Alginate is a hydrophilic, biocompatible, biodegradable, and relatively economical polymer generally found in marine brown algae. The modification in the alginate molecule after polymerization has shown strong potential in biomedical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology applications such as wound dressing, drug delivery, dental treatment, in cell culture and tissue engineering. Besides this, alginates have industrial applications too in the paper and food industries as plasticizers and additives. The few books that have been published on alginates focus more on their biology. This current book focuses on the exploration of alginates and their modification, characterization, derivatives, composites, hydrogels as well as the new and emerging applications.

Like much of SMEs research, innovation studies of small enterprises have commenced later and are less numerous. The focus of such studies remains high-technology enterprises, which continue to attract both academic and popular interest, oblivious to the innovative endeavours of people in traditional low-tech industries. This book attempts to address this imbalance through a comprehensive analysis of innovation in this largely neglected area. Based on case studies of seven small innovative food companies, this book presents an in-depth analysis of innovation in the Scottish food and drinks industry and unravels a lesser-known approach to effective low-cost product innovation, which is simple and economical, yet elegant and successful. Using careful data collection and rigorous statistical testing, the analysis and findings in this book address a wide spectrum of interests: academics in business schools, policy makers in governments and executives and entrepreneurs in food and other low-technology sectors.

For years we've been told that traditional foods are unhealthy because of their saturated fat content. In place of grass-fed meat, grass-fed dairy products, and eggs from hens running on pasture, we now mostly eat grain-fed meat and processed factory foods - and we've witnessed an epidemic of disease, from type-2 diabetes to heart disease and cancer. Modern agriculture has locked us into an unhealthy, vicious circle, with degraded foods pouring from an overstretched, impoverished landscape. There's a simple remedy: the grass-fed movement. We can make sure that the meat, dairy foods and eggs we buy come from animals grazing on or running in pasture, as they always used to. This will also put life back into our soils and wildlife back onto our farmland. Graham Harvey, agricultural advisor to BBC Radio 4's The Archers, lays out all the arguments for grass-fed food - why it's good for us, and why it's good for the planet.

Examines the impact of liberalizing trade in staple food commodities. The author shows the way grain traders and households in five Tanzanian towns were affected by the Tanzanian government's decision to opt for liberalization in the trade of two staple food crops: rice and maize.

Historically, the challenge for humans has been to secure a sufficient supply of food to stave off hunger and starvation. As a result, much of the research on food and agriculture in the past century has focused on issues related to production efficiency, food supply, and farm profitability. In recent years, however, farmers, agribusiness, policy makers, and academics have increasingly turned their attention away from the farm and toward the food consumer and to issues related to food consumption. This handbook provides an overview of the economics of food consumption and policy and is a useful reference for academics and graduate students interested in food economics and the consumer-end of the supply chain. It is also relevant to those employed in food and agricultural industries, policy makers, and activist groups. The first section covers the application of the core theoretical and methodological approaches of the economics of food consumption and policy. The second part concentrates on policy issues related to food consumption. Several chapters focus on the theoretical and conceptual issues relevant in food markets, such as product bans, labeling, food standards, political economy, and scientific uncertainty. Additional chapters discuss policy issues of particular interest to the consumer-end of the food supply chain, such as food safety, nutrition, food security, and development. The final section serves as an introduction to particular issues and current topics in food consumption and policy.

A guide to achieving business successes through statistical methods

Statistical methods are a key ingredient in providing data-based guidance to research and development as well as to manufacturing. Understanding the concepts and specific steps involved in each statistical method is critical for achieving consistent and on-target performance.

