Foods are edible substances of plant, animal, microbial or synthetic origin that supply the macronutrients, micronutrients and energy required to sustain metabolism, growth and physiological function. Within food chemistry and food science, the term encompasses not only nutritional composition but the structural, se…
Foods are edible substances of plant, animal, microbial or synthetic origin that supply the macronutrients, micronutrients and energy required to sustain metabolism, growth and physiological function. Within food chemistry and food science, the term encompasses not only nutritional composition but the structural, sensory and functional properties of edible matrices, the chemical and microbiological hazards they may carry, and the transformations they undergo during processing, storage and digestion. Classification spans whole and minimally processed foods, formulated products, and the heavily reformulated ultra-processed category, alongside functional foods and nutraceuticals engineered to deliver bioactive benefit beyond basic nutrition. Quality and safety depend on analytical assessment of constituents, contaminants such as aflatoxins and other mycotoxins, and indicators like antioxidant capacity. Studies in this area examine the antioxidant capacity of foods and extracts, nutraceutical and functional-food formulation, aflatoxin contamination and its monitoring, regulatory frameworks governing school food provision, the use of alternative protein sources including edible insects, associations between ultra-processed food intake and outcomes such as sleep, and the valorization of cooked food waste through biogas generation, reflecting how food composition, safety, sustainability and human health are interlinked.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 149 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Foods, linking to each citing work.