Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi in a wide range of foods (cereals, peanut, tree nuts, dried fruits, coffee, cocoa, grapes, spices...) both in the field and after harvest, particularly during storage. They can also be found in processed foods of plant origin, or by transfer, in food products of animal (milk, eggs, meat and offal). Mycotoxins are of major concern since they can cause acute or chronic intoxications in both humans and animals which are sometimes fatal. Many countries, particularly in Europe, have set maximum acceptable levels for mycotoxins in food and feed. The book reviews the latest literature and innovations on important aspects of mycotoxins, e.g. mycotoxin producing fungi and the related ecosystems, mycotoxin occurrence, toxicity, analysis and management. Quantitative estimations of impacts of climate change on mycotoxin occurrence have been made recently, using predictive modelling. There is also a growing interest in the occurrence and toxicity of multiple mycotoxins in food and feed, including emerging or modified forms of mycotoxins. Innovative tools were also developed to detect and quantify toxinogenic fungi and their toxins. In order to reduce the use of chemicals that are harmful to the environment and health of consumers, alternative methods of prevention and decontamination of mycotoxins were tested in pre- and post-harvest, using microorganisms, natural substances or radiation treatments.

Wine is one of the oldest forms of alcoholic beverages known to man. Estimates date its origins back to 6000 B.C. Ever since, it has occupied a significant role in our lives, be it for consumption, social virtues, therapeutic value, its flavoring in foods, etc. A study of wine production and the technology of winemaking is thus imperative. The preparation of wine involves steps from harvesting the grapes, fermenting the must, maturing the wine, stabilizing it finally, to getting the bottled wine to consumers. The variety of cultivars, methods of production, and style of wine, along with presentation and consumption pattern add to the complexity of winemaking. In the past couple of decades, there have been major technological advances in wine production in the areas of cultivation of grapes, biochemistry and methods of production of different types of wines, usage of analytical techniques has enabled us to produce higher quality wine. The technological inputs of a table wine, dessert wine or sparkling wine, are different and has significance to the consumer. The role played by the killer yeast, recombinant DNA technology, application of enzyme technology and new analytical methods of wine evaluation, all call for a comprehensive review of the advances made. This comprehensive volume provides a holistic view of the basics and applied aspects of wine production and technology. The book comprises production steps, dotted with the latest trends or the innovations in the fields. It draws upon the expertise of leading researchers in the wine making worldwide.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi in a wide range of foods (cereals, peanut, tree nuts, dried fruits, coffee, cocoa, grapes, spices...) both in the field and after harvest, particularly during storage. They can also be found in processed foods of plant origin, or by transfer, in food products of animal (milk, eggs, meat and offal). Mycotoxins are of major concern since they can cause acute or chronic intoxications in both humans and animals which are sometimes fatal. Many countries, particularly in Europe, have set maximum acceptable levels for mycotoxins in food and feed. The book reviews the latest literature and innovations on important aspects of mycotoxins, e.g. mycotoxin producing fungi and the related ecosystems, mycotoxin occurrence, toxicity, analysis and management. Quantitative estimation of impacts of climate change on mycotoxin occurrence have been made recently, using predictive modelling. There is also a growing interest in studying the occurrence and toxicity of multiple mycotoxins in food and feed, including emerging or modified forms of mycotoxins. Innovative tools have also developed to detect and quantify toxinogenic fungi and their toxins. In order to reduce the use of chemicals that are harmful to the environment and health of consumers, alternative methods of prevention and decontamination of mycotoxins were tested in pre- and post-harvest, using microorganisms, natural substances or radiation treatments.

The aim of food processing is to produce food that is palatable and tastes good, extend its shelf-life, increase the variety, and maintain the nutritional and healthcare quality of food. To achieve favorable processing conditions and for the safety of the food to be consumed, use of food grade microbial enzymes or microbes (being the natural biocatalysts) is imperative. This book discusses the uses of enzymes in conventional and non-conventional food and beverage processing as well as in dairy processing, brewing, bakery and wine making. Apart from conventional uses, the development of bioprocessing tools and techniques have significantly expanded the potential for extensive application of enzymes such as in production of bioactive peptides, oligosaccharides and lipids, flavor and colorants. Some of these developments include extended use of the biocatalysts (as immobilized/encapsulated enzymes), microbes (both natural and genetically modified) as sources for bulk enzymes, solid state fermentation technology for enzyme production. Extremophiles and marine microorganisms are another source of food grade enzymes. The book throws light on potential applications of microbial enzymes to expand the base of food processing industries.

