, 69.6% were designated as ‘articles’ (n=8044) and the rest were ‘reviews’ (13.1% items) ‘proceedings papers’ (10.5%), or other types of bibliographical items ( Table 1 ). Items classified as ‘articles’ by WoS should bring results of original research (11), so that further analysis was performed only for this bibliographical item. As the database retrieved articles and/or citations to some items from 2000 and 2011, citation data for individual articles were manually checked and only the relevant post-publications years up to the end of 2010 were included in the analysis. Descriptive data on the total publications ( Table 1 and Figure 1 ) were presented for all retrieved items because it was not possible to separate citations for outlying years.

Types of items, areas of research and top 10 countries, funding agencies, institution and journals publishing research on food safety in 2001-2010*

*Data from Web of Science (WoS), search performed 18 March 2011. Categorisation of items is according to WoS.

†Percentages were calculated from total number of published items in 2001-2010 (n=11 565) for the type of bibliographical item or the total number of articles (n=8044) for all other items. Percentages for areas of research were not calculated as articles may be assigned to more than 1 area of research.

Number of publications about food safety (blue line), classified as ‘articles’ by the Web of Science , and citations to these publications (green line) in 2001–2010.

Time trends in food safety research publications

The number of articles continually increased over time, from 385 in 2001 to 1316 in 2009 and 1307 in 2010 ( Figure 1 ). These articles received increasing numbers of citation over the years, from 128 in 2000 to 16 018 in 2010 ( Figure 1 ). The number of citations increased more rapidly than the number of published articles, demonstrating the growing interest for and the impact of food safety research. The causes for the increasing trend are not clear, and may include a number of factors, from the increasing number of relevant journals covered by the database; growing number of researchers in this area; increased interest of funders, both public and commercial; increased collaboration in the field, particularly in globally relevant topics, or improved quality of research which generates more and better (and more publishable) data. While it is difficult to assess factors related to the research community, the journal coverage of the Thompson Reuters’ databases increased 22% from 2002 to 2010 (12) and surely contributed to the general increase in publications and their citations.

Most of the published articles were classified into the category of ‘Food science & technology’, followed by a range of related categories, from ‘Biotechnology and applied microbiology’ to ‘Chemistry, applied’ in the top 10 categories ( Table 1 ). Top 10 countries that published most articles in food safety were responsible for 82.6% of all retrieved articles ( Table 1 ). Among them the leader was the USA, followed by England, Germany and Canada. The only developing country that made a significant contribution to this area was China, which may reflect the rising concerns in China over food safety, particularly after the 2008 scandal of milk formulas tainted with melamine (13).Agencies for funding research on food safety were few ( Table 1 ). As most of the published articles did not carry statements on funding, it is difficult to make an objective conclusion on the extent of financial support for food safety research and the interpretation is possible only for those articles that carried funding declaration. The top 10 funding agencies provided support for only 199 of the 8044 articles (2.5%) ( Table 1 ). Among them, the European Commission or the European Union funded most articles (62 articles), followed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (34 articles).

The top 10 institutions with most published articles were responsible for 9.1% of all publications ( Table 1 ). Among them, 6 were US-based, and non-US based institutions were located in The Netherlands, China, Canada and France ( Table 1 ).

There was no dominating journal among the 10 journals with the highest volume of articles on food safety, which published 18.5% of all retrieved articles ( Table 1 ). The lead was taken by the Journal of Food Protection , which published 336 articles or 4.2% of all retrieved articles. Finally, the dominating language of the publications was English (93.0% of all retrieved articles), followed by German and French (3.6%). All other languages were used by only 3.4% of the retrieved articles.

Most cited publications on food safety

Among the top 10 articles with highest citation intensity there were 3 review articles (14-16) and 6 original research articles (17-23) ( Table 2 ).

Top 10 articles published in 2000-2009 with highest number of citations intensity, presented as the average number of citations per each year after publication*

*Citations were calculated for the years after publication, including the year of publication, up to the end of 2010. The exception was the article by Koopmans and Duizer, which had 1 citation in 2003 although the official paper publication was in 2004.

The review article with the highest citation rate (34 citations per year) was published in the British Medical Bulletin in 2003 and addressed the hazards of heavy metal contamination, predominantly lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic (14). Cadmium exposure comes mainly from re-chargeable nickel-cadmium batteries, which are often thrown away with the regular garbage, as well as from cigarette smoke. Exposure to mercury occurs via food, mainly fish, while there is no evidence so far that amalgam dental fillings contribute to mercury exposure and poisoning. Lead exposure currently comes primarily from emissions of petrol combustion in vehicles, while the lead-based paints and food containers have been abandoned. Finally, food is the most important source of arsenic poisoning for most populations, although drinking water could be a source of long-term exposure to arsenic.

Two other review articles received an average of 16 citations per post-publication year. The paper published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology in 2004 covered state of the art research on foodborne viruses (15). Norovirus and hepatitis A virus are highly infectious and lead to wide spread outbreaks of disease because they can persist in food manually handled by an infected food-handler and if such food is not heated or treated in other way after handling. Thus, greatest attention in preventive efforts should be given to good manufacturing practice to avoid introduction of viruses during food handling. The article on the control of Listeria monocytogenes (16) in the food-processing environment was published in the Journal of Food Protection in 2002, addressing the problem of large outbreaks of scattered cases after a virulent strain got established in the food-processing chain and thus infected multiple food lots over a short period of production. To increase the safety of ready-to-eat foods, there is a need to establish a sampling programme in the production environment, organization and interpretation of collected data and appropriate response to the positive finding of Listeria contamination.

The article with the highest citation rate (annual average of 44 citations) among all 8044 retrieved articles was published in Nature in 2005 (17), describing the genome sequencing and analysis of Aspergillus oryzae , a fungus used in the production of traditional fermented foods and drinks in Japan. The article shows that the genome of this Aspergillus species acquired specific expansion of genes for secretory hydrolytic enzymes, amino-acid metabolism and amino-acid/sugar uptake transporters, making it a suitable organism for fermentation.

The article ranked as the 3rd among the 10 top publications came from a collaborative group of researchers in Japan and UK and explored the transporters of arsenite in rice plants (18). The article was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA in 2008 and received an average of 16 citations each year since then. The authors demonstrated that the possible accumulation of carcinogenic arsenite in rice grains, which caused massive poisoning in some Asian countries, was due to two different types of transporters in the rice roots, which are also used for silicone transport. High expression of genes for these two transporters in rice leads to silicone accumulation, which increases yield production, but also increases arsenic accumulation in the grains. The authors suggest that increasing silicone availability in the soil may suppress arsenic accumulation in rice and thus alleviate potential risk of arsenic poisoning.

The next most cited article, published in Nature in 2010 (19) and receiving 21 citations in the same year, described the new methodology for the non-destructive and ultra-sensitive visualisation of single molecules on surfaces. The formation a monolayer of gold nanoparticles as a ‘smart dust’ over surfaces allowed the demonstration of pesticide residues on citrus fruits.

