ORONO — University of Maine food science professor Mary Ellen Camire has been named the first dedicated editor-in-chief for the journal Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety.
The journal ranks third among more than 140 food science and technology journals worldwide. Camire has served as scientific editor of the journal since 2018. In that role, she screened all submissions for suitability for peer review, totaling more than 900 papers in 2021, when the journal earned an impact factor of 15.786.
“I am excited to work with a great team of editors and staff to provide readers around the world with the information in food science. In 2023, I hope to increase authors’ success with journals while maintaining our high expectations for review manuscripts,” Camire says.
Prior to Camire’s appointment, a single editor-in-chief oversaw both of the Institute of Food Technologists’ journals. Her appointment followed a recommendation from the IFT Journals Task Force to separate the roles. Camire is also the first woman editor-in-chief for the institute, and served as its president from 2014-15.
“We are thrilled to welcome Professor Camire as the new editor-in-chief of Comprehensive Reviews,” says Christie Tarantino-Dean, IFT CEO. “In her previous leadership as Scientific Editor, Professor Camire successfully managed Comprehensive Reviews during a period of tremendous growth. We look forward to the future as she collaborates with her team of accomplished editors to implement their vision for the journal.”
Camire has been a faculty member in the UMaine School of Food and Agriculture since 1989. She also coordinates UMaine’s food science and human nutrition graduate programs, is the membership director of the Healthy Aging Dietetic Practice Group and a faculty associate at UMaine’s Center on Aging. Camire is also an associate editor for the journal Cereal Chemistry.
In her research, Camire studies how food processing that improves shelf life affects nutritional value and consumer satisfaction. She also assesses how consumers react to new crop varieties and food products. Her goals include increasing consumption of healthy foods, especially among older and disadvantaged populations, and the development of sustainable food production.
