Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Formatting Requirements: Complete Author Guide

In our analysis of JAFC-targeted manuscripts, the formatting problem is usually not one isolated style error. It is an editorial triage pattern: the ACS package looks complete, but the significance statement, TOC graphic, analytical validation, and molecular-scope evidence do not yet tell the same story. Editors consistently screen for that mismatch before reviewers spend time on the detailed chemistry.

JAFC publishes several article types with specific length requirements.

The 20 typed page limit excludes references, tables, and figures, and authors must request approval from the Editor-in-Chief to submit a manuscript that exceeds it. JAFC papers often require extensive method descriptions because the food and agricultural chemistry community values reproducibility.

JAFC has a broad scope but draws a line at certain topics. Pure food technology (processing optimization without chemical analysis), nutrition studies without chemical characterization, and purely environmental monitoring without agricultural context are outside scope. Make sure your paper has a clear chemistry component.

Abstract:

• 100-150 words, as a clear, concise, informative one-paragraph summary

• Unstructured, single paragraph

• Should state what was done, what was found, and why it matters

• Include key quantitative results

TOC graphic (mandatory):

• Size: must fit in an area no larger than 3.25 inches by 1.75 inches (approx. 8.25 cm by 4.45 cm)

• Must visually summarize the main finding

• Minimal text within the graphic

• Saved as a TIF at 300 dpi for color or 1200 dpi for black and white, or as an EPS in RGB color mode with all fonts converted to outlines or embedded

• Labeled "For Table of Contents Only" and placed on the last page of the manuscript (it can also be uploaded as "Graphics for manuscript")

The TOC graphic is one of JAFC's most distinctive requirements. It's not optional. The graphic appears in the journal's online and print table of contents and is the first thing browsing readers see. Make it informative and visually clear. Don't just shrink your most complex figure into the TOC format; create a dedicated graphic that communicates the essence of your paper.

Common TOC graphic approaches for JAFC papers:

• Show the food source, the analytical method, and the key finding in a left-to-right flow

• Highlight the main chemical structures identified

• Use a simple schematic showing the extraction-to-analysis pipeline

• Display a key graph with the most striking result

JAFC follows ACS figure guidelines.

Figure requirements:

Chemical structure drawing standards:

• Use ChemDraw with the ACS Stylesheet settings

• Bond length: 14.4 pt

• Line width: 0.6 pt

• Text: Arial or Helvetica, 10 pt

• Consistent style throughout the manuscript

• IUPAC nomenclature and numbering conventions

Table requirements:

• Tables must be self-contained, with a descriptive heading that, together with the column headings, makes the table as nearly as possible self-explanatory

• Use a word processor's table format (preferred), with each data entry in its own table cell

• Number tables consecutively with Arabic numerals and group them after the figure captions

• Footnotes get letter designations and are cited in the table by italic superscript letters, in sequence by row

• Keep to the journal type area (17.8 x 25.4 cm) and column width (8.5 cm); arrangements with more than 20 columns should be broken into two tables if possible

• SI units insofar as possible

• All data must be accompanied by appropriate statistical analyses, including complete information on sampling, replication, and how the statistical method employed was chosen

• To indicate significance of values, use a lower case letter, on line, one space after the value

For JAFC specifically, chromatographic data figures (HPLC, GC-MS, LC-MS) should include peak identification, retention times, and clear axis labels. Mass spectra should show key fragment ions with proposed structural assignments. These are the data types reviewers scrutinize most carefully.

JAFC uses the ACS numbered reference style.

In-text citations: Superscript numbers in the text, numbered in the order of citation. Multiple references: ^1-3 or ^1,3,5.

Reference list format (numbered):

(1) Smith, A. B.; Jones, C. D.; Brown, E. F. Identification of phenolic acids in fermented soybean products by UHPLC-QTOF-MS. J. Agric. Food Chem. 2025, 73, 4567-4578.

The JAFC guidelines give the pattern as author names, article title, abbreviated journal title, year, volume, and page range, with the issue number used only if each issue of the periodical begins with page 1. For an initial submission, ACS Fast Format accepts references in any style as long as they are complete, including titles, so the publisher's documents differ on how strict the reference style is at first submission.

Key formatting rules:

• Author names: Surname, initials (separated by semicolons between authors)

• Journal titles abbreviated per CAS Source Index (CASSI) conventions

• Year, volume, and page range, following the guideline example (J. Agric. Food Chem. 1980, 28, 1-4)

• References are numbered in the order in which they are cited

• The JAFC guideline examples show no DOIs, the ACS Style Quick Guide examples do, and in-press references should include the DOI

The ACS reference style uses semicolons between authors, not commas. This is different from Vancouver/NLM style and catches authors who are reusing bibliographies from non-ACS submissions. Make sure your reference manager is set to "ACS" or "JAFC" output style.

CAS Source Index abbreviations are specific to ACS. They're similar to, but sometimes different from, NLM abbreviations. For example, "Analytica Chimica Acta" is abbreviated as "Anal. Chim. Acta" in both systems, but some journal abbreviations differ. Use the CASSI search tool to verify abbreviations.

JAFC calls its supplementary material "Supporting Information" (SI), following ACS convention.

Common SI content for JAFC:

• Extended chromatographic data and mass spectra

• Full NMR data for characterized compounds

• Additional statistical analyses

• Calibration curves and method validation data

• Extended tables of identified compounds

• Sensory evaluation details

Formatting:

• Submit Supporting Information at the same time as the manuscript, as separate file(s) that are viewable in the submission system

• Supporting Information is provided to reviewers during peer review, and files for publication are made available free of charge to readers

• Include a brief, nonsentence description of the contents of each file, including the file type extension, labeled Supporting Information and placed before the Acknowledgment and References sections

The JAFC guidelines give these examples of sufficient descriptions: "Supporting Information: 1H NMR spectra for all compounds (PDF)" or "Additional experimental details, materials, and methods, including photographs of experimental setup (DOC)". A description such as "Supporting Information: Figures S1-S3" is insufficient.

