Editorial Policies

Food Safety and Packaging is an international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the publication of original research and review articles in the fields of food safety, food hygiene, food quality, and food packaging technologies. The journal covers a broad range of topics, including, but not limited to, food microbiology, chemical and biological hazards in foods, foodborne diseases, risk assessment, food preservation, smart and active packaging, sustainable packaging materials, postharvest technologies, and safety aspects of animal- and plant-based food products.

Authors are expected to carefully review and follow the instructions provided in the Guide for Authors before submission. Adherence to these guidelines facilitates an efficient peer-review process and minimizes delays during editorial handling. Submission of a manuscript implies that the work described is original, has been approved by all listed authors, and has not been published previously, in whole or in part, nor is it under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors are also expected to follow the Publication Ethics of Food Safety and Packaging.

Article Publication Charge (APC)

Any manuscripts published in Food Safety and Packaging do not incur publication costs.

Submission Guidelines

Manuscripts must be original, unpublished, and not under consideration for publication elsewhere. They should also contribute significantly to the field of food safety and packaging. Submissions should be written in clear, concise, and professional English, avoiding jargon and overly technical language. Manuscripts should provide clear and detailed descriptions of the methodology employed, including experimental procedures, statistical analysis, and data presentation. Please ensure that the submission includes all required files including

1. A title page including article title, author names and affiliations, email of and corresponding author.
2. A main manuscript file including abstract, main text, acknowledgments, conflict of interest and references.
3. A separate file for tables and figures.
4. Cover letter file; please include two potential reviewers (names, affiliations, contact details), study novelty, transparency on material reuse and confirmation of unpublished and unsubmitted status of manuscript.
5.  Response to reviewer comments (for revised manuscript).

Manuscripts should be submitted electronically through the journal's online submission system (https://fsp.urmia.ac.ir). Visit journal website, click on the "Create an Account" button to create an account using your email address and password and navigate to the "Submit Manuscript" section. The submission process is user-friendly and well-structured, providing authors with clear instructions and support throughout the process, however, if you encounter any questions or require further assistance throughout the submission process, don't hesitate to contact the journal Editorial Office at fsp@urmia.ac.ir.

Manuscript Preparation

Types of Papers and Word Count

• Original research articles should be concise and well-structured, typically ranging from 4000 to 10000 words, including text, references, tables and figures captions. Total references should not exceed 60.
• Review articles (including systematic and meta-analysis) should be comprehensive and informative covering new trends addressing journal covering subjects using updated references. There is no maximum word count or reference requirement for review papers.
• Short communications: Food Safety and Packaging does not consider short communication papers for publication.

General Formatting

• Submissions should be made in Microsoft Word (double-spaced and typed, using 12-point Times New Roman font).
• Line numbers must be added to the manuscript text.
• Headings: Organize manuscript (from Introduction to conclusion sections) logically with sections and sub-sections. Manuscripts require a combined Results and Discussion section.

Abstract

• Start with a concise overview of your research question or hypothesis.
• Briefly describe your methodology and key findings.
• Emphasize the novelty and significance of your work.
• Abstract should summarize research in no more than 200 words.
• Indicate 4-6 keywords.

Introduction

• Introduce the broader context of your research, highlighting the existing knowledge and any gaps in understanding.
• State your research question or hypothesis clearly and concisely.
• Briefly outline the rationale and theoretical framework underpinning your study.

Materials & Methods

• Describe the participants, materials, and procedures used in your research in sufficient detail for replication.
• Be clear and concise, but ensure you cover all essential details.
• Use standardized terminology and referencing where appropriate.

Results & Discussion

• Present your results clearly and objectively, using tables, figures, and text as appropriate.
• Avoid redundancy and focus on the key findings relevant to your research question.
• Discuss the meaning and implications of your findings in the context of existing literature.
• Acknowledge any limitations of your study.
• Manuscripts require a combined Results and Discussion section.

Conclusion

• Summarize the main findings of your research and their broader significance.
• Briefly restate your main conclusions and answer your research question or hypothesis.
• End with a clear statement about the impact of your work and future research directions.

Reference Guidelines

Use below style guide to adapt your text to ensure your manuscript will be at publication standard.

Referencing Style

1. APA Style: All references must adhere to the latest APA style guidelines.
2. Reference List: References should be listed alphabetically at the end of the manuscript, following the APA style format.

Examples of reference citations in text

The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. 

One author: Parenthetical citation: (Smith, 2020) - Narrative citation: Smith (2020)

Two authors: Parenthetical citation: (Smith & Jones, 2020) - Narrative citation: Smith and Jones (2020)

Three or more authors: Parenthetical citation: (Smith et al., 2020) - Narrative citation: Smith et al. (2020)

Examples of the reference list:

Journal Article

Author, A. A. (Publication Date). Full title of the article: Including subtitle. Title of Periodical, volume(issue), first page-last page. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxxx

With DOI

Trevors, G. J., Muis, K. R., Pekrun, R., Sinatra, G. M., & Winnie, P. H. (2016). Identify and epistemic emoticons during knowledge revision: A potential account for the backfire effect. Discourse Processes, 53(5-6), 339-370. https://doi.org/: 10.1080/0163853X.2015.1136507

Without DOI

Nyhan, B. & Reifler, J. (2010). When corrections fail: The persistence of political misperceptions. Political Behavior, 32(2), 303-330.

