Use the databases listed on this page to find relevant information on topics in food and nutritional sciences. They will give you access to both primary and secondary sources of information.
References to publications covering food science, food processing and nutrition.
Resources for finding articles on business and marketing
Market research (UK)
These resources cover UK market information only.
Market research (global)
Company info
Key database
Additional resources
Foodlaw-Reading
THE portal for sources of food law compiled by Dr David Jukes from the University of Reading. Includes links to the main sources of legislation and key legal topics including additives, flavourings and labelling.
UK legislation
LexisLibrary and Westlaw UK provide the text of Acts and Statutory Instruments in force. The UK's Government's official Legislation.gov.uk website provides free access to original and revised versions of legislation, but this is not as up-to-date as LexisLibrary and Westlaw UK.
Legislation from other countries
This can be harder to find. The following are useful portals.
For more detailed information on finding legislation consult the Law guide:
Key database
Additional resources
See also our guide to finding statistics:
For other sources see our guide to finding statistics:
These resources might help with experimental protocols.
A standard is an officially approved specification covers requirements for the properties, dimensions, performance, qualities and testing of products and services. Standards are particularly useful for methods of analysis.
Our Inter-Library Loans service can get articles, books and other publications not held at Reading from other libraries (usually from the British Library).
For more information see our webpages:
If you are on campus you will be able to access most e-journals and e-books, and some databases, without entering a username and password because your IP address identifies you as being at the University of Reading.
For any that require a login, see the Off-campus tab.
When you use our e-resources you are agreeing to our Terms of Use. Please take a moment to look at these by following the link below:
When you are off-campus you will need to login to identify yourself as a member of the University of Reading to gain access to our protected databases, e-books and e-journals.
Your login details
You login in the same way as for Blackboard - via Microsoft. Just enter your University username followed by @student.reading.ac.uk (e.g. ab123456@student.reading.ac.uk) and your password. If this is the first time you have logged in via this method when off-campus you will be asked to complete a Multi-Factor Authentication. For more information see:
Getting to the login page...
Watch this short video on how you login to use Library resources.
This playlist of three videos shows you how to prepare for and perform a literature search. The first video introduces literature searches and their role. The second video covers using the search operators AND and OR to create a search statement, and explains the role of wildcards and truncation in constructing a comprehensive search. This information is also available in written guides - see the links below. The third video covers selecting relevant resources from your search results.
Use the template below to help plan out your own literature search - identifying keywords and synonyms. There's also an example to help guide you.
The Food Science and Technology Abstracts database (FSTA) is produced by IFIS (International Food Information Service). They have produced a range of support materials to help you make the most of this valuable resource for research in food and nutrition.
An introduction to planning your systematic review.
You will need to login using your University email address and password to view the videos.
See also our detailed guide to doing a systematic review:
This video covers the first four steps in doing a systematic review, including creating a protocol and searching for literature.
This video covers the fifth and sixth steps in doing a systematic review. It focuses on using Desktop EndNote to manage references and screening the literature.
The final in a series of four videos on systematic reviews which covers writing it up.