Written by a recognized educator in the field, Statistical Methods for Six Sigma: In R&D and Manufacturing is specifically geared to engineers, scientists, technical managers, and other technical professionals in industry. Emphasizing practical learning, applications, and performance improvement, Dr. Joglekar’s text shows today’s industry professionals how to:

• Summarize and interpret data to make decisions
• Determine the amount of data to collect
• Compare product and process designs
• Build equations relating inputs and outputs
• Establish specifications and validate processes
• Reduce risk and cost-of-process control
• Quantify and reduce economic loss due to variability
• Estimate process capability and plan process improvements
• Identify key causes and their contributions to variability
• Analyze and improve measurement systems

This long-awaited guide for students and professionals in research, development, quality, and manufacturing does not presume any prior knowledge of statistics. It covers a large number of useful statistical methods compactly, in a language and depth necessary to make successful applications. Statistical methods in this book include: variance components analysis, variance transmission analysis, risk-based control charts, capability and performance indices, quality planning, regression analysis, comparative experiments, descriptive statistics, sample size determination, confidence intervals, tolerance intervals, and measurement systems analysis. The book also contains a wealth of case studies and examples, and features a unique test to evaluate the reader’s understanding of the subject.

Denton Marks uses economic analysis, in plain and simple language, to demystify the wine world and to enrich our understanding of it. This remarkable book could well serve as an introduction to the wine industry for economists or as an introduction to economics for the wine industry. Up to date and thorough, Marks has undertaken a prodigious task.' - Orley Ashenfelter, Princeton University, and Co-Founder and President, American Association of Wine Economists, US'What is welcome with Denton Marks's book is its exploration beyond the narrow focus of wine pricing. The outline of how wine fits into key economic processes is illuminating, and the understanding of the political economy of wine is especially helpful. Crucially, the examination of how wine functions as a cultural good is a real expansion of our understanding of its social and economic context, underlining that value is not merely a financial construct but includes intangible, symbolic meaning as well.' - Steve Charters MW, School of Wine and Spirits Business, Burgundy School of Business, France 'Denton Marks's book fills a void in both the economics and the wine-related literature. It offers the economics student insights into the wine world and the wine professionals insights into economic thinking. Certainly, this is the first 'wine economics' textbook.' - Karl Storchmann, New York University, US and Managing Editor, Journal of Wine Economics 'Marks harvests wine's potential as a lens through which to view human economic behavior- and economic misbehavior - taking readers on a sophisticated but accessible and comprehensive tour of the fascinating nooks and crannies of the wine market. Perhaps the crowning achievement is the original and thought-provoking treatment of some of the thorniest philosophical and scientific dilemmas unique to wine, including price signals, asymmetric information, and sensory intersubjectivity. This is a much-needed book from an economist who knows the subject.' - Robin Goldstein, Author of The Wine Trials, Blind Taste, and blindtaste.com/ 'Most professions show a professional interest in wine, and economics is no exception: it can help us understand how wine markets work. But since economics is considered by many as a rather 'dry' subject, wine can boost student enthusiasm for economics. This book exploits those two interests by helping non-economists understand wine producer and consumer behavior and helping college students understand economics.' - Kym Anderson, Wine Economics Research Centre, University of Adelaide and Australian National University, Australia Wine and the wine trade are steeped in culture and history; few products have consistently enjoyed both cultural importance and such wide distribution over time even seen by some as 'an elixir of life'. While wine has been produced and consumed for centuries, what is distinctive about the economics of wine? Professor Marks's book is an accessible exploration of the economics of wine, using both basic principles and specialized topics and emphasizing microeconomics and related research. Drawing upon economic themes such as International Trade and Public Choice, Wine and Economics also relates economic reasoning to management issues in wine markets. The discussion ranges from economic fundamentals and wine and government, to the challenge of knowing what is in the bottle and the importance of wine as a cultural good. This novel and comprehensive introduction to the subject is an invaluable resource for students, scholars and anyone interested in wine and the wine industry.

