This book systematically covers immunoassays for food, presenting detailed approaches such as antigen design, food matrix pre-treatment and detection format optimization for 9 classes of food hazards and nutrition constituents. Offering ideas on how to improve the efficiency of recognized xenobiotics and food contents, this practical book also describes the discovery and utilization of novel immune agents like aptamer and molecular imprinted polymers in food analysis. It is intended for a broad range of areas, including biologists and food chemists, and is sure to become a key reference resource for students and professionals alike.

Cinnamon is the common name for the spice obtained from the dried inner bark of several species of the genus Cinnamomum in the Lauraceae family. In world trade, Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J. Presl Cinnamomum burmannii dominate, but it is of a different quality to 'true' or 'Ceylon' cinnamon produced from Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume (C. verum J. Presl), with the latter much easier to process, giving a more delicate, sweeter flavor with nuances of clove, but more importantly with only traces (often below detection thresholds) of coumarin, compared with 5-7 g/kg in other species. Cinnamon has been a popular and expensive spice in many civilizations, including ancient Egypt, Rome and in 14th and 15th century Europe, where it was used primarily to preserve meat for its antibacterial properties, fine aroma and flavor. Ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in mummification process due to its antibacterial properties and fragrance. The quest for cinnamon brought many explorers to Ceylon, whose ancient history is intertwined with the cinnamon trade. Ancient Egyptians and Romans used cinnamon as a valued spice and as an incense. In recent years, much research has been conducted in crop improvement, processing and value addition in cinnamon. In addition to direct use as a condiment/spice, cinnamon has found a multitude of uses in the food and beverage, traditional medicine, pharmacology, nutraceutical and cosmetics industries. Ceylon cinnamon is unique in that oils distilled from the bark (major constituents are cinnamaldehyde and oleoresins), leaf (eugenol is the major constituent used in dentistry, perfumes, flavorings and as an antioxidant) and roots (camphor) have different industrial uses. Cinnamaldehyde is now a proven natural bactericide widely used in food and beverage industry, effective against Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli. Thus, it has become an important natural component of organic fruit and vegetable juices to enhance microbial safety of these nutritious beverages. Because of its manifold uses, cinnamon is an important crop. There have been many recent publications on its ethnobotany, genetics, crop improvement, agronomy, processing, biotechnology, chemistry, food and medicinal uses, and industrial applications. However, one book condensing all these findings is lacking. Our publication, with chapters devoted to all these aspects of cinnamon written by experts in these fields, condenses current knowledge into a single source and contribute to the advancement and dissemination of knowledge and technology. Contributors to the book constitute internationally renowned senior scientists and academics with hands-on experience as well as movers and shakers of industry, thereby striking a right balance between theory and practice. Therefore it is a valuable source for students, teachers, scientists, planners policy makers, practicing agriculturists and industrialists, and a prized acquisition to any library in higher education institutions, R & D institutions and public and private sector institutions in agriculture and allied fields.

With the world s growing population, the provision of a safe, nutritious and wholesome food supply for all has become a major challenge. To achieve this, effective risk management based on sound science and unbiased information is required by all stakeholders, including the food industry, governments and consumers themselves. In addition, the globalization of the food supply requires the harmonization of policies and standards based on a common understanding of food safety among authorities in countries around the world. With some 280 chapters, the Encyclopedia of Food Safety provides unbiased and concise overviews which form in total a comprehensive coverage of a broad range of food safety topics, which may be grouped under the following general categories: History and basic sciences that support food safety; Foodborne diseases, including surveillance and investigation; Foodborne hazards, including microbiological and chemical agents; Substances added to food, both directly and indirectly; Food technologies, including the latest developments; Food commodities, including their potential hazards and controls; Food safety management systems, including their elements and the roles of stakeholders. The Encyclopedia provides a platform for experts from the field of food safety and related fields, such as nutrition, food science and technology and environment to share and learn from state-of-the art expertise with the rest of the food safety community.

Assembled with the objective of facilitating the work of those working in the field of food safety and related fields, such as nutrition, food science and technology and environment-this work covers the entire spectrum of food safety topics into one comprehensive reference work.

The Editors have made every effort to ensure that this workmeets strict quality and pedagogical thresholds such as: contributions by the foremost authorities in their fields; unbiased and concise overviews on a multitude of food safety subjects; references for further information, and specialized and general definitions for food safety terminology.