High citation rate was achieved by the article presenting a case study of using a specific kinetic model to describe thermal inactivation of microbial vegetative cells in the food (20). The article was published in the International Journal of Food Microbiology in 2002. Based on published studies on thermal inactivation of microbial agents, the author made a theoretical exploration with a new mathematical model to calculate the necessary time and temperature treatment to pasteurize or sterilize foods.

Research articles describing outbreaks of common food poisoning also reached the top list of citation-intense publications. An epidemiological study of trends in indigenous foodborne diseases and deaths in England and Wales in 1992 to 2000 was published in the Gut in 2002 (21), and attracted an annual average of 15.6 citations. The authors analyzed routinely available surveillance data, special survey data and hospital episode statistics to estimate the burden and trends of indigenous foodborne disease. Between 1992 and 2000, the burden of indigenous foodborne disease fell by 53%.The most important pathogens were campylobacter, salmonella, Clostridium perfringens , verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 and Listeria monocytogenes . In 2000, campylobacter still remained the highest threat, and the control of other pathogens was required to lower the mortality rates. A description of prevalence of Campylobacter species , Escherichia coli and Salmonella serovars in retail meat products from Greater Washington DC area in the USA was published in the Applied and Environmental Microbiology in 2001 (22) and received an average of 13 citations annually since its publications. The authors analysed 825 samples of retail raw chicken, turkey, pork and beef meat from supermarkets, and found that retail raw meats were often contaminated with foodborne pathogens. Chicken meat was more contaminated with Campylobacter that any other meat (70% of samples in comparison to 14% in turkey and 1.7% in pork and 0.5% in beef). The authors called for the introduction of stricter measures for ensuring food safety, particular the implementation of hazard analysis of critical control points (HACCP), as well as increased consumer education efforts to ensure food safety at home.

Finally, an article on the toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in foodstuffs also reached high citation rate and was ranked the 9th on the top 10 list, with 15 citations per year since its publication in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2003 (23). PBDE is used as a flame retardant and seems to be present in a number of food samples, mostly in meat products and eggs, with an estimated dietary intake for an adult male of 97 ng/d in an area in Spain.

Taking into consideration all limitations of a scientometric analysis of research topics (9-12), the most useful topics in food safety during the last decade, according to their impact in research community, seemed to have been food-borne pathogens and toxins. We have also witnessed the emergence of genetic studies and new sophisticated methodologies for detecting small amounts of toxin residues on surfaces. Epidemiological and survey studies showed that there was a systematic effort to document, rapidly detect and control epidemic spread of disease. Some of these measures decreased the threat to food safety in developed countries, but there is still much room for improvement. Novel areas for improving the safety of food in the developing countries were also opened, such as the study on the potential molecular targets to alleviate accumulation of arsenic in rice. The five keys to safer food of the WHO (3) will remain most relevant for the developed as much as the developing world. As in other areas of research and life, the human factor is the most important one for the safety of food, and cannot be fully replaced by a novel chemical, agricultural or processing technology or gene transfer.

Acknowledgments

Funding: The study was supported in part by the research grant No. 206–1080314–0245 from the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, Republic of Croatia. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Ethical approval: Not required.

Authorship declaration: AM conceived and conducted the study, and wrote the manuscript.

Competing interests: The author has completed the Unified Competing Interest form at www.icmje.org/coi_disclosure.pdf (available on request from the author) and declares: no support from any organization for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous 3 years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Food supply chain safety research trends from 1997 to 2020: a bibliometric analysis.

• Department of Finance, School of Business, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the fragility of the global food supply chain, strengthened consumers' awareness of the traceability system throughout the supply chain, and gradually changed consumers' consumption concepts and consumption patterns. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the relevant literature on food safety in the food supply chain, examine its current status, hot spots, and development trends, and provide some suggestions for academics and relevant government departments in food supply chain safety research.

Methods: We collected the literature on the food safety research of the food supply chain from the Scopus database, used BibExcel to count the subject categories, published journals, geographical distributions, research institutions, authors, and keywords in the literature, and used Pajek software to analyse the keywords in the literature, perform co-occurrence analysis, draw related knowledge maps, and perform cluster analysis on primary keywords. Finally, to study the development trend, we used CorTexT software to illustrate the theme evolution path map in this research field.

Results: The keyword visualization network revealed the following key research topics: (1) food safety at the consumer end of the food supply chain, (2) food safety management in the food supply chain, (3) risk management of food safety in the food safety chain, and (4) food safety at the production end of the food supply chain.

Conclusions: After comprehensive discussion and analysis, we concluded that food supply chain management may be a hot topic in the future, especially in traceability management combined with the blockchain. It is necessary to explore in-depth how the blockchain can affect the food supply chain to provide a theoretical basis for managing the latter.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 threatens global food safety in the food supply chain; the main concern revolves around the sources of food safety risks, which alerted stakeholders to the need to revise food safety risk management strategies globally ( 1 ). The food industry is becoming increasingly aware of the fragility of agricultural products, the uncertainty of the food supply, and the flexibility of transportation and logistics ( 2 ), which have attracted increasing attention from scholars aiming to study the close relationship of food safety with the food supply chain.

Den Ouden et al. ( 3 ), scholars of agriculture and biology, first proposed the food supply chain, which is a network structure consisting of consumers of agricultural products, food production, the processing, food logistics, and distribution industries, food sales companies, and related entities ( 4 , 5 ). A simplified food supply chain structure model is shown in Figure 1 ( 6 ). Food has unique attributes such as corrosion and environmental impact ( 7 ), combining the food supply chain's complex characteristics, networked organizational structure, and dynamic supply network ( 8 ). Food contamination is a significant food safety risk in all aspects of the food supply chain, such as production, procurement, processing, circulation, and sales ( 9 , 10 ). Therefore, this article discussed the food supply chain safety from the aspects of food quality, health, and biosafety.

Figure 1 . The structure model of the food supply chain.

As people pay increasing attention to food safety, researchers are beginning to review the relevant articles in the field. Auler et al. ( 11 ) systematically reviewed 46 articles on food safety in the field of supply chain management and revealed the main features of the literature in this research field. Wahyuni et al. ( 12 ) reviewed the titles and abstracts of articles on food safety and halal food in the supply chain and made a cluster analysis of the research network in this field but did not discuss related topics in depth. Azmi et al. ( 13 ) studied the types of risks involved in the halal food supply chain, thereby offering important insights into the strategic development and integrity of the halal supply chain. However, these studies focused on performing traditional literature reviews and only studied some aspects of the food supply chain, thereby failing to comprehensively outline the development of food supply chain safety.

In this study, we used existing literature reviews with bibliometrics analysis methods, analyzed quantitatively the development status and research hotspots of food supply chain safety, and predicted its future development trend. The specific objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the prominent research profile in the food supply chain safety research field, such as research disciplines, influential journals, and geographical distribution; (2) to determine the key themes of analysis in this research field; and (3) to determine the evolution path and future development trend of this research field.

The main contributions of this study are the following: (1) we analyzed comprehensively the research status and disciplinary characteristics of the food supply chain safety field; (2) we discussed comprehensively the evolutionary path of this research field; (3) we pointed out future research priorities for scholars, such as consumer trust in the food supply chain, food supply chain traceability, blockchain application, and risk management.