The first volume in a series covering the latest information in microbiology, biotechnology, and food safety aspects, this book is divided into two parts. Part I focuses on fermentation of traditional foods and beverages, such as cereal and milk products from the Orient, Africa, Latin America, and other areas. Part two addresses fermentation biology, discussing specific topics including microbiology and biotechnology of wine and beer, lactic fermented fruits and vegetables, coffee and cocoa fermentation, probiotics, bio-valorization of food wastes, and solid state fermentation in food processing industries.

Food traceability is a growing consumer concern worldwide. Traceability is undertaken primarily at the administrative level, where the use of advanced analytical tools is not available. Nevertheless, the determination of geographical origin is a requirement of the traceability system for the import and export of foodstuffs (EU regulation 178/2002). The topics covered in this book include the history of traceability; legislations and rules; the actual traceability techniques and the potential analytical techniques for food traceability such as molecular methods (e.g. DGGE, SSCP), next generation sequencers (NGS), bio-captors, chromatographic techniques, isotopic analysis that are used for discrimination of organic food, fish, oils. The chromatographic techniques help in the use of volatile compounds analysis. The isotope analysis helps in distinguishing between chicken meat and vegetable oils. Ambient mass spectrometry is used for studying mycotoxines and alkaloids in foodstuffs and their management, food and feed authentication in olive and other plant oils, and wine. Vibrational methods (e.g. NMR and NIRS) are used to trace food by global spectrum. The book reviews the current and future techniques including metabolomic techniques.

This book reviews the use of fermentation to develop healthy and functional foods and beverages and the commercialization of fermented food products through the use of biotechnology. The first two sections cover the health and functional benefits of fermented foods and the latter two sections include chapters on global and region-specific fermented foods that have crossed the geographical barriers to reach supermarkets all over the world.

Wine is one of the oldest forms of alcoholic beverages known to man. Estimates date its origins back to 6000 B.C. Ever since, it has occupied a significant role in our lives, be it for consumption, social virtues, therapeutic value, its flavoring in foods, etc. A study of wine production and the technology of winemaking is thus imperative. The preparation of wine involves steps from harvesting the grapes, fermenting the must, maturing the wine, stabilizing it finally, to getting the bottled wine to consumers. The variety of cultivars, methods of production, and style of wine, along with presentation and consumption pattern add to the complexity of winemaking. In the past couple of decades, there have been major technological advances in wine production in the areas of cultivation of grapes, biochemistry and methods of production of different types of wines, usage of analytical techniques has enabled us to produce higher quality wine. The technological inputs of a table wine, dessert wine or sparkling wine, are different and has significance to the consumer. The role played by the killer yeast, recombinant DNA technology, application of enzyme technology and new analytical methods of wine evaluation, all call for a comprehensive review of the advances made. This comprehensive volume provides a holistic view of the basics and applied aspects of wine production and technology. The book comprises production steps, dotted with the latest trends or the innovations in the fields. It draws upon the expertise of leading researchers in the wine making worldwide.

Traditional fermented foods are not only the staple food for most of developing countries but also the key healthy food for developed countries. As the healthy functions of these foods are gradually discovered, more high throughput biotechnologies are being used to promote the fermented food industries. As a result, the microorganisms, process biochemistry, manufacturing, and down-streaming processing, as well as the bioactive metabolites released by the fermenting organisms and, above all, the healthy functions of these foods were extensively researched. The application and progress of biotechnology and biochemistry of traditional fermented food systems are different from each other, as the microorganisms and the food matrices vary widely. Part I (Biochemistry and Biotechnology) of this book (Fermented Foods) discusses the general aspects of biochemistry and biotechnological application of fermented foods involving acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, ethanolic yeasts, and fungi in accelerating the many and variable functional factors in the fermented foods as well as metagenomics of fermented foods. The detailed technological interventions involved in different categories of fermented foods such as fermented cereals (bread and sourdough), fermented milk products (yogurt, cheese), fermented sausages, fermented vegetables (kimchi, sauerkraut), fermented legumes (tempeh, natto) and coffee and cocoa fermentations, and fermented beverages (animal- and plant-based) with their potential and actual health benefits, are discussed in Part II (Fermented Foods: Technological Interventions).