In maintaining confidence in the safety of the food supply, sound scientific information is key to effectively and efficiently assessing, managing and communicating on food safety risks. Yet, professionals and other specialists working in this multidisciplinary field are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with developments outside their immediate areas of expertise. This single source of concise, reliable and authoritative information on food safety has, more than ever, become a necessity. "

The use of Instant Controlled Pressure Drop (D.I.C.) in food processing operations is relatively new when compared with other conventional or innovative technologies. In addition to existing applications such as drying, texturing and decontamination, D.I.C. technology has been shown to be highly appropriate for an ever-growing number of uses and with a wide range of raw materials. Some examples are post-harvesting and drying of fruits and vegetables; cereal steaming; extraction of essential oils and active molecules, where D.I.C. may be combined with supercritical fluids, ultrasound or microwaves; and the hydrolysis of cellulose and the transesterification of lipids. This book presents a complete picture of current knowledge on the use of D.I.C. in food processing, preservation and extraction. It provides a comprehensive compilation, summarizing the fundamentals of D.I.C. technology, current developments, new research findings, safety precautions and environmental impacts. It will also contribute to widening the scope of D.I.C. technology through the inclusion of some much-needed examples of industrial applications. Each chapter of the book is complementary to the other chapters. They all are based on presentations of reputed international researchers and address the latest progress in the field. Professor Karim ALLAF heads a research team working on the intensification of eco-processes at La Rochelle University. He is a physicist and an expert in the thermodynamics of "instantaneity". Dr. Tamara ALLAF is the R&D manager of ABCAR-DIC Process Company. A chemical engineer, she obtained her Ph.D. in innovative extraction processes.

This edited volume provides insight into temperate fruits, with an emphasis on postharvest physiology, storage, packaging and technologies for maintaining fruit quality. Chapters are devoted to individual fruits and focus on fundamental issues such as methods for maintaining or enhancing quality, minimizing postharvest losses, and recommended technologies to boost demand. Contributions come from experts in the field, making this a key reference for all aspects of postharvest management of temperate fruits. The volume is unique in its focus on the biodiversity, nutritional and health benefits, and postharvest technologies for shelf life enhancement of temperate fruits. Contributing authors address the postharvest biology and technology of individual temperate fruits such as plum, cherry, peach, apricot, apple, pear, quince, loquat, kiwi, persimmon and berries. There has been tremendous growth in the research and development of new techniques to maintain the quality of temperate fruits from farm to table. Contributions from experts in the field cover these recent advances, providing up-to-date and relevant information for researchers, postharvest/fruit technologists, food scientists, postgraduate students, and others working in the industry.

This book describes a robust, low-cost electrochemical sensing system that is able to detect hormones and phthalates - the most ubiquitous endocrine disruptor compounds - in beverages and is sufficiently flexible to be readily coupled with any existing chemical or biochemical sensing system. A novel type of silicon substrate-based smart interdigital transducer, developed using MEMS semiconductor fabrication technology, is employed in conjunction with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to allow real-time detection and analysis. Furthermore, the presented interdigital capacitive sensor design offers a sufficient penetration depth of the fringing electric field to permit bulk sample testing. The authors address all aspects of the development of the system and fully explain its benefits. The book will be of wide interest to engineers, scientists, and researchers working in the fields of physical electrochemistry and biochemistry at the undergraduate, postgraduate, and research levels. It will also be highly relevant for practitioners and researchers involved in the development of electromagnetic sensors.

The aim of this book is to show how wine tourism can be used as a model for sustainable economic development, driving economic growth and social development in some locations. It will explore the interaction between tourism and viticulture in wine tourism destinations, while also explaining some of the repercussions of these activities. This book covers various topics including regional development, environmental management, sustainable viticulture, quality management in wineries and wine tourism routes among others. Wine tourism, which combines two important yet distinct economic activities (i.e., tourism and viticulture), has recently emerged as a new tourism product driven by tourists' search for new experiences and wineries' need to diversify their businesses and seek new revenue streams to boost sales. This new form of tourism, which typically takes place in rural areas and which combines wine production with tourist activities, is becoming important for such regions by providing a complementary income source. It provides a model for sustainable economic development for these regions, which for various reasons may otherwise struggle to develop. Featuring cases and business implications from various locations, this book provides an important source of knowledge-both theoretical and practical-suitable to academics, scholars, researchers, and practitioners in the tourism sector and the wine industry.

