FSTA
FSTA is a web database for literature searching in food science and related fields.
What FSTA is
FSTA is a web database for literature searching in food science and related fields. It contains scientific journal articles, trade publications, conference proceedings, and industry patents, with over 2,400,000 abstracts related to food and health sciences. Coverage spans research from 91 countries and 43 languages, with abstracts dating from 1969 onward. IFIS says about 4,500 new entries are added each week. Records use an IFIS food thesaurus with more than 16,000 terms to support targeted searches, and expert scientists vet additions and sources for relevance and reliability. IFIS also screens new journals using 60 measures covering quality, integrity, and relevance. Organizations can request a free trial, with setup coordination, training, webinars, and downloadable materials available. Subscriptions are offered through Web of Science, Ovid, and EBSCOhost. FSTA with Full Text is produced with EBSCO and available only on EBSCO. Pricing is on request, with no free plan.
Good
- Over 2,400,000 food and health abstracts
- Covers 91 countries and 43 languages
- Weekly additions of approximately 4,500 entries
- Thesaurus supports targeted searching
- Free trial available for organizations
Watch out
- No free plan
- Pricing is available only on request
- Full Text is exclusive to EBSCO
- Web access only
Who it suits
FSTA suits researchers, scientists, students, librarians, academic libraries, corporate research labs, and government agencies. It is intended for organizations needing multidisciplinary food and health science literature searching.
Verdict
FSTA provides broad, curated food and health science literature coverage with advanced searching and institutional access. Its paid, request-based pricing and platform-specific full-text option should be considered before subscribing.
Plans and prices
From FSTA's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| FSTA corporate pay-as-you-go | Priced on request | Pay-as-you-go access for corporate users; price not stated |
| FSTA subscription | Priced on request | Subscription access; pricing not stated on the pages reviewed |
The facts
Each one read from FSTA's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Access help
- IFIS says its team will check subscription access and get back to users within one working day if automatic matching does not identify a subscription.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Audience
- IFIS describes FSTA as serving researchers, scientists, students, libraries, corporate research labs and government agencies.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Content
- The database includes scientific journal articles, trade publications, conference proceedings, and industry patents.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Content types
- FSTA covers scientific journal articles, trade publications, conference proceedings and industry patents.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Coverage
- The database contains more than 2,400,000 abstracts directly related to food and includes more than 27,000 sources.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Curation
- IFIS says expert scientists vet additions and sources for reliability and relevance to food and health sciences.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Full text option
- FSTA with Full Text lists 273 active full-text journals, including 163 with no embargo.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Indexing
- FSTA records are indexed using an IFIS food thesaurus of over 16,000 terms to support targeted searches.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- FSTA is available through Web of Science, Ovid and EBSCOhost; FSTA with Full Text is available exclusively on EBSCO.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Journal screening
- IFIS evaluates new journals for quality, integrity, and relevance, using a checklist of 60 measures to screen for predatory or unethical practices.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- FSTA is a literature-search database for food science and related fields, including food and health sciences.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Record count
- IFIS says FSTA contains over 2,400,000 abstracts related to food and health sciences.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Search
- Records are indexed using IFIS’s food thesaurus of more than 16,000 terms to support targeted searches.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Support
- IFIS offers drop-in webinars and downloadable training materials for users and information professionals.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Training and support
- IFIS offers drop-in webinars, downloadable training materials and tailored training for organizations or universities.checked 9 Oct 2026
- Updates
- IFIS says the database is updated weekly, with approximately 4,500 entries added per week.checked 9 Oct 2026
The company
- Founded
- 1969checked 28 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdomchecked 28 Sep 2026
- Maker
- IFIS is a not-for-profit academic publishing organization founded in 1968 and based in Reading, UK.checked 9 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Research platforms
- FSTA subscriptions are available through Web of Science, Ovid, and EBSCOhost.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Trial
- IFIS invites organizations to arrange a free trial, but the page does not state its duration.checked 9 Oct 2026
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