The rest of this article is organized as follows (refer to Figure 2 ): in Section Materials and methods, we discuss research methods and the initial statistical analysis of the data; in Section Results, we present our research results and analysis, descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and evolutionary path analysis of the selected literature; in Section Discussion, we discuss the findings of this research and propose future research directions; in Section Conclusions, we summarize our main conclusions.

Figure 2 . Article structure diagram.

Materials and Methods

Bibliometrics analysis.

In this study, we used bibliometrics to comprehensively analyse the food safety-related literature in the food supply chain and dig deeper into the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the literature to help researchers to evaluate the food safety field in the food supply chain and the research path and research trend of the research as well as assist scholars in implementing innovative ideas based on existing literature.

Bibliometric analysis is a cross-science analysis that integrates mathematics, statistics, and philology and employs mathematical and statistical methods to quantitatively analyse the data from all research databases ( 14 ). Through citation analysis, co-citation analysis, statistical analysis of the title, author, journal, country, institution, reference, and subject category in the bibliographic information of a particular field, bibliometrics can evaluate the development trend of the literature, the research subject, and prominent research institutions, periodicals, essential documents, influential citations, and other comprehensive document systems ( 15 ). The main aim of the bibliometric analysis is to analyse keywords and use the co-occurrence of vocabulary pairs or noun phrases in the literature to determine the relationship between the topics ( 16 ).

Thematic Evolution Trend Analysis

Thematic evolution analysis is a new research method developed recently in the information science field that is widely used in many disciplines. It can better identify the subject development, evolution, and flow of a particular research field in a certain period, thereby assisting researchers in understanding more comprehensively the development of a specific field. In this study, we used CorTexT to draw the evolutionary path diagram; the length of the topic direction on the ordinate axis indicates the proportion of the total frequency of keywords in that direction. The expansion and contraction of the alluvial area represent the scale change in different time intervals.

Analysis Tools

In this study, we used the document processing tool BibExcel and network analysis tools Pajek and CorTexT Platform ( www.cortext.net ). Bibexcel performs basic statistical analysis on the number of articles, citations, and h -index of authors, journals, and countries in the bibliographic information downloaded from the Scopus database ( 17 ). The visualization software Pajek performs bibliographic analysis, citation analysis, co-citation analysis, and cluster analysis of related data ( 18 ). Finally, CorTexT reveals the evolutionary characteristics of food safety research topics in the food supply chain over time ( 19 ).

Data Sources and Processing

In this study, we obtained research data from Scopus, the largest abstract and citation database of peer-reviewed literature and international publishers globally that provides a one-stop platform for scientific researchers to access the scientific literature. We employed four steps while using Scopus: keyword identification, selection criteria for inclusion and exclusion, quality evaluation, and data extraction ( 20 ).

The term “food safety in the food supply chain” comprises three key elements: food, supply chain, and safety; therefore, we included three search strings to ensure that relevant literature data were obtained. The first search string contained keywords related to food according to the agricultural commodity keywords defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: food * or dairy or fruit or grain or cereal or meat or pork or beef or chicken or fish or vegetable or grape or wine or rice or coffee or oil or horticulture or “sugar cane” or maize or wheat or potato or “sugar beet” or soybeans or cassava or tomato or barley or cotton or apple. The second string consisted of keywords of supply chain-related terms: “supply chain” or “supply network” or “demand chain” or “value chain” or purchas * or sourc * or logistics or procurement. The third-string consisted of security-related keywords: safet * or securit * or risk * (refer to Table 1 ).

Table 1 . Topic search queries used for data collection.

We searched the “title” and “keyword” fields in the Scopus database, with no time limit for the search, and the resulting records were 11,235 (by 12/31/2020). We found the literature retrieved from the Scopus database was first published in 1997. In addition, the Codex Alimentarius Commission issued the “Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and Guidelines for its Application” for food safety and hygiene in 1997, thus providing outline requirements for global food safety management and certification. In the same year, the United States allocated an additional $100 million to launch a food safety program, the European Union began phasing in a traceability system for food information, and Britain's Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs set up a livestock traceability system. So, we considered 1997 as the starting point of the research topic.

The search scope was limited to “journal articles” written in “English”, while comments, conference papers, notes, errata, and short articles and surveys were excluded. This reduced the resulting records to 8,282. Then, we screened the titles and abstracts of 2,329 articles based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Specifically, in this study, we selected articles published in peer-reviewed English-language journals, such as articles discussing various aspects of food safety in the food supply chain (e.g., definitions, agriculture, chemistry, nutrition, biology, food engineering, and quality risk evaluation). We excluded articles that were not directly related to the food supply chain safety, such as those discussing the intensive development of the dairy industry, gardening market efficiency, fish gathering equipment, and fertilizer production input. Finally, 2,329 relevant articles from 1997 to 2020 were selected for bibliometric analysis (as shown in Figure 3 ).

Figure 3 . Literature selection process.

The aforementioned processes were performed by two collaborators independently screening articles, comparing search results, and reaching an agreement on such as the aforementioned 2,329 articles. The inter-rater reliability was 100%, which ensures the accuracy and rationality of the data analyzed.

Descriptive Analysis

Figure 4 shows the change in the number of publications on food safety in the food supply chain between 1997 and 2020. It can be seen from statistics that although the number of articles published was at a low period in 2014, it has shown an overall upwards trend. The total number of articles published on food safety in the food supply chain in 2020 is the largest, reaching 279 items, accounting for ~11.98%. Second, the total number of articles in 2019 followed closely, with 249 pieces, accounting for about 10.69%. The number of journal publications on relevant topics peaked in 2015–2020. Figure 4 also shows that the number of times published articles are cited increases continually, which shows that researchers focus on the in-depth and innovative research content of scholars to advance the systematicity of food safety research in the food supply chain. It can be predicted from the current trend that research related to food safety in the food supply chain will continue to grow and the level of study and research content will continue to improve.

Figure 4 . The number of annual publications and total cited between 1997 and 2020.

Subject Categories

The 2,329 articles on food safety in the food supply chain are included in our analysis, contained 27 research topic categories according to the Scopus classification. We classify the subject of a single article by the subject category of the source journal. Due to the intersecting nature of food supply chain safety research fields, one article may cover multiple subject categories. We extracted 4,409 subject data from 2,329 pieces of literature by Bibexcel software, involving a total of 29 subject categories. According to different research directions, the main research fields are nine: agricultural and biological sciences, medicine, environmental science, biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology, social sciences, business, management and accounting, nursing, veterinary, and engineering (refer to Figure 5 ). As it can be concluded from Figure 5 , the most researched direction today is the agricultural and biological sciences one, with 870 articles accounting for ~19.73%. With the advancement of science and technology and the increasing number of food contamination incidents in the food supply chain, practitioners, and scholars have been alerted to food safety issues and their consequences, such as genetic modification technology, genetic modification supervision, and the application of food pesticides.

Figure 5 . Subject categories.