Food safety and hygiene is of critical importance to us all, yet, as periodic food crises in various countries each year show, we are all dependent on others in business and public regulation to ensure that the food we consume in the retailing and hospitality sectors is safe. Bridget Hutter considers the understandings of risk and regulation held by those in business and considers the compliance pressures on managers and owners, and how these relate to understandings of risk and uncertainty. Using data from an in-depth case study of the food retail and catering sectors in the UK, the research investigates how business risk management practices are influenced by external pressures such as state regulation, consumers, insurance and the media and by pressures within business. The argument of the book is that food businesses in the UK are generally motivated to manage risk. They realize that good risk management aligns with good business practice. However, there are challenges for an industry that is highly segmented in terms of risk management capacity. The findings have implications for contemporary risk regulation in the increasingly number of countries that rely on self-regulation. Managing Food Safety and Hygiene will prove invaluable for academic researchers and students in risk regulation studies, business studies, food studies, organizational studies, social psychology, socio-legal studies, sociology, management, public administration and political science. In addition, the book will also appeal to practitioners specifically to senior policy makers, regulators and business risk managers charged with managing risk in diverse organizational settings, and across different functional jurisdictions. Contents: Preface Introduction: Setting the Scene 1. Risk Regulation and Business Part I: The Food Retail and Hospitality Industry and Risk 2. The Food Retail and Hospitality Industry in the UK: A Research Approach 3. The Food Industry and Risk: Official Data and Workplace Understandings Part II: Risk Regulation 4. State Governance of Food Safety and Food Hygiene: The Regulatory Regime and the Views of those in the Food Sector 5. Risk Regulation Beyond the State: Research Responses about Non-State Regulatory Influences 6. Business Risk Regulation: Inside the Business Organization Part III: Conclusions and Policy Implications 7. Conclusions and Policy Implications Appendix 1: Profile of Phase 2 Respondents Appendix 2: Phase 2 Questionnaires Appendix 3: Phase 3 Interview Schedule

For most people, grocery shopping is a mundane activity. Few stop to think about the massive, global infrastructure that makes it possible to buy Chilean grapes in a Philadelphia supermarket in the middle of winter. Yet every piece of food represents an interlocking system of agriculture, manufacturing, shipping, logistics, retailing, and nonprofits that controls what we eat-or don't. The Problem with Feeding Cities is a sociological and historical examination of how this remarkable network of abundance and convenience came into being over the last century. It looks at how the US food system transformed from feeding communities to feeding the entire nation, and it reveals how a process that was once about fulfilling basic needs became focused on satisfying profit margins. It is also a story of how this system fails to feed people, especially in the creation of food deserts. Andrew Deener shows that problems with food access are the result of infrastructural failings stemming from how markets and cities were developed, how distribution systems were built, and how organizations coordinate the quality and movement of food. He profiles hundreds of people connected through the food chain, from farmers, wholesalers, and supermarket executives, to global shippers, logistics experts, and cold-storage operators, to food bank employees and public health advocates. It is a book that will change the way we see our grocery store trips and will encourage us all to rethink the way we eat in this country.

Like its predecessors, the new and updated edition of Advanced Nutrition: Macronutrients, Micronutrients, and Metabolism is an essential textbook for advanced undergraduate and first-year graduate students studying human nutrition. This book draws on inter-related sciences including biochemistry, genetics, and physiology to provide a full understanding of nutrition science. This third edition describes the chemistry, absorption, use and excretion of each of the essential nutrients. There is comprehensive coverage of nutrient-nutrient interactions and both macro and micronutrients. The book places strong emphasis on how nutrient-genetic interactions function with respect to disease development. The new edition includes some of the most recent descriptions of the roles nutrients play in the expression of genetic traits for a variety of degenerative diseases. It includes a new chapter explains the function of microorganisms in the maintenance and development of chronic degenerative disease. Features: Chapters address clinical conditions such as obesity, starvation, hyperlipemia, renal disease and organ function. Includes updated information on the body's microbiotica and the daily nutrient needs of humans across the life cycle. Material reveals the neurodegenerative response to dietary variables with respect to the regulation of food intake. Chapter summaries highlight key information and case studies challenge students to integrate what they have learned to solve clinical cases.

Development of Packaging and Products for Use in Microwave Ovens, Second Edition, supports the efficient design of microwaveable food products and packaging materials, explaining all essential aspects in a detailed and systematic way. This new edition reviews recent developments and the latest cutting-edge technology, including new materials and package formats, new ideas for product development, and new information on developments in microwave technology. Sections cover the effect of food dielectric properties and heating uniformity, microwave packaging materials, product development, food, packaging, oven safety, and the computer modelling of microwave products and active packaging. Written by a distinguished team of international contributors, this book is not only a valuable resource for engineers, manufacturers and product developers in the food and packaging industries, but also a great research tool for industrial R&D and academia.

