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Books in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Bread Making

    Improving Quality
    • 1st Edition
    • Stanley P. Cauvain
    • English
    There has been a wealth of recent research on the complex changes involved in bread making and how they influence the many traits consumers use to define quality. Bread making: improving quality sums up this key research and what it means for improved process control and a better, more consistent product.After an introductory review of bread making as a whole part one discusses wheat and flour quality. Chapter 3 summarises current research on the structure of wheat, providing the context for chapters on wheat proteins (chapters 5 and 6) and starch (chapter 7). There are also chapters on ways of measuring wheat and flour quality, and improving flour for bread making. Part two reviews dough formation and its impact on the structure and properties of bread. It includes chapters on the molecular structure of dough, foam formation and bread aeration together with discussion of the role of key ingredients such as water. A final group of chapters then discusses other aspects of quality such as improving taste and nutritional properties, as well as preventing moulds and mycotoxin contamination.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Bread making: improving quality is a standard work both for industry and the research community.
  • Sausage Manufacture

    Principles and Practice
    • 1st Edition
    • E Essien
    • English
    Sausage manufacture: principles and practice provides a concise and authoritative guide to manufacturing high-quality products for the consumer. It begins by considering issues of definition and the market trends which determine how consumers define quality. The book then discusses product formulation, describing the essential recipe information for the main types of sausage. The chapter also includes the calculations required for mandatory product labelling in the EU.Chapter 4 reviews the key stages in production from raw material procurement through chopping, filling and cooking to storage and distribution. Building on this foundation, the following chapter outlines good practice in safety and quality assurance.The final chapter reviews recent product development and novel products such as organic, vegetarian and low fat sausages which have emerged to meet changing consumer requirements. The book concludes with a series of useful appendices listing permitted additives, sample quality assurance and HACCP systems documentation.Writte... by an experienced industry professional, Sausage manufacture: principles and practice is a standard guide to good practice for manufacturers.
  • Rapid and On-Line Instrumentation for Food Quality Assurance

    • 1st Edition
    • I Tothill
    • English
    Many measurements of product and process characteristics have traditionally been 'off-line', involving removing the product and taking it to a quality control laboratory for analysis over a period of hours or even days. However, the development of faster, more automated methods of production, and the shift to more proactive quality and safety management systems such as HACCP, has forced the food industry to look for more rapid methods with the potential for continuous, real-time measurement of products and processes. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, this important collection summarises key developments in this growing field.Part one reviews the emergence of new methods for analysing food safety. It includes chapters on the detection of foreign bodies, other contaminants such as toxins, pesticides, dioxins and veterinary residues, and rapid methods for detecting pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Part two discusses the measurement of product quality. There are chapters on analysing ingredients such as additives and micronutrients, genetically-modified organisms and added water. A number of chapters discuss methods for analysing food composition, and the use of electronic noses to monitor food quality. A final chapter reviews ways of integrating such measurements into effective process control.Rapid and on-line instrumentation for food quality assurance provides a benchmark of good practice in this important field, and will be a valuable reference for the food industry.
  • Advances in Agronomy

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 80
    • English
    Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest research in agronomy. Major reviews deal with the current topics of interest to agronomists, as well as crop and soil scientists. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. Editor Donald Sparks, former president of the Soil Science Society of America and current president of the International Union of Soil Science, is the S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences at The University of Delaware.
  • Dairy Processing

    Improving Quality
    • 1st Edition
    • G Smit
    • English
    The dairy sector continues to be at the forefront of innovation in food processing. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Dairy processing: improving quality reviews key developments and their impact on product safety and quality.The first two chapters of part one provide a foundation for the rest of the book, summarising the latest research on the constituents of milk and reviewing how agricultural practice influences the quality of raw milk. This is followed by three chapters on key aspects of safety: good hygienic practice, improvements in pasteurisation and sterilisation, and the use of modelling to assess the effectiveness of pasteurisation. A final sequence of chapters in part one discuss aspects of product quality, from flavour, texture, shelf-life and authenticity to the increasingly important area of functional dairy products. Part two reviews some of the major technological advances in the sector. The first two chapters discuss developments in on-line control of process efficiency and product quality. They are followed by chapters on new technologies to improve qualities such as shelf-life, including high pressure processing, drying and the production of powdered dairy products, and the use of dissolved carbon dioxide to extend the shelf-life of milk. Part three looks in more detail at key advances in cheese manufacture.Dairy processing: improving quality is a standard reference for the dairy industry in improving process efficiency and product quality.
  • Hygiene in Food Processing

    Principles and Practice
    • 1st Edition
    • H.L.M. Lelieveld + 3 more
    • English
    A high standard of hygiene is a prerequisite for safe food production, and the foundation on which HACCP and other safety management systems depend. Edited and written by some of the world's leading experts in the field, and drawing on the work of the prestigious European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG), Hygiene in food processing provides an authoritative and comprehensive review of good hygiene practice for the food industry.Part one looks at the regulatory context, with chapters on the international context, regulation in the EU and the USA. Part two looks at the key issue of hygienic design. After an introductory chapter on sources of contamination, there are chapters on plant design and control of airborne contamination. These are followed by a sequence of chapters on hygienic equipment design, including construction materials, piping systems, designing for cleaning in place and methods for verifying and certifying hygienic design. Part three then reviews good hygiene practices, including cleaning and disinfection, personal hygiene and the management of foreign bodies and insect pests.Drawing on a wealth of international experience and expertise, Hygiene in food processing is a standard work for the food industry in ensuring safe food production.
  • Diversity in Barley (Hordeum vulgare)