Low water activity (aw) and dried foods such as dried dairy and meat products, grain-based and dried ready-to-eat cereal products, powdered infant formula, peanut and nut pastes, as well as flours and meals have increasingly been associated with product recalls and foodborne outbreaks due to contamination by pathogens such as Salmonella spp. and enterohemorrhagic E. coli. In particular, recent foodborne outbreaks and product recalls related to Salmonella-contaminated spices have raised the level of public health concern for spices as agents of foodborne illnesses. Presently, most spices are grown outside the U.S., mainly in 8 countries: India, Indonesia, China, Brazil, Peru, Madagascar, Mexico and Vietnam. Many of these countries are under-developed and spices are harvested and stored with little heed to sanitation. The FDA has regulatory oversight of spices in the United States; however, the agency's control is largely limited to enforcing regulatory compliance through sampling and testing only after imported foodstuffs have crossed the U.S. border. Unfortunately, statistical sampling plans are inefficient tools for ensuring total food safety. As a result, the development and use of decontamination treatments is key. This book provides an understanding of the microbial challenges to the safety of low aw foods, and a historic backdrop to the paradigm shift now highlighting low aw foods as vehicles for foodborne pathogens. Up-to-date facts and figures of foodborne illness outbreaks and product recalls are included. Special attention is given to the uncanny ability of Salmonella to persist under dry conditions in food processing plants and foods. A section is dedicated specifically to processing plant investigations, providing practical approaches to determining sources of persistent bacterial strains in the industrial food processing environment. Readers are guided through dry cleaning, wet cleaning and alternatives to processing plant hygiene and sanitation. Separate chapters are devoted to low aw food commodities of interest including spices, dried dairy-based products, low aw meat products, dried ready-to-eat cereal products, powdered infant formula, nuts and nut pastes, flours and meals, chocolate and confectionary, dried teas and herbs, and pet foods. The book provides regulatory testing guidelines and recommendations as well as guidance through methodological and sampling challenges to testing spices and low aw foods for the presence of foodborne pathogens. Chapters also address decontamination processes for low aw foods, including heat, steam, irradiation, microwave, and alternative energy-based treatments.

In this book, some of the most qualified scientists review different food safety topics, ranging from emerging and reemerging foodborne pathogens, food regulations in the USA, food risk analysis and the most important foodborne pathogens based on food commodities. This book provides the reader with the necessary knowledge to understand some of the complexities of food safety. However, anybody with basic knowledge in microbiology will find in this book additional information related to a variety of food safety topics.

This volume examines the interrelated fields of food security, energy security and sustainable agriculture as the key to a stable global agricultural platform and is arranged in six parts. The first part is focused on policy considerations relating to food and energy security and sustainable agriculture. The authors from this part include Former Under Secretary of Agriculture Gale Buchanan, Former Under Secretary of Energy Raymond Orbach (Chapter 1), Stephen Hughes, Bryan Moser and William Gibbons (Chapter 2) and Thomas Redick (Chapter 3). Part II addresses soil and water, which are two of the key components in secure and sustainable food production. Authors from this part are Jerry Hatfield (Chapter 4) and Mahbub Alam, Sharon Megdal et al. (Chapter 5). The third part covers sustainable and secure food production specifically addressing genetically modified traits in Chapter 6 (James McWilliams) and omega-3 fatty acids in Chapter 7 (Jay Whelan et al.). Agronomic implications relative to food security and sustainable agriculture are described in Part IV. Authors include Ravi Sripada, Pradip Das et al. (Chapter 8), Duska Stojsin, Kevin Matson and Richard Leitz (Chapter 9) and S.H. Lee, David Clay and Sharon Clay (Chapter 10). International sustainable agriculture and food security is addressed in Part V with authors Jeff Vitale and John Greenplate (Chapter 11), Julie Borlaug et al. (Chapter 12) and Sylvester Oikeh et al. (Chapter 13). The final part covers the use of chemicals in sustainable agriculture and food/energy security with Leonard Gianessi and Ashley Williams communicating the role of herbicides and Harold Reetz emphasizing the importance of fertilizers both in maximizing crop yields to maintain a sustainable secure source for food production."

Grapevine is a crop of major economical interest, and wine represents a multicultural heritage which has been growing since several milleniums. Yet, modern viticulture must face several challenges. Global climate has increased berry sugar content (and alcohol in the wine) whereas phenolic and aromatic ripeness are not always achieved. Water supply is becoming shorter. New varieties better adapted to new climatic conditions might have to be planted, which may affect wine typicity. Phytochemical treatments are more controlled, and the consumer pays increasing attention to environmentally safe practices. New methods reducing pesticide use, but maintaining yield and typicity, must be designed. The present book illustrates the recent progress made in ecophysiology, molecular and cell biology, and pathology of grapevine, as well as in precision viticulture and berry composition. Combination of these new tools with field observations will undoubtly make it easier to face the challenges described above. These multidisciplinary contributions will be of interest to anyone involved in grapevine and wine activities.

This book is designed to integrate the basic concepts of food safety with current developments and challenges in food safety and authentication. The first part describes basics of food safety, classification of food toxins, regulation and risk assessment. The second part focuses on particular toxins like mycotoxins, aromatic amines, heavy metals, pesticides, and polycyclic hydrocarbons. Recent developments and improvements in the detection of these contaminants are described. The third part deals with the authenticity and adulteration of food and food products, a topic which affects food trade on a national and international level.