Books 

Author, A. A. (Publication Year). Full title of the book: Including subtitle. Location: Publisher.

1 Author: Haverbeke, M. (2015). Eloquent Javascript: A modern introduction to programming. San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press.

2 - 7 Authors: Juba, S., Vannahme, A., & Volkov, A. (2015). Learning PostgreSQL. Birmingham, England: Packt.

8+ Authors: Jackson, P., Wang, C., Michaels, T., Kim, P., Childress, C., Andrews, A., . . . Weston, S. (2018). A day in the life: Living in Canada’s northern territories. Madison, WI: State Street Books.

Book Chapter

Szymura, B., & Nęcka, E. (2005). Three superfactors of personality and three aspects of attention. In A. Eliasz, S. Hampson, & B. de Raad (Eds.), Advances in personality psychology (pp. 75-90). New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Edited Book

liasz, A., Hampson, S. E., & de Raad, B. (Eds.) (2005). Advances in personality psychology (Vol. 2). New York, NY: Psychology Press.

Table and Figure Guidelines

Tables

1. Clear and Concise: Tables should be self-explanatory and presented in a clear and concise manner.
2. Headings and Captions: Each table should have a clear and concise title and appropriate captions.
3. Format: Tables should be numbered sequentially and formatted using the appropriate table style.

Figures

1. Quality and Clarity: Figures should be of high quality and clarity, ensuring easy interpretation.
2. Captions and Legends: Each figure should have a descriptive caption and legend.
3. Format: Figures should be numbered sequentially and formatted using the appropriate figure style.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments for individuals, grants, funding sources, and other entities should be included in a dedicated section preceding the References section.

Disclosures and Declarations

Authors are required to disclose:

• Funding sources: all financial and non-financial support for the research.
• Conflicts of interest: any personal or professional interests that could potentially influence the research outcomes.
• Ethical approvals: details on research ethics committee approval if human or animal participants were involved.
• Informed consent: if human participants were involved, confirmation that informed consent was obtained according to relevant guidelines.
• Animal welfare: if animal research was conducted, a statement acknowledging adherence to ethical and regulatory standards for animal welfare.
• Use of AI: According to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy (see below). 

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest occurs when personal or external factors may affect, or appear to affect, the judgment of authors, reviewers, or editors. These factors may not always be obvious at the time of submission, but if revealed later, they could cause readers to question the objectivity of the research. Conflicts of interest can be personal, academic, professional, political, commercial, or financial in nature. Financial interests may include employment, research funding, ownership of shares or stocks, payment for lectures or travel, consultancy work, or any form of support from institutions or companies. All authors must clearly disclose any relationships or situations that could be considered as influencing the presentation, analysis, or interpretation of the research results. If there are no conflicts of interest, authors should include the following statement:

“The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.”

 Authors must also state whether any funding organizations or sponsors were involved in the study design, data collection, data analysis or interpretation, manuscript writing, or the decision to submit or publish the manuscript. If the funding source had no involvement in these activities, authors should include the following statement:

“The funding sponsors had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.”

Changes to Authorship

To ensure responsible attribution, all authors listed must have made significant contributions, allowing them to publicly stand behind the work. To maintain accuracy and transparency, changes to authorship (adding, removing, or altering the corresponding author or author order) are not permitted after manuscript acceptance. Adding or removing authors during revisions is typically prohibited, but exceptions may be considered. If such changes are unavoidable, a detailed explanation, signed by all authors involved (including additions and removals), must be submitted alongside the revised manuscript.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Policy

• Food Safety and Packaging recognizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI)–assisted tools in academic research and writing. The journal permits the limited and responsible use of AI-based technologies, provided that transparency, accountability, and scientific integrity are fully maintained.
• AI tools (such as language editing, grammar correction, or data visualization assistance) may be used to improve the clarity and readability of a manuscript. However, AI tools must not be listed as authors and cannot take responsibility for the content, originality, accuracy, or ethical integrity of the work.
• Authors are fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, and integrity of all content submitted to the journal, including any text, figures, tables, or analyses generated or assisted by AI tools. The use of AI must not result in plagiarism, data fabrication, data falsification, or manipulation of images or results.
• If AI tools have been used during manuscript preparation, authors must clearly disclose this information in the manuscript, specifying the name and purpose of the tool used. The use of AI tools to generate or alter research data, results, or conclusions without explicit disclosure is not permitted.
• The journal reserves the right to evaluate manuscripts for inappropriate or undisclosed AI use and to take action in accordance with publication ethics and COPE guidelines if violations are identified.

Post-Acceptance Process

• Upon acceptance, authors are required to transfer copyright of the manuscript to Urmia University Press.
• All accepted articles are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) which allows users to read, copy, distribute and make derivative works for non-commercial purposes from the material, as long as the author of the original work is cited properly.
• Once the revised manuscript is deemed acceptable, it will be prepared for publication. Authors will receive a proof copy for final review and corrections.

Last Updated: January 1, 2026