The advancement of technological interventions in food quality analysis and safety detection has to be inculcated among these beneficiaries. With a unique blend of both agriculture and animal food segments, this book is expected to occupy a distinct position among the various publications in the post harvest sector. The content of the book is useful both for those looking to begin food science careers and to established specialists. The various chapters define safety and quality aspects of plantation crops, the milling industry, meat, milk, water, fish, bakery, street foods, etc. The book also enlightens readers about the various hazards involved in the food supply chain, pre-requisite programmes, GMP, food safety management systems, and international trading issues. The PRP approach in food safety management systems has been elaborated in a comprehensible manner. Pre-requisite programmes, GAP, GMP and GHP to be implemented before HACCP in meat industry is well detailed in a chapter along with the applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. The significance of these pre-requisite programmes for effective establishment of HACCP in meat processing are lucidly explained. Note: T&F does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This title is co-published with NIPA.

The purpose of this book is to integrate aspects of food product marketing with traditional agricultural marketing. This novel approach fills a gap in the current literature and reflects a growing trend to teach these subjects in an integrated way. The authors are leading authorities from the USA and Europe and the book has been developed from a very successful series of courses run for several years by the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) in Zaragoza, Spain. These courses have been attended by postgraduates from a wide range of countries, so the book is likely to have worldwide appeal.

The sweet cherry is one of the most popular of temperate fruit crops with consumers and is grown commercially in more than 40 countries of the world, in temperate, Mediterranean, subtropical and arid regions of all continents. The sour cherry is cultivated in fewer countries, mainly in Europe and the USA, and is used mainly in processed cherry products. Until recently, horticultural improvement of cherries as a commercial crop has been slow, and major production problems such as bird damage, rain-induced cracking, and bacterial diseases, have remained. However, in the last 25 years, major developments have occurred. New improved varieties of sweet cherry have been bred which have larger fruit, are more disease resistant and set fruit more reliably. Improved sour cherry varieties have also been bred and mechanised systems of harvesting introduced. New dwarfing rootstocks are now being released. This book provides a comprehensive review of all of these topics, and many more. It covers all aspects of the botany, production and uses of sweet and sour cherries, and represents a definitive reference work for students and research workers in horticulture as well as professional fruit growers.

"Tobacco Capitalism" tells the story of the people who live and work on U.S. tobacco farms at a time when the global tobacco industry is undergoing profound changes. Against the backdrop of the antitobacco movement, the globalization and industrialization of agriculture, and intense debates over immigration, Peter Benson draws on years of field research to examine the moral and financial struggles of growers, the difficult conditions that affect Mexican migrant workers, and the complex politics of citizenship and economic decline in communities dependent on this most harmful commodity.

Benson tracks the development of tobacco farming since the plantation slavery period and the formation of a powerful tobacco industry presence in North Carolina. In recent decades, tobacco companies that sent farms into crisis by aggressively switching to cheaper foreign leaf have coached growers to blame the state, public health, and aggrieved racial minorities for financial hardship and feelings of vilification. Economic globalization has exacerbated social and racial tensions in North Carolina, but the corporations that benefit have rarely been considered a key cause of harm and instability, and have now adopted social-responsibility platforms to elide liability for smoking disease. Parsing the nuances of history, power, and politics in rural America, Benson explores the cultural and ethical ambiguities of tobacco farming and offers concrete recommendations for the tobacco-control movement in the United States and worldwide.

This book addresses the production practices employed in the production of food animals and animal products that enable marketers to sell a variety of products to meet consumer demand. Food animal production practices have come under increased scrutiny by consumers who object to inputs and practices. The industry has been a proponent of using technologies to reduce production costs, resulting in lower-priced meat and animal food products, and now consumers are starting to look at other objectives. This book considers the key issues of concern to consumers, including the treatment of animals, the use of antibiotics, feed additives and hormones, and how these are monitored, regulated, and communicated to consumers. It also reviews labeling and information provided to consumers, including organic, genetic engineering, welfare standards, and place of origin. While the main focus is on the United States, there are descriptions of European practices and legislation. Overall, it aims to provide an objective and balanced appraisal, which will be of interest to advanced students and researchers in agricultural, food and environmental economics, law and policy, and animal production and welfare. It will also be very useful for early career professionals in the food and agricultural sectors.