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 7
    • R. von Bothmer + 3 more
    • English
    Genetic diversity is one of the main resources sustaining human life. Food security largely depends on the availability and utilization of this diversity, which is of strategic importance for countries and companies. Conservation and utilization of biodiversity is thus currently an urgent area of global debate and concern. Barley is a major crop in the world used for food, feed and malt, and with a wide religious and ethnic importance. The crop was domesticated in Neolithic time in SW Asia and spread rapidly under cultivation to new areas. Nowadays it is one of the most widespread and widely adapted crops grown under contrasting edaphic conditions. Adaptations to new environments, different agricultural practices and selection for different uses have further added to the complex diversity pattern. Is it at all possible to give a complete picture of the diversity in a crop or wild species? Are we, by adding new technologies, only revealing parts of the diversity? Do different sets of data show similar or conflicting pictures of genetic diversity? Will the large genome size reduce the role of barley as a model organism in these current sequencing days? Or, are there still major reasons to continue to work with this beautiful crop? The aim of this book is to cover the complex issue of diversification in time and space in a single crop: barley. Leading scientists from various fields describe the entire variation pattern in different sets of characters and an attempt is made for a synthesis to a holistic picture. The book proposes ways to use the achievements of diversity studies in future research and breeding programmes.
  • Texture in Food

    Semi-Solid Foods
    • 1st Edition
    • B M McKenna
    • English
    Texture is one of the most important attributes used by consumers to assess food quality. This quality is particularly important for the growing number of semi-solid foods from sauces and dressings to yoghurt, spreads and ice cream. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, this authoritative book summarises the wealth of recent research on what influences texture in semi-solid foods and how it can be controlled to maximise product quality.Part one reviews research on the structure of semi-solid foods and its influence on texture, covering emulsion rheology, the behaviour of biopolymers and developments in measurement. Part two considers key aspects of product development and enhancement. It includes chapters on engineering emulsions and gels, and the use of emulsifiers and hydrocolloids. The final part of the book discusses improving the texture of particular products, with chapters on yoghurt, spreads, ice cream, sauces and dressings.With its summary of key research trends and their practical implications in improving product quality, Texture in food Volume 1: semi-solid foods is a standard reference for the food industry. It is complemented by a second volume on the texture of solid foods.
  • Elsevier's Dictionary of Plant Names of North America including Mexico

    In Latin, English (American) and Spanish (Mexican and European)
    • 1st Edition
    • R.C. White
    • English
    The border between the United States of America and Mexico is the busiest in the world. This area is also the meeting place of the two great cultures of the Western Hemisphere, Spanish-speaking Latin America and English-speaking North America. Recent demographic migrations coupled with increasing globalization have necessitated closer cooperation and communication between these groups.The area of communication of this dictionary centers around the vernacular or common names of plants. Many recent immigrants from Mexico and further south have gained employment in areas of agriculture, landscaping, and commercial plant nurseries. The new residents also bring with them a rich history of herbal medicines that are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Both groups share interests in each other's cuisines with respect to food plants and spices.This dictionary contains the Latin, English, and Spanish names for over 7,000 species of the most important plants found mainly in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Included are native and naturalized plants as well as plants of economic value. The main section of the book is organized alphabetically by the scientific Latin genus and species of each plant. The book is also fully indexed by common names primarily in American-English and Mexican-Spanish.
  • Natural Antimicrobials for the Minimal Processing of Foods

    • 1st Edition
    • S Roller
    • English
    Consumers demand food products with fewer synthetic additives but with increased safety, quality and shelf-life. These demands have led to renewed interest in the use of natural antimicrobials to preserve foods. However, despite the wide range of potential antimicrobials, relatively few are suitable for use in practice in particular food products. Edited by a leading expert in the field, and with a distinguished international team of contributors, Natural antimicrobials for the minimal processing of foods discusses their practical application in food preservation, often in conjunction with other preservation techniques.After an introductory chapter, the book first discusses the use of bacteriocins such as nisin in preserving animal and other food products, often in conjunction with other preservation techniques such as high hydrostatic pressure and pulsed electric fields. Subsequent chapters discuss the current and future uses of natamycin, organic acids, antimicrobials from animals and chitosan as preservatives. Three chapters are devoted to antimicrobials from plants and their use in a wide range of applications, including the preservation of fresh and minimally-processed fruits and vegetables. A final group of chapters discuss the use of natural antimicrobials in edible coatings, applications of natural antifungal agents, the combination of natural antimicrobials with irradiation, and the regulatory context.With its practical emphasis and authoritative coverage, Natural antimicrobials for the minimal processing of foods is a standard work for the food industry in developing new preservation systems that extend the shelf-life of foods without compromising safety or sensory quality.