Influential Journals

The total number of journals related to food safety in the food supply chain that published relevant articles from 1997 to 2020 was 182. This demonstrates the extent and variety of publications and discussions in this field. Table 2 lists the top 10 journals in terms of publication volume. Impact factor (IF) is an internationally recognized journal evaluation index. It is generally believed that journals with an IF >1 can be considered valuable journals in social sciences. All the top 10 journals shown in Table 2 had an IF >1, which ranged from 2.304 to 6.766. Additionally, they focused on the impact of food safety issues on the environment and health in the food supply chain as well as risk identification and risk management. The h -index measures the citation impact and productivity of publications and aims to quantify the results of researchers as independent individuals. From 1997 to 2020, “Preventive Veterinary Medicine” published the most articles cited the most times, was cited 2,253 times, and had the highest h -index (30). Interestingly, among all journals, the IF (6.766) of the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” was the highest. Still, its total publications and h -index were much lower than those of “Preventive Veterinary Medicine”, which shows that its primary influence was not on the food safety research in the food supply chain.

Table 2 . The performance of the 10 most leading journals.

Geographical Distributions

From 1997 to 2020, researchers from 132 regions published articles on food safety in the food supply chain. The range of areas covered was wide and concentrated in the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. The publication volume in 79 areas was <10, accounting for ~59.85%. In 19 countries/regions, the publication volume was 10–20, accounting for 14.39% of the total; while in 23 countries/regions, the publication volume was 20–80, accounting for ~17.42% of the total (refer to Figure 6 ). As shown in Table 3 , the publication volume in 10 countries/regions is more than 80 articles. The United States, China, and the United Kingdom rank in the top three in terms of publication volume and h -index; however, the number of citations of the second-ranked Chinese article is lower than the number of sources of the third-ranked 31 article. Additionally, the h -index of China (38) is lower than that of the UK (44), thereby indicating that the articles published by the latter are more influential.

Figure 6 . Distribution of national publications.

Table 3 . The top 10 productive countries.

Influential Institutions

The first authors of the 2,329 articles included in this study represented 167 different research institutions, approximating to the total number of journals (182) mentioned in Influential journals, indicating the breadth of research in food safety in the food supply chain and its interdisciplinary nature. Table 4 lists the 10 most influential institutions that promote the development of this field, of which seven are universities. These institutions are either comprehensive, agricultural, or medical research institutions. They are located in six countries, four of which are the countries that have the highest publication volume globally. Among the research institutions with the most significant number of publications is Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, with 68 publications and 2,778 citations.

Table 4 . The top 10 influential institutions.

Influential Authors

Table 5 lists the 10 most influential authors and their countries of origin, home institutions, publication volumes, citation volumes, and h -index. The top author La Vecchia is employed by the University of Milan in Italy and has the highest number of publications (16), citations (602), and h -index (12) in this field. This result demonstrates that La Vecchia is among the most influential authors in the food supply chain research field.

Table 5 . Information on the ten most influential researchers.

Further analysis of the number of authors in published articles, showed that the average number of authors per publication is 5.47. Among the publications examined, 696 had five authors, 483 had six authors, and 422 had four authors accounting for ~33.46, 23.22, and 20.29%, respectively, of the total number of articles. Surprisingly, articles written by eight or more authors and those written by 10 or more authors accounted for ~9.8 and 3.46%, respectively, of the total. These results suggest that food safety research in the food supply chain involves a considerable workload and requires experiments, surveys, and data collection often requiring the contribution of a team.

Frequently Cited Articles

In this study, we used the number of times a publication has been cited to evaluate its performance and scientific excellence; the higher the citation frequency, the greater the influence of the publication. In particular, to more accurately describe the impact of the article, this article excludes the number of self-citations. Table 6 presents the information of the top 10 most cited articles in food safety research articles in the food supply chain from 1997 to 2020. The most cited article and the sixth most cited article were published in 2002 at the “Journal of the National Cancer Institute”; still, in both articles, long-term research data were used to illustrate the products of the production and consumption ends of the food supply chain and what consumers buy and eat ( 21 , 25 ). Research has shown that the frequent intake of tomato products or lycopene (lycopene carotenoids) can reduce the risk of prostate cancer ( 21 ); high-fat dairy products, mostly skimmed/low-fat milk, can reduce the risk of breast cancer ( 26 ). This shows that food supply chain scholars attach great importance to the issues closely related to food safety and human health, especially the impact of food in the food supply chain on certain cancers that cannot yet be treated.

Table 6 . The top 10 frequently cited articles.

Frequently Used Keywords

In this study, we used the frequency of keywords as a metric to identify sub-areas and topics that have attracted the attention of researchers long-term. Taking into account that in some articles, there were keyword labeling irregularities and the possible lack of keyword fields; in this study, we extracted keywords, removed duplicates to obtain the original record of the keywords without repetition, merged singular and plural forms, abbreviations, and synonyms, and classified keywords into categories. Table 7 shows some of the most frequently occurring keywords. The top 10 keywords are human (822), country (792), statistical model (708), gender difference (640), age distribution (563), controlled study (481), risk factor (474), risk assessment (452), logistic models (451), and foodborne diseases (429).

Table 7 . Frequently occurring keywords.

Bibliometric Analyses

We selected keywords that appeared more than 20 times for visual analysis and clustering, analyzed and summarized closely related keywords in the visual network, and further analyzed the food safety research in the food supply chain subtopic. Judging from the results of the community division of the topic association network, the current international infographics have formed four research directions (or topic communities) of different scales in significant data research, namely: C1, food safety at the consumer end of the food supply chain; C2, food safety management in the food supply chain; C3, risk management of food safety in the food supply chain; C4, food safety at the production end of the food supply chain ( Figure 7 ). We performed a content analysis based on the four groups to determine the detailed subtopics and insights.

Figure 7 . Visualization of keywords' networks (NO > 20).

Cluster 1 (Yellow): Food Safety at the Consumer End of the Food Supply Chain

In the food supply chain, consumer food safety issues are closely related to consumers, especially consumers' trust in food, safe consumption awareness, and consumer attitudes. Consumers' convictions stem from the food safety information provided by the Environmental Hygiene Department and the Food Standards Agency, especially the food safety information in food packaging ( 31 ). However, some food labels lack the information required by consumers, such as nutritional content, production system, traceability, and quality control information. The opacity of food information has led to an increased incidence of foodborne diseases. Gradually, some consumers change their food consumption habits and turn to organic food and food produced with improved safety ( 32 ).

Ethical and safe food consumption is not a widely recognized issue and many consumers have not yet developed food safety awareness ( 33 ). All localities need to educate consumers on food safety, improve consumers' food safety issues, increase their willingness to buy safe food, and improve local food safety levels ( 34 ). The long-term nature of the COVID-19 pandemic also requires consumers to increase their awareness of cold food chain safety, strengthen the maintenance, and understanding of the cold chain within the food framework, assume the responsibility for maintaining the cold chain and reduce the unknown risk of improper food handling ( 35 ).

Many factors affect consumers' food safety behaviors in the food supply chain, such as consumers' age, gender, education, income level ( 36 ). The rapid development of e-commerce in the information age has strengthened consumers' willingness to buy food online, increased consumer trust, and increased online purchase rates ( 37 ). Consumers are gradually choosing a healthy lifestyle and are more inclined to buy organic food, especially millennials, who are willing to buy organic food at a higher price ( 38 ). This creates more opportunities for the food industry and has also attracted the academic community's attention, especially in terms of consumer attitudes toward accepting or resisting organic food ( 39 ).

