Get your International Journal of Food Contamination paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 17 August, 2026
Submitting to International Journal of Food Contamination goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the International Journal of Food Contamination guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to International Journal of Food Contamination. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the International Journal of Food Contamination journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the International Journal of Food Contamination guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the International Journal of Food Contamination guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | Int J Food Contam requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract. The guidelines state: 'The abstract should briefly summarize the aim, findings or purpose of the article. Please minimize the use of abbreviations and do not cite references in the abstract.' No specific word limit is stated in the official guidelines for abstracts. Recent published articles (2025) show abstracts ranging from approximately 180-250 words, suggesting an implicit guideline around 200-250 words |
| Main text | No overall word or page limit stated. The guidelines note: 'the length and quantity of data is not restricted for many article types' and authors can provide datasets and additional information as supplementary files. Research articles should follow standard structure: Title page, Abstract, Keywords, Introduction, Results, Discussion (can be combined with Results), Conclusions, Methods/Experimental (can be placed after Introduction), Declarations |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Three to ten keywords representing the main content of the article. The guidelines explicitly state: 'Three to ten keywords representing the main content of the article.' |
| References | Springer Basic reference style (numbered, author-date format). Example: 'Smith J, Jones M Jr, Houghton L (1999) Future of health insurance. N Engl J Med 965:325-329.' References are numbered in order of appearance. Web links and URLs should be given a reference number and included in the reference list with title, URL, and access date |
| Peer review | Single-anonymous (single-blind) peer review. The guidelines explicitly state: 'Food Safety and Risk operates a single-anonymous peer review system, where the reviewers are aware of the names and affiliations of the authors, but the reviewer reports provided to authors are anonymous.' |
| Submission | submission.nature.com/new-submission/40550/3 |
Read the International Journal of Food Contamination guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to International Journal of Food Contamination in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Int J Food Contam papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the International Journal of Food Contamination journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the International Journal of Food Contamination guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.