In a shocking turn of events, the academic publisher Frontiers has announced the retraction of an article along with several corrections across its journals, following the discovery that a food scientist was impersonated as a reviewer.

Background of the Article

The article in question studied the potential anti-cancer effects of asparagus extract and was published in *Frontiers in Pharmacology* in May 2023. A retraction notice released on January 26 revealed that the paper contained duplicated images and raised serious concerns regarding its scientific validity.

Impersonation of Alaa El-Din Bekhit

The investigation unveiled that a fraudulent email address was used to impersonate the authentic scientist, Alaa El-Din Bekhit, who had no knowledge of or involvement with this manuscript.

Alaa El-Din Bekhit's Response

El-Din Bekhit is a respected meat scientist and food technologist at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. While he did co-edit a special issue on global food chemistry for *Frontiers in Nutrition* in 2022, he confirmed that he does not serve as an editor for other Frontiers journals and was unaware of the articles associated with his name. In a vehement response to the impersonation, El-Din Bekhit expressed his anger and concern, stating, "It is alarming how easily identities can be misused. I requested the authorities to be involved since this amounts to fraud."

Corrections and Broader Impact

In addition to the retraction, Frontiers issued corrections for four other papers spanning different topics, including the global impact of diets high in processed meats and reviews on nanomaterials in bone regeneration. The affiliations of the researchers linked to these articles were traced back to various universities and institutes in China, without any apparent overlap.

Continuing Issues and Implications

Despite Frontiers' claims that El-Din Bekhit's name would be removed from the publications, there were reports as of mid-March that his name still appeared in the HTML and PDF versions of the retracted article. This incident highlights a broader issue in academic publishing, where impersonation is not an isolated case. impersonators have previously deceived journals by posing as guest editors or authors, completely undermining the integrity of the peer review process.

Conclusion and Future Measures

Frontiers has acknowledged that while such impersonation cases are rare, they are not unheard of and underscored the importance of verifying identities through legitimate email communication. El-Din Bekhit reminded that proactive measures—including the utilization of verified email addresses—are crucial for preventing similar issues in the future. As the academic world grapples with this startling breach of trust, it serves as a reminder of the constant vigilance required to maintain the credibility and trust inherent in scientific research.