Both are accepted through the ACS Publishing Center.

Word submissions:

• ACS lists Word templates on the JAFC Information for Authors page, but the JAFC guidelines say the journal does not require the use of any document templates

• Standard formatting: abstract and text in a single, double-spaced column

• Line numbers

• Figures: for an initial submission, ACS Fast Format asks you to embed figures, tables, and schemes in the text at the point of relevance, while the JAFC guidelines also describe inserting captions after the References and graphics after the Tables, so the publisher's documents differ

LaTeX submissions:

• Use the achemso package (ACS article class) on CTAN, also pre-loaded on Overleaf

• Handles ACS reference formatting automatically

• Submit source files and compiled PDF

The achemso LaTeX package is well-maintained and handles the ACS reference style. If you're a LaTeX user, it's straightforward. The agricultural and food chemistry community is primarily Word-based, but LaTeX is perfectly acceptable.

JAFC has several expectations that go beyond standard ACS formatting.

1. TOC graphic is non-negotiable. The journal says you must include a graphical summary for the table of contents. Prepare it before you start the submission process. Don't try to create it last-minute from an existing figure; design it specifically as a summary graphic.

2. Chemical compound characterization standards. For new compounds isolated from food or agricultural sources, JAFC expects novel compounds to be characterized rigorously and unequivocally. The guidelines say supporting data normally include physical form, melting point (if solid), UV/IR spectra if appropriate, 1H and 13C NMR, mass spectrometric data, and optical rotation (when compounds have chiral centers).

3. Purity and composition of test materials. The guidelines make it mandatory that manuscripts reporting biological properties of individual constituents include the purity of the test components and how it was determined (for example 1H NMR, GC-FID, HPLC-ELSD). Investigations with crude extracts need to present detailed information on the chemical composition of the extracts responsible for the described properties.

4. Statistics must be appropriate. The guidelines say all data must be accompanied by appropriate statistical analyses, including complete information on sampling, replication, and how the statistical method employed was chosen.

5. Identification of biological material. The guidelines say biological materials should be identified by scientific name (genus, species, authority, and family) and cultivar, if appropriate, together with the site from which the samples were obtained, and specimens obtained from a natural habitat should be preserved by deposit in an herbarium for plants or a culture collection for microorganisms, with a collection or strain number listed.

6. Safety information. If your paper involves hazardous chemicals (pesticides, mycotoxins, heavy metals), include a brief safety note in the Experimental section describing precautions taken.

7. Open access. JAFC is an ACS hybrid journal, and ACS says there is no charge for publishing in its hybrid journals if an open access option is not chosen. Authors can choose immediate open access under a CC BY or CC BY-NC-ND license (standard prices of $4,500 and $4,000 on the ACS Open Science pricing tables, read on 2026-10-09) or a 12-month embargo option at $2,500 and $2,000. Authors can also deposit the accepted manuscript in an institutional or funder repository free of charge if it is publicly available no sooner than 12 months after publication.

Reference managers like EndNote and Zotero often emit NLM abbreviations and commas-between-authors instead of CASSI abbreviations and semicolons, and exceeding the 20 typed page limit without approval from the Editor-in-Chief is another common problem. Common mistakes to avoid:

• Missing TOC graphic

• TOC graphic at wrong dimensions

• ACS reference style errors (commas instead of semicolons between authors)

• Using NLM journal abbreviations instead of CASSI abbreviations

• Chemical structures not drawn to ACS standards

• Missing or incomplete compound characterization data

• Statistics not described adequately

• Concentration units inconsistent (fresh weight vs. dry weight)

For quick answers to the most common JAFC formatting questions, see the FAQ section at the top of this page.

For manuscripts targeting Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, four patterns generate the most consistent desk-rejection outcomes.

TOC graphic wrong ACS dimensions. JAFC requires a TOC graphic that fits in an area no larger than 3.25 inches wide by 1.75 inches tall (ACS landscape format), saved as a TIF at 300 dpi for color or 1200 dpi for black and white, or as an EPS in RGB mode. The ACS TOC graphic guidelines do not ask for a TOC synopsis. Papers with square TOC graphics carried over from Elsevier-formatted drafts need to be redesigned before submission.

Pesticide residue or contaminant studies lack validated analytical methods. JAFC reviewers apply strict analytical method validation standards for residue and contaminant studies: LOD, LOQ, recovery with RSD, matrix-matched calibration curves, and uncertainty estimation. Studies reporting food safety concentrations without these validation data are weak candidates regardless of the relevance of the findings.

Food chemistry scope is limited to extraction yield without chemical characterization. JAFC publishes the chemistry of agricultural and food systems, not processing technology. Papers that optimize an extraction procedure (solvent ratio, temperature, time) and report yield or antioxidant activity by DPPH without characterizing the specific compounds extracted (phenolic profile by LC-MS, anthocyanin identification by NMR) are desk-rejected for insufficient chemical depth.

Agricultural science scope is agronomy or crop science rather than chemistry. JAFC covers the chemical aspects of agricultural production: pesticide residues, natural product chemistry from plants, soil chemistry, and food safety chemistry. Papers focused on crop yield, agronomic management practices, or soil biology without a chemical analysis component are desk-rejected for scope, even when the underlying field study and its statistical design are sound, because the molecular chemistry that defines the journal is simply not the subject of the work.

A Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry submission readiness check evaluates manuscript scope, ACS formatting compliance, and analytical validation completeness against these desk-rejection patterns.