Globalization has become perhaps the most central--and one of the most contested--terms in the social sciences in the present day. If one wishes to understand the conditions in which different groups of people live today, it seems increasingly impossible to ignore the aspects of those conditions that are seen to be characterized, or influenced, by "global" forces, movements and phenomena. Regarding particular phenomena, no matter how apparently "local" or parochial in nature, as being located within "global" flows or systems or structures, seems today to be a very necessary component of any effective sort of social investigation. Many social scientific scholars in the last decade or so have engaged in a "global turn" in their thinking, investigating key areas and facets of human life--such as work, economy, cities, politics, and media--in terms of how these are being affected, influenced and changed by (what can be taken to be) "globalizing forces." Themes of inter-societal, trans-societal and cross-planetary connections, structures, processes and movements are increasingly central across the social sciences, including sociology, anthropology, geography, political science, economics, international relations, and many humanities disciplines too. Moreover, such themes--and the controversies and polemics often attached to them--have become common currency in many spheres outside the academy, with politicians, businesspeople, political activists and citizens of all varieties taking up ideas associated with "globalization," and deploying them both to make sense of, and also sometimes to try to change, the world around them. This book covers the issues of globalization as they relate to food. Contributors include Carole Counihan, Alan Warde, Pat Caplan, Alex McIntosh, Rick Wilk, Jeff Sobal, Marianne Lien and Krishnendu Ray.

Food shortage and rising prices of food commodities have not crept up on us. The life-and-death implications of food insecurity have burst upon the world`s consciousness within the last 18 months (as of June 2008). This book attempts to bring into focus, in a succinct manner, the various facets of the problem and the solutions suggested by government, institutions, scientists and administrators. If understanding of the problem and its ramifications are notched even to a small degree by this book, it will have served its purpose. It is concerned with raising awareness of the impending tragedy and, at the same time stressing the many solutions that have been thrown up.

Societal and demographic changes, the globalisation of the food supply, new threats and communication issues require new approaches to food protection and safety. The chapters in this book present important new information in this area which is crucial to everyone.

This book presents a modelling framework in which epidemiological model results are integrated with an economic model of the U.S. agricultural sector to enable estimation of the economic impacts of outbreaks of foreign-source livestock diseases. To demonstrate the model, the study assessed results of a hypothetical outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The modelling framework includes effects of the FMD episode on all major agricultural products and assesses these effects on aggregate supply, demand, and trade over 16 quarters. Model results show a potential for large trade-related losses for beef, beef cattle, hogs, and pork, though relatively few animals are destroyed. This model is more comprehensive than previous work because it has components for modelling both economic effects and disease-spread effects from an outbreak, for which the results can be integrated. It also assesses the effects of a disease outbreak on major agricultural sectors- livestock and crops- along vertical market chains, from production to consumption. Thirdly, it projects the impact of the disease outbreak over 20 calendar quarters, rather than for just one year.

This is an update to the landmark guide to foodborne diseases and how to prevent them.It is estimated that more than 100 million foodrelated illnesses are recorded in the United States alone each year, from undercooked fastfood hamburgers to chicken contaminated with salmonella. Today, there are added worries due to increased potential for food contamination on the global market, the prospect of terrorism against the food supply, and the lack of adequate regulation of food products and handling. Food safety has become a daily concern. Written by renowned food expert Morton Satin, ""Food Alert!, Second Edition"" provides an up-to-date and comprehensive examination of the causes, dangers, and prevention of foodborne diseases.New and updated topics include: the deficiencies of modern food handling that allow germs and bacteria to thrive; protection and prevention from exposure to foodborne illnesses; immediate steps one should take if food poisoning strikes; the 20 most common causes of foodborne illnesses in the kitchen; increasingly complex food labeling; the growing threat of bioterrorism; new government, industry, and consumer advocacy initiatives; up-to-date information on inadequate reporting of foodborne disease incidents; and, more.