Practically all countries of Asia have pledged at the national as well as international level to reduce the number of hungry and food insecure. A concrete step in this direction was taken in the World Food Summit in Rome, in 1996, when the nations resolved to reach the goal of food security. It was further reiterated at the Millennium Summit held in New York in 2000 where the United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration, which contains goals and targets in important areas of human development. One of these goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. This particular study aimed to examine the results of the efforts to achieve food security in Asian Countries in the context of Millennium Goals. Having adopted the basic premise that factors determining food security can be best understood at the country level, the study was based on country case studies: two least developed countries (Cambodia and Nepal), two medium-income countries undergoing fast structural changes (Indonesia and Thailand), and one large and fast developing country (India).

This book provides a playground for the readers to practice and develop scientific thinking, by exploring the world of food in a fun way. The authors take the role of someone trying to find interesting questions to ask about familiar, though often hidden, phenomena. Claims (or myths) on everyday cooking provide numerous cases for this. Using popular cooking myths as a springboard, this book discusses these riddles, interweaving a scientific rationale for the phenomena with a culinary or craftsman explanation. This book covers not only science (physics, chemistry, biology) but also cultural aspects (tradition, history, emotion), of what food/cooking is all about.

Start Your Own Microbrewery, Distillery, or Cidery and Craft Your Success Story Growing each year, this multi-billion dollar industry, driven by consumer preferences, shows no signs of slowing down--giving you the perfect opportunity to start up. Corie Brown of Zester Daily and our experts introduce you to more than 30 craft producers, including pioneers like Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Jorg Rupf creator of Hangar 1 Vodka, Kent Rabish owner of Grand Traverse Distillery, and Mike Beck co-owner of Uncle John's Cider Mill. You'll gain an insider's look at how to: Analyze craft products, their distinct challenges, and dynamic market Write a winning business plan that promotes growth and secures funding Keep overhead low and margins high with options like self-distribution Capture customers and create evangelists with the story behind the brand Enhance the brand experience with events, taprooms, tastings, and tours Develop invaluable relationships with distributors and restaurants

Kosher is a Hebrew term meaning 'fit' or 'proper' and halal is an Arabic word that literally means 'permissible' or 'lawful'. Within the last two decades or so, kosher and halal markets have become global in scope and states, manufacturers, restaurants, shops, certifiers and consumers around the world are faced with ever stricter and more complex requirements - most clearly exemplified by Muslim and Jewish groups' call for kosher and halal certification by third party certification bodies. During this period hundreds of kosher and halal certifiers have emerged around the world, and while thousands of manufacturers, restaurants and shops have been certified, the majority have not. Kosher and halal requirements are comparable, but there are also many differences and the book discusses how these similarities and differences affect production, trade and regulation around the world. The authors research demonstrates that there is a need to address kosher and halal markets simultaneously and answers the question "what characterizes global kosher and halal markets and how can businesses comply with the rising demands and requirements that have emerged?" This is the only book of its kind and it will appeal to manufacturing companies, restaurants and shops that already are or want to be kosher/halal certified. The book can also be assigned in a variety of upper-level undergraduate courses and graduate seminars in business studies, management and marketing. Moreover, the book will be of interest to readers in the natural sciences (for example, food scientists) and outside academia, that is, to state as well as non-state kosher/halal certification bodies, policy makers, interest groups and consultants. Kosher and Halal Business Compliance is accessible in style, global in scope and based on decades of research.

In less than half a century (1978-2020), China has transformed itself from a country that barely fed itself to a powerful player in the global food system, characterized by massive food imports, active overseas agricultural engagement, and the global expansion of Chinese agribusiness. This Element offers a nuanced analysis of China's global food strategy and its impacts on food security and the international agri-food order. To feed a population of 1.4 billion, China actively seeks overseas agri-food resources whilst maintaining a high level of domestic food production. This strategy gives China an advantageous position in the global food system, but it also creates contradictions and problems within and beyond the country. This could potentially worsen global food insecurity in the long term.