Cluster 2 (Green): Food Safety Management in the Food Supply Chain

The food supply chain needs to be committed to coordinated management among supply chain members, reduce the mileage of the food supply chain, increase the smoothness of information circulation and food safety, and improve the supply chain's sustainability and globalization. This will enhance the market positioning of all links in the food supply chain, help to launch new products and maintain a high degree of safety and traceability ( 40 ). Governments' food and agricultural sector policies should be more comprehensive, make full use of logistics network technology, establish a safety information platform, and monitor food safety issues in real-time ( 41 ). Countries need to develop food safety agencies, service supply chain management, establish sustainable food supply and food distribution logistics models, and prove the affordability and sustainability of the food supply chain ( 42 ). In particular, it is necessary to establish a food logistics framework from suppliers to retailers based on radio frequency identification technology and design a food logistics tracking system to detect suspicious food to prevent the spread of food safety emergencies ( 43 ).

In food supply chain management, the traceability system can measure the efficiency of supply chain operations, reduce information asymmetry, and solve food safety issues and potential food safety incidents ( 44 ). Food traceability includes logistics, information, production, and quality management. It is implemented in the food chain based on radio frequency identification and sensor technology to monitor agricultural food safety in real-time ( 45 ); this improves the food supply chain management and brings a competitive advantage to the food industry ( 46 ). Blockchain is a food traceability method; it establishes a shared safe information exchange record, provides visual and reliable data for transactions ( 47 ), which meet the traceability needs of new information from any stakeholder or supply chain node ( 48 ), further ensures the sufficient safety of products in the food supply chain, and improves the integrity, reliability, and safety of the food supply chain ( 49 ).

Cluster 3 (Red): Risk Management of Food Safety in the Food Supply Chain

Food safety issues may appear in all aspects of food production, processing, transportation, and sales. Countries worldwide need to assess and predict food safety risks accurately, confirm the risks, sources, and risk levels of the food supply chain, and maintain transparency and integrity throughout the food industry. The significant food supply chain risks are roughly divided into nine categories: human resource, processing, logistics, raw material, safety certification, traceability, market, packaging, and product characteristic risks. These are related to food manufacturers, transporters, wholesalers, and retailers ( 13 ). Researchers use fuzzy analysis of the hierarchical structure process to determine priority food safety risk elements and find that supply related risks are the most prominent ones ( 50 ).

The Codex Alimentarius Commission's recommendations to conduct food supply chain management under the acceptable hygiene practices, HACCP systems, and new risk management indicators (such as food safety targets) are indispensable for the optimisation of the food supply chain ( 51 ). Food supply chain risks are transmitted through the chain, leading to food recalls and rising costs, and deepening the vulnerability of the global supply chain, especially in terms of food contamination incidents ( 52 ). Globalization and the growth of international trade have led to the integration of food safety issues in each country. Countries must formulate consistent food safety standards and measures to coordinate and manage cross-border food trade and use quality management tools to promote global food supply chain risk management systems ( 53 ). Simultaneously, mobile technology is essential for food supply chain management, as it helps in improving the food supply chain agility, efficiency, and risk management as well as the economic status of the community, while it reduces risks in the supply chain ( 54 ).

Cluster 4 (Blue): Food Safety at the Production End of the Food Supply Chain

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the realization of the importance of food safety and put the focus on the production of agricultural products and heavy metal pollution in the soil ( 55 ). Farmers need to monitor the soil to determine the level of metal pollution, establish and maintain the role of soil in the value of the food chain, optimize production systems, and promote a sustainable circular economy ( 56 ). All regions should coordinate agricultural production, avoid regional food surplus or shortage, pay attention to seed quality, ensure food production capacity and sales price stability, rely on the supplier to maximize the value of food, and ensure the integrity of the food supply chain ( 57 ).

The genetically modified food industry continues to develop rapidly, and safety issues have always been the focus of controversy ( 58 ). The vigorous development of biotechnology provides producers in the food supply chain with more opportunities and attracts more attention to genetically modified foods ( 59 ). Experts and scholars have found that the main factors affecting consumers' willingness to buy genetically modified food are potential risks, perceived quality, and related social norm risks ( 60 ). Simultaneously, studies have found that many consumers in developing countries are more supportive of genetically modified foods than consumers in developed countries.

In this study, we analyzed the keywords of 2,329 food safety research articles in the food supply chain field from 1997 to 2020, divided the 24 years into 5-year intervals, and used the CorTexT platform to obtain the evolution of the core topics in the five stages. As shown in the Sankey diagram in Figure 8 , the trajectory reveals the evolution of certain food safety research topic characteristics in the food supply chain field over time through the direction and evolution of each time interval's core research topics ( 61 ).

Figure 8 . Sankey diagram.

Overall, since 1997, food safety research topics in the food supply chain have evolved in terms of emergence, expansion, contraction, differentiation, integration, and extinction in the horizontal time interval; their evolution became more evident after 2012. In 2004, food safety research in the food supply chain field formed three research directions, namely “major clinical study & aged”, “food industry & food safety”, and “animals & animal”. Among these three themes, the one studied the most and the most consistently is the former. Scholars pay more attention to the impact of food safety on consumers of different ages in the food supply chain and clinical research is focused on foodborne diseases ( 62 ). The theme of “food industry & food safety” has undergone complex evolution. In 2012, it was divided into “educational status & catering service” and “food microbiology & food safety”. This demonstrates that the food supply chain gradually intersects with various disciplines, such as food safety and consumer safety in combination with research on food microorganisms ( 63 ). The theme “animals & animal” formed a continuous evolutionary trajectory. It evolved into “animal disease & dairying” in 2012, and its scale also began to surge. It grew into “isolation and purification & cattle” in 2015 and into “microbiology & bovine” in 2018. It gradually started to differentiate in 2020 and will continue to differentiate into “isolation and purification & cattle” and “supply chain management & supply chains”. This shows that researchers have gradually mastered all aspects of food supply chain management and the overall food supply chain safety management ( 64 ), which, combined with the internet and blockchain technologies ( 65 , 66 ), will help to reduce the food safety incidents.

In this study, we used bibliometric analysis and thematic evolution trend analysis methods to systematically measure and describe the academic research on food safety in the food supply chain and help readers to understand the characteristics of articles published in this field. The number of publications and citations on this topic has been increasing, consistent with the emergence of food contamination incidents in recent years. In particular, the COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world and exposed the fragility of the food supply chain. This situation will attract more scholars to pay attention to food safety incidents in the food supply chain.

Research on the subject classification of articles related to food safety in the food supply chain shows that this field is not limited to categories such as agriculture, food safety, management, and medical care, but is also involved in environmental, social science, and other areas, reflecting the interdisciplinary development of this topic. In the future, scholars need to continue to strengthen multidisciplinary research, improve the level of food safety research, and solve problems in the food supply chain. An increasing number of journals publish articles in this field, showing that academia is very interested in researching food safety in the food supply chain. Additionally, almost all journals examined have high academic standards, and those that impose stricter requirements on authors also have a significant influence on the literary world.