Until the late 19th century the food industry was restricted to a few activities, usually based on small scale industries. The links between agriculture and food processing were very tight. Due to increased purchasing power, population growth and urbanisation, the demand for food grew substantially. This was not only the case for basis products as corn and potatoes, but also and especially for more expensive, quality products as meat, fish and dairy produce. These developments generated, together with the essential technological innovations, the creation and development of modern food processing in specialized shops and factories. In only a few decades these industries transformed from an important complement to the primary agricultural production on the farms to a much comprising industrial business. At the end of the 20th century food processing has evolved into a modern, high-tech industry, dominated by a few large enterprises, offering a wide range of products. This volume aims to turn the spotlight on this often neglected but important link in the food chain.

This book presents current research on the benefits as well as the risks of fish consumption. The health benefits discussed include the reduction of cardiovascular disease, the decreased risk of various malignancies, specifically, colorectal, breast, prostate and lung cancers. Public perceptions of both the benefits and risks of self-caught fish by people in the coastal estuaries of New York and New Jersey are also presented. Contaminants that accumulate in the tissue of the fish and the associated risks are examined as well. This book presents new emerging health problems being linked to shellfish consumption. New studies are included on fish consumption in reproductive-aged women as related to foetal health. Finally, since there is a reduced availability of fish in an ever increasing world population, the possibility that the health benefits of eating fish can be obtained by largely vegetable sources is discussed.

Food: The Key Concepts presents an exciting, coherent and interdisciplinary introduction to food studies for the beginning reader. Food Studies is an increasingly complex field, drawing on disciplines as diverse as Sociology, Anthropology and Cultural Studies at one end and Economics, Politics and Agricultural Science at the other. In order to clarify the issues, Food: The Key Concepts distills food choices down to three competing considerations: consumer identity; matters of convenience and price; and an awareness of the consequences of what is consumed. The book concludes with an examination of two very different future scenarios for feeding the world's population: the technological fix, which looks to science to provide the solution to our future food needs; and the anthropological fix, which hopes to change our expectations and behaviors. Throughout, the analysis is illustrated with lively case studies. Bulleted chapter summaries, questions and guides to further reading are also provided.

"Reconnecting Consumers, Producers and Food" presents a detailed and empirically grounded analysis of alternatives to current models of food provision. The book offers insights into the identities, motives and practices of individuals engaged in reconnecting producers, consumers and food. Arguing for a critical revaluation of the meanings of choice and convenience, "Reconnecting Consumers, Producers and Food" provides evidence to support the construction of a more sustainable and equitable food system which is built on the relationships between people, communities and their environments.

The book gives an overview of the organic sector, both in Italy and in the US, and to show how agricultural economists are performing analyses dealing with organic produce on different points in the supply chain. The book covers economic issues raised by organic farming, taking into account the consumer's needs but also the managerial and budget constraints experienced by the farmers. Farm management methodologies, as well as marketing analyses have been applied to specific research topics involving several industries in the agri-food sector. The papers strive to answer questions that have a managerial relevance: e.g. Are the producers ready to adopt organic farming techniques, and are the consumers willing to pay a premium price for a certified organic produce? Most of the contributions were presented during the 8th Padova-Minnesota Conference on Food, Agriculture, and the Environment, held in Stout's Lodge, Red Cedar Lake, Wisconsin, on August 26-28, 2002. The editors have added authors to round out the subject.

