Food Biochemistry and Food Processing

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Preface

In the last 20 years, the role of food biochemistry

has assumed increasing significance in all major dis-

ciplines within the categories of food science, food

technology, food engineering, food processing, and

food biotechnology. In the five categories men-

tioned, progress has advanced exponentially. As

usual, dissemination of information on this progress

is expressed in many media, both printed and elec-

tronic. Books are available for almost every special-

ty area within the five disciplines mentioned, num-

bering in the hundreds. As is well known, the two

areas of food biochemistry and food processing are

intimately related. However, books covering a joint

discussion of these topics are not so common. This

book attempts to fill this gap, using the following

approaches:

• Principles of food biochemistry,


• Advances in selected areas of food biochemistry,


• Food biochemistry and the processing of muscle
  foods and milk,


• Food biochemistry and the processing of fruits,
  vegetables, and cereals,


• Food biochemistry and the processing of
  fermented foods, and


• Microbiology and food safety.

The above six topics are divided over 31 chapters.

Subject matters discussed under each topic are

briefly reviewed below.

• The principles of food biochemistry are explored
  in definitions, applications, and analysis and in
  advances in food biotechnology. Specific
  examples used include enzymes, protein cross-
  linking, chymosin in cheesemaking, starch
  synthesis in the potato tuber, pectinolytic

enzymes in tomatoes, and food hydration

chemistry and biochemistry.

• The chemistry and biochemistry of muscle foods
  and milk are covered under the color of muscle
  foods, raw meat and poultry, processed meat
  and poultry, seafood enzymes, seafood pro-
  cessing, proteomics and fish processing, milk
  constituents, and milk processing. The chemistry
  and biochemistry of fruits, vegetables, and
  cereals are covered in raw fruits, fruits pro-
  cessing, vegetable processing, rye flours, and
  nonenzymatic browning of cereal baking
  products. The chemistry and biochemistry of
  fermented foods touch on four groups of
  products: dairy products, bakery and cereal
  products, fermented meat, and beer.


• The topic of microbiology and food safety covers
  microbial safety and food processing, and
  emerging bacterial foodborne pathogens.
  This reference and classroom text is a result of the
  combined effort of more than 50 professionals from
  industry, government, and academia. These profes-
  sionals are from more than 15 countries and have
  diverse expertise and background in the discipline
  of food biochemistry and food processing. These
  experts were led by an international editorial team
  of five members from three countries. All these in-
  dividuals, authors and editors, are responsible for
  assembling in one place the scientific topics of food
  biochemistry and food processing, in their immense
  complexity. In sum, the end product is unique, both
  in depth and breadth, and will serve as


• An essential reference on food biochemistry
  and food processing for professionals in the
  government, industry, and academia.

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