Common errors and avoidance strategies in English abstracts of China's food science journals

English abstracts play a crucial role in enhancing the international academic influence of academic journals and improving their acceptance among the global readership. By employing case studies and discourse analysis methods, this study examines the English abstracts of recent articles published in Food & Machinery and Journal of Food Science and Biotechnology. The analysis identifies several common errors in these abstracts, including inaccuracies in language use, inconsistencies in structure, and a lack of academic rigor. The primary causes for these issues can be attributed to inadequate language proficiency and writing skills, differences in cultural backgrounds between Chinese and English, and insufficient awareness of academic norms. Based on these findings, the study proposes several corrective measures, such as consulting authoritative food science reference works and parallel texts, systematically improving English grammar knowledge, and strengthening the translation of specialized terminology. These recommendations aim to provide practical guidance for Chinese scholars in drafting high-quality English abstracts.