Among the 2,329 examined articles, the first authors' institutions are located in a wide range of countries, covering ~5/6 of the world. Still, most of the authors are from the United States, China, and the United Kingdom. Research countries include developed countries, such as the United States; however, emerging markets such as China are also essential participants in this field. The organizations with the highest number of publications are Wageningen University & Research, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Harvard University, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The authors with the most published research articles are La Vecchia, Talamini, and Jacxsens, and most publications were co-authored by five authors. Researchers from these countries and institutions have done more in-depth and critical research in this field. The analysis and presentation of data pertaining to governments, institutions, and authors will help countries, institutions, and authors cooperate with others, share information and knowledge related to the food supply chain, and use innovative and efficient methods to solve food safety issues.

The top 10 most cited articles listed in the present article are powerful in terms of their arguments and persuasiveness. For example, Roth et al. explain the difficulties and risks inherent in the global food supply chain as a whole and propose six quality management frameworks (traceability, transparency, testability, time, trust, and training) ( 28 ). Of course, the number of times an article is cited is also related to the year that the article was published. Therefore, in this study, we used the average number of times, a report was cited in a given year to express more accurately the impact of a publication and provide readers with some context.

In this study, we clustered the keywords that appeared more than 20 times and classified the current four themes of food safety research in the food supply chain based on a visual network map. These themes are food safety at the consumer end of the food supply chain, food safety management in the food supply chain, risk management of food safety in the food supply chain, and food safety at the production end of the food supply chain. The research content mainly focused on meat, the risk safety of genetically modified food in the supply chain ( 67 ), and strengthening risk management. Simultaneously, the research focused on analyzing the influencing factors that affect food consumption and explained the importance of safe consumption through quantitative analysis ( 68 ) or clinical research. Food safety management protocols should be implemented on all food supply chain stages ( 69 ). For specific food contamination incidents, traceability management, especially in the past 2 years, and the emerging blockchain technology have helped improve food supply chain management ( 70 ). Different governments educate stakeholders in various links of the food supply chain such as agriculture, consumer markets, cities, rural areas, and households on food safety issues and formulate the relevant policies to enhance food quality and safety for consumers ( 71 , 72 ). At the same time, governments pay attention to natural factors such as climate change, to achieve the sustainable development of food safety engineering.

By analyzing further, the evolutionary path of keywords and combining this analysis with the clustering results achieved herein, we can conclude that the research hotspots and frontiers of the food supply chain are mainly concentrated on the consumer side of the food supply chain, supply chain management, and the impact of natural factors such as climate on food safety. The four primary directions are entangled with each other in the evolutionary process. The splitting, merging, and reorganization of themes are more pronounced, indicating that the articles are closely related and the degree of differentiation is not high, which suggests that research on food safety in the supply chain still has excellent potential to develop. In particular, blockchain technology in the food supply chain is a research direction that scholars are actively exploring. This interdisciplinary research exemplifies that tackling food safety problems is a systematic task involving agriculture, hygiene, environmental protection, etc., and requires the active participation of all societal sectors.

Conclusions

In this study, we combined bibliometrics, and thematic evolution trend analysis methods to assess the prominent subjects, journals, research areas, research institutions, and authors in food safety research in the field of the food supply chain. Based on the co-occurrence analysis of keywords, we obtained four main research themes. Next, we performed content analysis and finally analyzed the evolution path diagram. In summary, we explored and examined the thematic evolution, hotspots, and frontiers of research on food safety in the food supply chain. Our results may set the foundations for future research on targeted topics of interest, thereby building a subject knowledge system.

The main contribution of this study was in expanding knowledge in the food safety field. Additionally, we revealed four major research themes and evolutionary paths, highlighted mature and emerging research directions, and proposed new insights into food supply chain safety.

One limitation of this study pertained to data collection from literature databases and the analyzed literature. Specifically, the scope of this study was limited to peer-reviewed publications collected from Scopus. Adding data collected from other databases would expand the publication search. Additionally, in this study, two people were tasked with screening documents as a way of ensuring objectivity. However, a certain degree of subjectivity is bound to remain, especially when selecting the most relevant articles for the final re-analysis.

Data Availability Statement

The datasets presented in this study can be found in online repositories. The names of the repository/repositories and accession number(s) can be found in the article/ Supplementary Material .

Author Contributions

JL: conceptualization and methodology. SL: data curation and writing—original draft. YB: writing—review & editing and supervision. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's Note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Zhejiang Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Planning Foundation of China (No. 21NDJC318YBM).

Supplementary Material

The Supplementary Material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2021.742980/full#supplementary-material

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Keywords: food supply chain, food safety, bibliometrics, pandemic, traceability

Citation: Luo J, Leng S and Bai Y (2022) Food Supply Chain Safety Research Trends From 1997 to 2020: A Bibliometric Analysis. Front. Public Health 9:742980. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.742980

Received: 17 July 2021; Accepted: 31 December 2021; Published: 03 February 2022.

Reviewed by:

Copyright © 2022 Luo, Leng and Bai. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Yanhu Bai, baiyanhu2008@126.com

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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Home > Food Science and Technology > Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

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Department of food science and technology: dissertations, theses, and student research.

Utilization of Probiotics to Compete with Clostridioides difficile for Nutrient-Niches in a Variety of in vitro Contexts , April Elizabeth Johnson

The Effect of Fat Content on the Inactivation and Recovery of Listeria spp. in Ready-To-Eat Foods After High Pressure Processing , Yhuliana Kattalina Niño Fuerte

Microbial Transfer and Cross-Contamination in Milling Facilities and Pathogen Survival In Milled Products and Baking Mixes , Aryany Leticia Peña-Gomez

Development and Validation of Aronia melanocarpa Berry Recipes for Home Canning: Integrating Thermal Lethality Studies, Microbiological Safety, and Antioxidant Analysis , Juan Diego Villegas Posada

Cellulosome-forming Modules in Gut Microbiome and Virome , Jerry Akresi

Influence of Overcooking on Food Digestibility and in vitro Fermentation , Wensheng Ding

Development of an Intact Mass Spectrometry Method for the Detection and Differentiation of Major Bovine Milk Proteins , Emily F. Harley-Dowell

Optimizing Soil Nutrient Management to Improve Dry Edible Bean Yield and Protein Quality , Emily Jundt

Fusarium Species Structure in Nebraska Corn , Yuchu Ma

Evaluating Salmonella Cross Contamination In Raw Chicken Thighs In Simulated Post-Chill Tanks , Raziya Sadat

Evaluation of Human Microbiota-Associated (HMA) Porcine Models to Study the Human Gastrointestinal Microbiome , Nirosh D. Aluthge

Differential Effects of Protein Isolates on the Gut Microbiome under High and Low Fiber Conditions , Marissa Behounek

Evaluating the Microbial Quality and Use of Antimicrobials in Raw Pet Foods , Leslie Pearl Cancio

High Pressure Processing of Cashew Milk , Rachel Coggins

Occurrence of Hydroxyproline in Proteomes of Higher Plants , Olivia Huffman

Evaluation of Wheat-Specific Peptide Targets for Use in the Development of ELISA and Mass Spectrometry-Based Detection Methods , Jessica Humphrey