Did food poisoning play a role in the Salem witch trials, leading to the hanging of nineteen men and women? Which poison recently laced the food of Russian ex-KGB agent Viktor Litvinenko, and how did it kill him? In Death in the Pot, internationally renowned food expert Morton Satin documents several culinary mishaps and misdeeds in an engrossing narrative that spans the ancient world to the present day. Historic events both tragic and bizarre have resulted from adulterated food. In the fifth century BCE, the great plague of Athens, probably caused by contaminated cereals, led to the defeat of the Athenians in the Peloponnesian War. In the prescientific Middle Ages, illnesses resulting from contaminated food were often attributed to the wrath of God or malevolent spirits. Heavily infectious ergot induced a spasmodic muscle condition, which the Church named "St. Anthony's Fire" and interpreted as retribution by God on heretics. Similarly, in seventeenth-century America the hallucinogenic symptoms of moldy grain were thought by Puritans to be signs of witchcraft. Even the madness of King George III, which played a role in the American Revolution, may have been induced by accidental arsenic poisoning. In the twentieth century, Satin recounts the efforts of modern industrial societies to make food safer; in some cases these efforts were heroic. For example, in the early days of the Food and Drug Administration a "Poison Squad" was formed, consisting of young scientists who willingly acted as guinea pigs to test the toxic effects of chemical additives. Today, the government has focused on the hazards of food bioterrorism. Satin concludes by describing measures taken to protect the public from intentional and unintentional poisoning, as well as recounting recent poisoning incidents. Both a fascinating glimpse into history from a unique angle and an authoritative reference work on food safety, Death in the Pot offers entertaining and informative reading for laypersons as well as experts in food technology and public health.

This research focuses on the complex issue of olive oil processing and the resulting technological changes associated with the olive oil industry during this industry's expansion from a small scale domestic to large-scale industrial technology during the Chalcolithic through Iron Ages (c. 4300-586 BC) in Syro-Palestine. The ultimate goal is to see if the level or type of olive oil technology used at sites can be determined based on their olive remains. However, before this could occur, the author prepares a methodology, the components of which include 1) an ethnographic study investigating how traditional oil pressing and processing affect olive remains, and the incorporation of those remains into the archaeological record, and 2) experimental studies to determine how different processing methods might affect olive remains and their incorporation into the archaeological record. The results from the experimental and ethnographic studies are then applied to archaeological remains from a Late Neolithic site to determine the possible type of processing technology. The type of processing indicated by the comparison of the experimental to the archaeological remains, crushing in a small basin, matches the olive oil processing artifacts and features found at the site. The methods used in this study can be applied to other paleoethnobotanical remains and technologies. Contents: Introduction; Origins and early history of the olive; Ethnographic research; Experimental research; Testing an archaeological sample; Olive oil, trade, and the city state; Conclusions.

This work is a detailed survey of food safety issues today, from E-coli contamination in fruits and vegetables to food production practices that increase antibiotic resistance. Is our food safe? Much of the corn, soybeans, and canola oil we eat has been genetically modified, but we don't know the long-term effects of GM foods on our health and the environment. We also consume antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria through the meat we eat, and we face new threats like mad cow disease, avian flu, and bioterrorism. Food Safety: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition provides a broad, readable, and level-headed overview of these and other food safety controversies. Through a combination of statistics and substantive information, it delineates the nature and scope of the issues. It also introduces readers to the researchers, activists, industries, and government agencies that play a role in the battle for food safety—an issue that impacts us all.

Temperance advocates believed they could eradicate alcohol by persuading consumers to avoid it; prohibitionists put their faith in legislation forbidding its manufacture, transportation, and sale. After the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment, however, reformers sought a new method of attack - targeting advertising. In "Advertising Sin and Sickness", Pamela E. Pennock documents three distinct periods in the history of the national debate over the regulation of alcohol and tobacco marketing. Tracing the fate of proposed federal policies, she introduces their advocates and opponents, from politicians and religious leaders to scientists and businessmen. In the 1950s, the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and other religious organizations joined hands in an effort to ban all alcohol advertising. They quickly found themselves at odds, however, with an increasingly urbane mainstream American culture. In the 1960s, moralists took backstage to consumer activists and scientific authorities in the campaign to control cigarette advertising and mandate labeling. Secular and scientific arguments came to dominate policy debates, and the controversy over alcohol marketing during the 1970s and 1980s highlighted the issues of substance abuse, public health, and consumer rights. The politics of alcohol and tobacco advertising reflect profound cultural dilemmas about consumerism and private enterprise, morality and health, scientific authority and the legitimate regulation of commercial speech. Today, the United States continues to face difficult questions about the proper role of the federal government when powerful industries market potentially harmful but undoubtedly popular products.