Take a look at the packaging on a container of milk and you're likely to see bucolic idylls of red barns, green pastures, and happy, well-treated cows. In truth, the distance from a living cow to a glass of milk is vast, and nearly impossible to grasp in a way that resonates with an average person ticking items off a grocery list. To translate this journey into tangible terms, Kathryn Gillespie had a brilliant idea: to follow the moments in the life cycles of individual animals-animals like The Cow with Ear Tag #1389. In contrast to the widely known truths of commercial meat manufacture, the dairy industry enjoys a relatively benign reputation, with most consumers unaware of this kitchen staple's backstory. The Cow with Ear Tag #1389 explores how the seemingly nonthreatening practice of raising animals for milk is just one link in a chain that affects livestock across the agricultural spectrum. Gillespie takes readers to farms, auction yards, slaughterhouses, and even rendering plants to show how living cows are transformed into food. The result is an empathetic look at cows and our relationship with them, one that makes both their lives and their suffering real-in particular, the fleeting encounter with the cow of the title, just one animal whose story galvanized Gillespie to write this book. The myriad ways that the commercial meat industry causes harm are at the forefront of numerous discussions today. The Cow with Ear Tag #1389 adds a crucial piece to these conversations by asking us to consider the individual animals whose lives we may take for granted.

This year's edition provides new estimates of the percentage of the world's food lost from production up to the retail level. It suggests that identifying and understanding critical loss points in specific supply chains - where considerable potential exists for reducing food losses - is crucial to deciding on appropriate measures. It also provides some guiding principles for interventions based on the objectives being pursued through food loss and waste reductions, be they in improved economic efficiency, food security and nutrition, or environmental sustainability.

The best oils are made by authentic artist-craftsmen, who marry centuries-old agricultural wisdom with cutting-edge extraction technology, and now produce the finest oils in history. However, these producers are being steadily driven from the market: extra-virgin olive oil is difficult and expensive to make, yet alarmingly easy to adulterate. Skilled oil criminals are flooding the market with low-cost, faux extra-virgins, reaping rich profits and undercutting honest producers, whilst authorities in Italy, the US and elsewhere turn a blind eye. From the feisty pugliese woman of sixty struggling to keep the family business afloat to her industrialist neighbour who has allegedly grown wealthy on counterfeit oil, to Benedictine monks in Western Australia and poker-playing agriculture barons in northern California who make this ancient foodstuff in New World ways, Mueller distils the passions and life stories of oil producers, and explores the conflict, culinary vitality and cultural importance of great olive oil.

Whenever we turn on the TV, flip a page in a magazine, or glance at a flyer in the grocery store, we are constantly bombarded with nutritional advice. Almond products can boost your memory! Milk helps build up your bones! Cereal is part of a doctor-approved balanced breakfast for growing girls and boys! Study after study tells us what we should eat, how much, and when. Words like "superfood" and "guilt free" convince us that we're making the right choice when we pluck an item off the shelf and head for the checkout line. We count on nutrition science to guide us through the overwhelming choices in our local grocery store and helps us make the best decisions for our health. Except it often doesn't. Many of these studies we rely on to make decisions are not funded by unbiased third parties-they're actually funded by companies seeking to buoy their own products. As renowned food expert Marion Nestle reveals in Unsavory Truth, most nutrition societies, committees, and departments are actually in the food industry's pocket. Whether it's a study claiming moderate exercise is enough to cancel out the calories in sugary sodas (backed by Coca-Cola) or a report about how blueberries can reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction (backed by the US Highbush Blueberry Council), the food industry has learned how to turn selective disclosure and partisan probes into major profit. Like Big Pharma has corrupted medical science, so Big Food has corrupted nutrition. In a nation where more than two-thirds of adults and one-third of children are considered overweight or obese, it's never been more important to put our public health first. With stricter legislation for food companies and researchers, stricter policies for societies and journals, and better consumer education, Nestle argues that we have a fighting chance to get our country's nutrition back on track. With riveting prose and unmatched investigative rigor, Unsavory Truth reveals how big food companies took over nutrition science-and how we can take it back.