The European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (EJCN) starts the year 2007 with the publication of Volume 61. This does not actually mean that EJCN has existed for over 60 years and is entering its 61st year of publication – EJCN first appeared in 1988 as the successor of the journal Human Nutrition: Clinical Nutrition (HNCN). The volume numbers of its predecessor were retained when EJCN was launched, and so the first issue of EJCN was published as Volume 42, Number 1. EJCN has thus really been in existence for less than 20 years, while undoubtedly, its readers will agree, it has over this short period of time made a significant contribution and impact in the field of nutrition.

John Waterlow, who had just retired as Professor of Human Nutrition at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, was Editor of HNCN, and then became the first Editor of the new EJCN at its inception. Professor Waterlow was responsible for the change in journal name, to reflect the need for such a publication to unite nutritionists interested in clinical nutrition in Europe. John Garrow at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School in London succeeded Waterlow as the next Editor of EJCN, and they were both ably supported by Joan Stephen as Executive Editor. Professor Garrow became the first and sole Editor-in-Chief of the journal in January 1990 and was joined in January 1996 by Professor Jacob (Jaap) C Seidell at the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, The Netherlands. Jaap Seidell in turn became sole Editor-in-Chief of EJCN in January 2000. After a decade of close involvement with the journal and subsequent leadership of the journal for nearly 7 years, which was marked by a period of considerable growth in the journal and its impact far beyond the boundaries of Europe, the time has come, yet again, to pass the baton on. Professor Prakash Shetty, now with the University of Southampton Medical School, takes over as Editor-in-Chief from Jaap Seidell. It seems an opportune enough time to pause for a moment and highlight briefly some of the accomplishments of the journal over the last decade.

The number of papers submitted to EJCN has risen dramatically during the last decade, from around 150 submissions in 1996 to just under 600 submissions in 2005. At the time this Editorial was written, the journal looked set to receive well over 600 manuscripts in 2006. The current rejection rate is approximately 60%, and we expect this to rise as a consequence of the continued increase in submissions. The journal's impact factor has also risen slowly but steadily in recent years, and is currently at 2.163. It is our hope that the impact factor will continue to rise as the journal grows over the next decade. Table 1 lists some of the highly cited papers published in EJCN over its brief existence and illustrates the impact that EJCN has had in the area of nutrition globally.

Table 1 European Journal of Clinical Nutrition most highly cited articles
Full size table

The pressures of growth in a journal editorially managed by academics, in an environment that places considerable demands on the Editor-in-Chief, has meant that much time has been spent in the editorial management of EJCN, leaving little time to comment on and innovate changes. We hope, however, that the future will be more generous and will provide opportunities to expand the scope of our journal. As the time comes for the baton of Editorship of EJCN to be passed on, we can only take this opportunity to thank our contributors, not forgetting the crucial role played by the band of reviewers among our peers on whom we are so dependent, alongside the back room of Editorial Assistants supported by Nature Publishing Group who continue to toil to make EJCN what it is to so many of our readers. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a prosperous and eventful 2007, while we continue to solicit your encouragement and support for EJCN in the years to come – we expect the forthcoming year to be a time of change and development for EJCN, and we welcome your feedback and comments on the journal.