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea) is a crop native to the Bambara tribe of Mali and is grown as a subsistence crop in Africa. Recent advances in research, however, have brought the crop to the forefront of the sustainable agriculture movement. The Bambara plant is highly drought tolerant and rich in protein and carbohydrates, including starch. These macromolecules have enormous industrial potentials. For example, the starch in Bambara grain has been found to exhibit higher (double) viscosity than conventional corn starch. Modified Bambara groundnut starch has been used to produce edible bioplastics that could be upgraded industrially to suit the fourth industrial revolution shift. Bambara plants are also a natural source of soluble fiber, which is gluten-, lactose- and cholesterol-free, with potential as a stabiliser, thickener and gelling agent as well as a cryoprotectant in frozen products. The health benefits include lowering of cholesterol levels, levelling of blood glucose and as a detoxing aid. Furthermore, several researchers have explored the grain either alone or as composite with cereal and tubers for the development of value-added products. Food and Potential Industrial Applications of Bambara Groundnut presents in a clear, coherent way the research findings on Bambara grain and its status as a promising food and industrial crop.

One of the recent developments in regard to food safety is the legal change that consumers have a right to be sold safe food, and that the primary producer is now part of the process, which must guarantee the delivery of safe products.

This treatise embraces all of the various efforts to reduce fat in meat. Establishing methods such as breeding and feeding to control fatness are covered, but emphasis is on emerging technologies including meat processing and partitioning agents to reduce fat. Human implicaitons, such as health, social, ethical, and economic factors, are given special attention. Sensory charcteristics of low-fat meat, animal well being, and two new directions for the future are also discussed. Low-Fat Meats: Design Strategies and Human Implications provides an up-to-date overview of the technologies to produce low-fat meat, with a balanced discussion of the issues.
Paying speical attention to health, social ethical, and economic implications inherent in developing low-fat meats, this volume also discusses sensory characteristics of low-fat meat, animal well being, and new directions for the future.

This book discusses different aspects of contamination in Indian food products. Particular attention is given to the presence and analytical detection of detrimental substances such as pesticides, mycotoxins and other biologically-produced toxins, food chemicals and additives with natural or industrial origin. Furthermore, the book addresses the production and the commercial exploitation of native botanical ingredients, and the question if such ingredients should be regarded as foods or drugs. It also sheds light on chemical aspects of organic farming practices in India. Readers will also find information on pesticides and other detrimental chemicals detection in Indian farming. The authors present a useful opinion on how and why food contaminants can lead to border rejections during export, in particular to the European Union.

This book seeks to unravel the mysteries of wolfberry, and systematically introduces its mechanisms in preventing aging-associated diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, liver and neurodegenerative diseases. Wolfberry, the dried fruit of Lycium barbarum, is an anti-aging herbal medicine. There have been numerous reports investigating the underlying mechanisms of its anti-aging effects and its role in preventing pathological changes in many aging-associated diseases. Its holistic effects on the body can attenuate liver toxicity and combat the spread of cancer; it also prevents degeneration in the central nervous system, and can even positively affect the skin. As such, wolfberry has become a very popular food supplement around the world. This book will serve as an excellent reference source for researchers and graduate students studying herbal medicine and aging-associated diseases, while also providing insights for the pharmaceutical industry with regard to developing potential drugs for these diseases.

This volume is a collection of papers covering various aspects of an important group of botanicals which have long been used to improve the flavor of food. It contains fresh material prepared especially for it by researchers and other technically trained workers from universities, government and industrial research groups and industry worldwide.

It will be of great value to food scientists, medical researchers, analytical and synthetic organic chemists, chefs, and all those involved with, and interested in, food and food flavours in general.

This book is focused on the challenges to implement sustainability in diverse contexts such as agribusiness, natural resource systems and new technologies. The experiences made by the researchers of the School of Agricultural, Forestry, Food and Environmental Science (SAFE) of the University of Basilicata offer a wide and multidisciplinary approach to the identification and testing of different solutions tailored to the economic, social and environmental characteristics of the region and the surrounding areas. Basilicata's productive system is mainly based on activities related to the agricultural sector and exploitation of natural resources but it has seen, in recent years, an industrial development driven by the discovery of oil fields. SAFE research took up the challenge posed by market competition to create value through the sustainable use of renewable and non-renewable resources of the territory. Moreover, due to its unique geographical position in the middle of the Mediterranean basin, Basilicata is an excellent "open sky" laboratory for testing sustainable solutions adaptable to other Mediterranean areas. This collection of multidisciplinary case studies and research experiences from SAFE researchers and their scientific partners is a stimulating contribution to the debate on the development of sustainable techniques, methods and applications for the Mediterranean regions.