Written by a leading campaigner for GM Watch, one of the world's leading lobbying groups, this book reveals the huge issues that are at stake. Genetically modified food has been headline news for years, but it's difficult to know how far the genetic revolution has affected our lives. Is the food on our shelves free of genetically engineered ingredients? How much power do food corporations wield? Andy Rees provides the answers. He shows that, while corporations that produce genetically modified food have met with resistance in Europe, their hold on the US market is strong. They're also expanding operations in less-regulated countries in Africa, Asia and the former Soviet bloc. The US has launched a legal suit to attempt to force the European market open to genetically modified food. What does the future hold? This brilliantly readable book tells us all we need to know.

The Codex basic texts on food hygiene lay a firm foundation for understanding how rules and regulations on food hygiene are developed and applied. The General Principles of Food Hygiene cover hygiene practices from primary production through to final consumption, highlighting the key hygiene controls at each stage. This compact volume also contains the most internationally used description of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System and guidelines (revised in 2003) for its application; principles for the establishment and application of microbiological criteria for foods, and principles and guidelines for the conduct of microbiological risk assessment. The texts will be of use to government authorities, food industries and all food handlers, and consumers as well as teachers and students of food hygiene.

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).

In this provocative new book, Owen Bird writes frankly and with authority on the German wine industry; how it got into trouble and how it can rescue itself. He gives considerable insight into the pre-eminence of Riesling as driving the future of the industry. An in-depth analysis of German wine laws, labelling, competition from the New World and the advent of "flying winemaking" are all presented from a winemaking point of view. The steps taken by the German Wine Institute and the Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter (VDP) to renew the image of German wine are compared and contrasted. For the first time in English, the new "Great Growths" Classification system launched by the VDP is explained and the individual terroirs discussed making this an ideal reference book and providing a current overview of the German wine industry.

The Road to Dr Pepper, Texas is the story of Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co., a David-Goliath case study of the world's first Dr Pepper bottling plant and the only one that has always used pure cane sugar in spite of compelling reasons to switch sweeteners. The book traces the story from the founder's birth through the contemporary struggles of a tiny independent, family-owned franchise against industry giants. Owners of the plant have been touched by every major social, economic, and political issue of the past 114 years, and many of those forces threatened the survival of the plant. The Dublin plant's 100th birthday in 1991 was a turning point because the national media created an identity so unique that it has taken on a life of its own. Thanks to the Travel Channel, Food Network, Texas Monthly, Southern Living, and others, the Dublin plant and museum attract tens of thousands of tourists every year, and Dublin Dr Pepper is consumed around the world through Internet sales. ""The Road to Dr Pepper, Texas"" tells how a small plant ignored most of the cherished rules of production and marketing - and succeeded - in spite of not speeding up production, not expanding its franchise area, not cutting production costs, and not adapting to changing times.

The food and drinks sectors occupy the first place in Greek manufacturing industry. The share of food and drinks in total manufacturing industry value added reached 24.7 per cent in 1998. The average size of employment in food and drinks establishments is 5.2 persons per unit and is similar to that for manufacturing industry in general (4.9). Exports and imports of food and drinks increased during the 1980-95 period. However, imports increased faster than exports. As a result, the positive balance of trade turned negative. Although demand for food increased between 1980 and 1998, the share of private expenditure for food in total private expenditure decreased by 8.5 percentage points (thanks to correspondingly low elasticities). The corresponding share for drinks increased by one percentage point during the 1980-90 period and has remained constant since then. The aim of this book is to quantify Greek investors' behaviour at aggregate level for all sectors and all regions over the period 1981-1999, as well as at individual sector level. Investors' behaviour is examined by employing a synthesised traditional model. The traditional model is estimated using alternative panel data methods. First, the dynamic panel data model is estimated with a common intercept by employing the Generalised Method of Moments (GMM). The dynamic panel data formulation is also estimated using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimation technique.