nature-food

# Nature Portfolio Food Journals — Author Guideline Skill **Publisher:** Nature Portfolio · **Verified:** 2026-07 · Sources: [Nature Food content types](https://www.nature.com/natfood/content) · [Nature Food formatting](https://www.nature.com/natfood/submission-guidelines/aip-and-formatting) · [npj Science of Food content types](https://www.nature.com/npjscifood/content-types). Confirm at source. ## Applies to - **Nature Food** — selective; strict word/display limits (below). - **npj Science of Food** — open access; more flexible length but same Nature referencing and rigor. ## Nature Food article types (word/display limits) | Type | Main text | Abstract | Display items | References | |---|---|---|---|---| | Article | ≤3,000 words (excl. abstract, Methods, refs, legends) | ≤150 words, unreferenced | ≤6 (figs/tables) | ~50 (guide) | | Perspective | ≤1,500 words (incl. abstract, refs, legends), no headings | ≤70 words | ≤2 | — | | Brief Communication | ≤1,500 words (incl. everything) | ≤70 words | small | ~20 | | Review / Analysis | commissioned; confirm limits | — | — | — | Title ≤10 words / ~90 characters. Methods placed after main text (Articles), not counted in the word limit. ## npj Science of Food Standard Article structure (Introduction, Results, Discussion, Methods); no rigid word cap but concise; abstract ~150–200 words; open-access APC applies. ## Reference style **Nature style: superscript numbers** in order of citation (`...as shown previously^12`). Reference ...