Safety Assessment of Novel Foods and Food Proteins , Niloofar Moghadam Maragheh

Identification of Gut Microbiome Composition Responsible for Gas Production , Erasme Mutuyemungu

Antimicrobial Efficacy of a Citric Acid/Hydrochloric Acid Blend, Peroxyacetic Acid, and Sulfuric Acid Against Salmonella on Inoculated Non-Conventional Raw Chicken Products , Emma Nakimera

Evaluating the Efficacy of Germination and Fermentation in Producing Biologically Active Peptides from Pulses , Ashley Newton

Development of a Targeted Mass Spectrometry Method for the Detection and Quantification of Peanut Protein in Incurred Food Matrices , Sara Schlange

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Mucosal Attachment and Colonization by Clostridioides difficile , Ben Sidner

Comparative Assessment of Human Exposure to Antibiotic-Resistant Salmonella due to the Consumption of Various Food Products in the United States , Yifan Wu

Risk-based Evaluation of Treatments for Water Used at a Pre-harvest Stage to Mitigate Microbial Contamination of Fresh Raspberry in Chile , Constanza Avello Lefno

INVESTIGATING THE PREVALENCE AND CONTROL OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES IN FOOD FACILITIES , Cyril Nsom Ayuk Etaka

Food Sensitivity in Individuals with Altered and Unaltered Digestive Tracts , Walker Carson

Risk Based Simulations of Sporeformers Population Throughout the Dairy Production and Processing Chain: Evaluating On-Farm Interventions in Nebraska Dairy Farms , Rhaisa A. Crespo Ramírez

Dietary Fiber Utilization in the Gut: The Role of Human Gut Microbes in the Degradation and Consumption of Xylose-Based Carbohydrates , Elizabeth Drey

Understanding the Roles of Nutrient-Niche Dynamics In Clostridioides difficile Colonization in Human Microbiome Colonized Minibioreactors , Xiaoyun Huang

Effect of Radiofrequency Assisted Thermal Processing on the Structural, Functional and Biological Properties of Egg White Powder , Alisha Kar

Synthesizing Inactivation Efficacy of Treatments against Bacillus cereus through Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis and Evaluating Inactivation Efficacy of Commercial Cleaning Products against B. cereus Biofilms and Spores Using Standardized Methods , Minho Kim

Gut Community Response to Wheat Bran and Pinto Bean , ShuEn Leow

The Differences of Prokaryotic Pan-genome Analysis on Complete Genomes and Simulated Metagenome-Assembled Genomes , Tang Li

Studies on milling and baking quality and in-vitro protein digestibility of historical and modern wheats , Sujun Liu

The Application of Mathematical Optimization and Flavor-Detection Technologies for Modeling Aroma of Hops , Yutong Liu

Pre-Milling Interventions for Improving the Microbiological Quality of Wheat , Shpresa Musa

NOVEL SOURCES OF FOOD ALLERGENS , Lee Palmer

Process Interventions for Improving the Microbiological Safety of Low Moisture Food Ingredients , Tushar Verma

Microbial Challenge Studies of Radio Frequency Heating for Dairy Powders and Gaseous Technologies for Spices , Xinyao Wei

The Molecular Basis for Natural Competence in Acinetobacter , Yafan Yu

Using Bioinformatics Tools to Evaluate Potential Risks of Food Allergy and to Predict Microbiome Functionality , Mohamed Abdelmoteleb

CONSUMER ATTITUDES, KNOWLEDGE, AND BEHAVIOR: UNDERSTANDING GLUTEN AVOIDANCE AND POINT-OF-DECISION PROMPTS TO INCREASE FIBER CONSUMPTION , Kristina Arslain

EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF NON-THERMAL PROCESSING AND ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS IN MODULATING THE ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF NEBRASKAN GREAT NORTHERN BEANS , Madhurima Bandyopadhyay

DETECTION OF FOOD PROTEINS IN HUMAN SERUM USING MASS SPECTROMETRY METHODS , Abigail S. Burrows

ASSESSING THE QUANTIFICATION OF SOY PROTEIN IN INCURRED MATRICES USING TARGETED LC-MS/MS , Jenna Krager

RESEARCH TOOLS AND THEIR USES FOR DETERMINING THE THERMAL INACTIVATION KINETICS OF SALMONELLA IN LOW-MOISTURE FOODS , Soon Kiat Lau

Investigating Microbial and Host Factors that Modulate Severity of Clostridioides difficile Associated Disease , Armando Lerma

Assessment of Grain Safety in Developing Nations , Jose R. Mendoza

EVALUATION OF LISTERIA INNOCUA TRANSFER FROM PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) TO THE PLANT ENVIRONMENT AND EFFECTIVE SANITATION PROCEDURES TO CONTROL IT IN DAIRY PROCESSING FACILITIES , Karen Nieto

Development of a Sandwich ELISA Targeting Cashew Ana o 2 and Ana o 3 , Morganne Schmidt

Identification, aggressiveness and mycotoxin production of Fusarium graminearum and F. boothii isolates causing Fusarium head blight of wheat in Nebraska , Esteban Valverde-Bogantes

HIGH PRESSURE THAWING OF RAW POULTRY MEATS , Ali Alqaraghuli

Characterization and Evaluation of the Probiotic Properties of the Sporeforming Bacteria, Bacillus coagulans Unique IS-2 , Amy Garrison

Formation of Low Density and Free-Flowing Hollow Microparticles from Non-Hydrogenated Oils and Preparation of Pastries with Shortening Fat Composed of the Microparticles , Joshua Gudeman

Evaluating the Efficacy of Whole Cooked Enriched Egg in Modulating Health-Beneficial Biological Activities , Emerson Nolasco

Effect of Processing on Microbiota Accessible Carbohydrates in Whole Grains , Caroline Smith

ENCAPSULATION OF ASTAXANTHIN-ENRICHED CAMELINA SEED OIL OBTAINED BY ETHANOL-MODIFIED SUPERCRITICAL CARBON DIOXIDE EXTRACTION , Liyang Xie

Energy and Water Assessment and Plausibility of Reuse of Spent Caustic Solution in a Midwest Fluid Milk Processing Plant , Carly Rain Adams

Effect of Gallic and Ferulic Acids on Oxidative Phosphorylation on Candida albicans (A72 and SC5314) During the Yeast-to-Hyphae Transition , REHAB ALDAHASH

ABILITY OF PHENOLICS IN ISOLATION, COMPONENTS PRESENT IN SUPINA TURF GRASS TO REMEDIATE CANDIDA ALBICANS (A72 and SC5314) ADHESION AND BIOFILM FORMATION , Fatima Alessa

EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON IN-VITRO PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY AND OTHER NUTRITIONAL ASPECTS OF NEBRASKA CROPS , Paridhi Gulati

Studies On The Physicochemical Characterization Of Flours And Protein Hydrolysates From Common Beans , Hollman Andres Motta Romero

Implementation of ISO/IEC Practices in Small and Academic Laboratories , Eric Layne Oliver

Enzymatic Activities and Compostional Properties of Whole Wheat Flour , Rachana Poudel

A Risk-Based Approach to Evaluate the Impact of Interventions at Reducing the Risk of Foodborne Illness Associated with Wheat-Based Products , Luis Sabillon

Thermal Inactivation Kinetics of Salmonella enterica and Enterococcus faecium in Ground Black Pepper , Sabrina Vasquez

Energy-Water Reduction and Wastewater Reclamation in a Fluid Milk Processing Facility , CarlyRain Adams, Yulie E. Meneses, Bing Wang, and Curtis Weller

Modeling the Survival of Salmonella in Soy Sauce-Based Products Stored at Two Different Temperatures , Ana Cristina Arciniega Castillo

WHOLE GRAIN PROCESSING AND EFFECTS ON CARBOHYDRATE DIGESTION AND FERMENTATION , Sandrayee Brahma

Promoting Gastrointestinal Health and Decreasing Inflammation with Whole Grains in Comparison to Fruit and Vegetables through Clinical Interventions and in vitro Tests , Julianne Kopf

Development of a Rapid Detection and Quantification Method for Yeasts and Molds in Dairy Products , Brandon Nguyen

Increasing Cis-lycopene Content of the Oleoresin from Tomato Processing Byproducts Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide and Assessment of Its Bioaccessibility , Lisbeth Vallecilla Yepez

Species and Trichothecene Genotypes of Fusarium Head Blight Pathogens in Nebraska, USA in 2015-2016 , Esteban Valverde-Bogantes

Validation of Extrusion Processing for the Safety of Low-Moisture Foods , Tushar Verma

Radiofrequency processing for inactivation of Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus faecium NRRL B-2354 in whole black peppercorn and ground black pepper , Xinyao Wei

CHARACTERIZATION OF EXTRACTION METHODS TO RECOVER PHENOLIC-RICH EXTRACTS FROM PINTO BEANS (BAJA) THAT INHIBIT ALPHA-AMYLASE AND ALPHA-GLUCOSIDASE USING RESPONSE SURFACE APPROACHES , Mohammed Alrugaibah

Matrix Effects on the Detection of Milk and Peanut Residues by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA) , Abigail S. Burrows

Evaluation of Qualitative Food Allergen Detection Methods and Cleaning Validation Approaches , Rachel C. Courtney

Studies of Debaryomyces hansenii killer toxin and its effect on pathogenic bloodstream Candida isolates , Rhaisa A. Crespo Ramírez

Development of a Sandwich Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for Detection of Macadamia Nut Residues in Processed Food Products , Charlene Gan

FROM MILPAS TO THE MARKET: A STUDY ON THE USE OF METAL SILOS FOR SAFER AND BETTER STORAGE OF GUATEMALAN MAIZE , José Rodrigo Mendoza

Feasibility, safety, economic and environmental implications of whey-recovered water for cleaning-in place systems: A case study on water conservation for the dairy industry , Yulie E. Meneses-González

Studies on asparagine in Nebraska wheat and other grains , Sviatoslav Navrotskyi

Risk Assessment and Research Synthesis methodologies in food safety: two effective tools to provide scientific evidence into the Decision Making Process. , Juan E. Ortuzar

Edible Insects as a Source of Food Allergens , Lee Palmer

IMPROVING THE UTILIZATION OF DRY EDIBLE BEANS IN A READY-TO-EAT SNACK PRODUCT BY EXTRUSION COOKING , Franklin Sumargo

Formation of Bioactive-Carrier Hollow Solid Lipid Micro- and Nanoparticles , Junsi Yang

The Influence of the Bovine Fecal Microbiota on the Shedding of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli (STEC) by Beef Cattle , Nirosh D. Aluthge

Preference Mapping of Whole Grain and High Fiber Products: Whole Wheat Bread and Extruded Rice and Bean Snack , Ashley J. Bernstein

Comparative Study Of The D-values of Salmonella spp. and Enterococcus faecium in Wheat Flour , Didier Dodier

Simulation and Validation of Radio Frequency Heating of Shell Eggs , Soon Kiat Lau

Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus DDS 1-10 Encapsulated with an Alginate-Starch Matrix , Liya Mo

Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC) Throughout Beef Summer Sausage Production and the use of High Pressure Processing as an Alternative Intervention to Thermal Processing , Eric L. Oliver

A Finite Element Method Based Microwave Heat Transfer Modeling of Frozen Multi-Component Foods , Krishnamoorthy Pitchai

Efficacy of Galactooliosaccharide (GOS) and/or Rhamnose-Based Synbiotics in Enhancing Ecological Performance of Lactobacillus reuteri in the Human Gut and Characterization of Its GOS Metabolic System , Monchaya Rattanaprasert

Corn Characterization and Development of a Convenient Laboratory Scale Alkaline Cooking Process , Shreya N. Sahasrabudhe

PHENOLIC RICH EXTRACTS OBTAINED FROM SMALL RED BEANS IN PREVENTING MACROPHAGE MEDIATED CHRONIC INFLAMMATION , Nidhi Sharma

Characterization and Investigation of Fungi Inhabiting the Gastrointestinal Tract of Healthy and Diseased Humans , Mallory J. Suhr

Effects of blanching on color, texture and sodium chloride content during storage time of frozen vegetable soybean modeling for commercial scale , Pimsiree Suwan

Influence of Native and Processed Cereal Grain Fibers on Gut Health , Junyi Yang

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Safety evaluation of curdlan as a food additive

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DOI https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8985 Keywords CAS number 54724‐00‐4, gut microbiota, INS No.: 424, Rhizobium radiobacter biovar 1, stabiliser, β‐1,3‐glucan Panels Food Additives and Flavourings Contact [email protected]

The EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF) provides a scientific opinion on the safety of curdlan as a new food additive used as firming and gelling agent, stabiliser, thickener. Curdlan is a high molecular weight polysaccharide consisting of β‐1,3‐linked glucose units, produced by fermentation from Rhizobium radiobacter biovar 1 strain NTK‐u. The toxicological dataset consisted of sub‐chronic, chronic and carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity studies as well as genotoxicity. In vivo data showed that curdlan is not absorbed as such but is extensively metabolised by the gut microbiota into CO 2 and other innocuous compounds. Curdlan was not genotoxic and was well‐tolerated with no overt organ‐specific toxicity. Effects observed at very high doses of curdlan, such as decreased growth and increased cecum weight, are common for indigestible bulking compounds and therefore considered physiological responses. In a combined three‐generation reproductive and developmental toxicity study, decreased pup weight was observed during lactation at 7500 mg curdlan/kg body weight (bw) per day, the highest dose tested. The Panel considered the observed effects as treatment‐related and adverse, although likely secondary to nutritional imbalance and identified a conservative no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 2500 mg/kg bw per day. Despite the limitations noted in the dataset, the Panel was able to conclude applying the margin of exposure (MOE) approach. Given that curdlan and its break‐down products are not absorbed and that the identified adverse effect is neither systemic nor local, no adjustment factor was deemed necessary. Thus, an MOE of at least 1 was considered sufficient. The highest exposure estimate was 1441 mg/kg bw per day in toddlers at the 95th percentile of the proposed maximum use level exposure assessment scenario. The Panel concluded that there is no safety concern for the use of curdlan as a food additive at the proposed uses and use levels.

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