Fish and shrimp producing industries generate huge amounts of wastes in form of viscera, scales, waste water, etc. Applications of microorganisms and/or microbesbased products have contributed significantly in solving many of these problems associated with aquaculture and waste management. This book addresses strategies for control of bacterial infection in farmed aquatic organism products. It covers: spoilage of fresh fish, microorganisms and processed seafoods, microbiological safety and quality of processed shrimps and fish and molecular detection of seafood borne human pathogenic bacteria.

Fish and shrimp producing industries generate huge amounts of wastes in form of viscera, scales, waste water, etc. Applications of microorganisms and/or microbesbased products have contributed significantly in solving many of these problems associated with aquaculture and waste management. This book addresses strategies for control of bacterial infection in farmed aquatic organism products. It covers: spoilage of fresh fish, microorganisms and processed seafoods, microbiological safety and quality of processed shrimps and fish and molecular detection of seafood borne human pathogenic bacteria.

Food traceability is a growing consumer concern worldwide. Traceability is undertaken primarily at the administrative level, where the use of advanced analytical tools is not available. Nevertheless, the determination of geographical origin is a requirement of the traceability system for the import and export of foodstuffs (EU regulation 178/2002). The topics covered in this book include the history of traceability; legislations and rules; the actual traceability techniques and the potential analytical techniques for food traceability such as molecular methods (e.g. DGGE, SSCP), next generation sequencers (NGS), bio-captors, chromatographic techniques, isotopic analysis that are used for discrimination of organic food, fish, oils. The chromatographic techniques help in the use of volatile compounds analysis. The isotope analysis helps in distinguishing between chicken meat and vegetable oils. Ambient mass spectrometry is used for studying mycotoxines and alkaloids in foodstuffs and their management, food and feed authentication in olive and other plant oils, and wine. Vibrational methods (e.g. NMR and NIRS) are used to trace food by global spectrum. The book reviews the current and future techniques including metabolomic techniques.

Advances in Lignocellulosic Biofuel Production Systems focuses on general topics such as novel pretreatment strategies, lignocellulosic biomass as a suitable feedstock for biofuels, lifecycle assessment and integrated biorefineries. Furthermore, the book focuses on more advanced topics such as genetically engineered feedstocks, metabolically engineered microbes, bioreactor design and configuration, cell immobilization strategies, artificial intelligence applications and nanotechnology. This book will guide readers through all aspects of lignocellulosic biofuel production rather than simply covering a single topic.

Lactic Acid Bacteria as Cell Factories: Synthetic Biology and Metabolic Engineering describes the most recent developments on the metabolic engineering and synthetic biology of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) for production of biologically active biomolecules (enzymes, organic acids, bacteriocins, bioactive peptides, etc.), recombinant proteins, and their role in bioremediation. The book focuses on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering for the production of biologically active molecules such as bioactive peptides, polysaccharides, vitamins (Riboflavin), enzymes, organic acids (lactic and gamma-aminobutyric acid), flavor and aroma compounds, bacteriocins, recombinant proteins, etc. Individual chapters are devoted to the production of biosurfactants and their applications and the bioremediation of heavy metals by LAB from aquatic environments. Two critical chapters address Genome editing of LAB: opportunities for food, feed and pharmaceuticals and A synthetic biology approach for plasmid DNA and Recombinant protein production. This book will be a valuable resource for those working in biology, biotechnology, biological engineering, chemical engineering, microbiology, food science and technology, genetics and synthetic biology.

The aim of food processing is to produce food that is palatable and tastes good, extend its shelf-life, increase the variety, and maintain the nutritional and healthcare quality of food. To achieve favorable processing conditions and for the safety of the food to be consumed, use of food grade microbial enzymes or microbes (being the natural biocatalysts) is imperative. This book discusses the uses of enzymes in conventional and non-conventional food and beverage processing as well as in dairy processing, brewing, bakery and wine making. Apart from conventional uses, the development of bioprocessing tools and techniques have significantly expanded the potential for extensive application of enzymes such as in production of bioactive peptides, oligosaccharides and lipids, flavor and colorants. Some of these developments include extended use of the biocatalysts (as immobilized/encapsulated enzymes), microbes (both natural and genetically modified) as sources for bulk enzymes, solid state fermentation technology for enzyme production. Extremophiles and marine microorganisms are another source of food grade enzymes. The book throws light on potential applications of microbial enzymes to expand the base of food processing industries.

Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food Biotechnology: Innovations and Functional Aspects describes the latest advancements in LAB applications in the development of functional foods and fermented foods, biotechnological products using LAB, i.e., bio chemicals (organic acids, bacteriocins, etc.), bioactive and functional biomolecules, comparative genomics of probiotic LAB, and genetically modified LAB in food industry. Bridging the gap between LAB-mediated fermented foods and bioactive compounds, vis-a-vis molecular aspects, this book enables the transition from research to application. The book details applications of LAB in fermented/functional foods including cereals, vegetables, fish, meat cheese, other dairy products, and much more. Other sections cover their biochemistry and biotechnology aspects, bio preservation by bio molecules produced by LAB, bioactive metabolites and biosurfactants, including their value in health and wellness and exploring the genomics of LAB from food to health. Finally, the book addresses genetically modified lactic acid bacteria in food and beverages.

Sustainable Biofuels: Opportunities and challenges, a volume in the "Applied Biotechnology Reviews" series, explores the state-of-the-art in research and applied technology for the conversion of all types of biofuels. Its chapters span a broad spectrum of knowledge, from fundamentals and technical aspects to optimization, combinations, economics, and environmental aspects. They cover various facets of research, production, and commercialization of bioethanol, biodiesel, biomethane, biohydrogen, biobutanol, and biojet fuel. This book discusses biochemical, thermochemical, and hydrothermal conversion of unconventional feedstocks, including the role of biotechnology applications to achieve efficiency and competitiveness. Through case studies, techno-economic analysis and sustainability assessment, including life cycle assessment, it goes beyond technical aspects to provides actual resources for better decision-making during the development of commercially viable technology by researchers, PhD students, and practitioners in the field of bioenergy. It is also a useful resource for those in adjacent areas, such as biotechnology, industrial microbiology, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, and sustainability science, who are working on solutions for the bioeconomy. The ability to compare different technologies and their outcome that this book provides is also beneficial for energy analysts, consultants, planners, and policy-makers. The "Applied Biotechnology Reviews" series highlights current development and research in biotechnology-related fields, combining in single-volume works the theoretical aspects and real-world applications for better decision-making.

Microbial Biotechnology in Food and Health Science, volume one in the Applied Biotechnology Reviews series, offers two unique sections within the theme of genomics and bioprocessing and the bioengineering of microorganisms in the role of food science and human health. This volume provides review articles as the basis supporting biotechnological research useful to a wide scope of research initiatives. Important relevant information on genomics, proteomics and metabolomics are included as well as the emerging interdisciplinary area of synthetic biology which enables the metabolic engineering of microorganisms to produce pharmaceuticals. Applied Biotechnology Reviews is a series aimed at bringing all aspects of biotechnology as it is applied to food science - from agriculture through product processing into focus through topical volumes. Each volume will cover a relevant application approach in industrial biotechnology.

Alpha -amylase is one of the most important and widely used enzymes, in food and beverage industries. The alpha-amylase presently used in starch saccharification requires calcium for activity and/or stability. The thermostable alpha- amylase produced by the actinomycetes strain Streptomyces erumpens is calcium independent.In this book, the process optimizations and production of alpha -amylase by this strain in solid state- and submerged- fermentation, and its applications in starch saccharification to sugar, for conversion in to lactic acid and ethanol have been discussed.

In Asian agriculture, cowdung is commonly used as organic manure to increase the crop productivity. This study provides scientific evidences to reinforce the concept on agricultural promotional activity of cowdung which is by and large associated with microorganisms present in it. Five Bacillus subtilis strains (CM1-CM5) were isolated from cowdung microflora which rendered biocontrol activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Botryodiplodia theobromae the post-harvest rot pathogens of yam (Dioscorea rotundata L.) tubers. Besides biocontrol, these strains exhibited solubilization of inorganic phosphorous and production of indole-3-acetic acid. Industrial grade food processing enzymes such as amylase and pectinase were produced by these organisms in submerged and solid state fermentation.

Traditional fermented foods are not only the staple food for most of developing countries but also the key healthy food for developed countries. As the healthy functions of these foods are gradually discovered, more high throughput biotechnologies are being used to promote the fermented food industries. As a result, the microorganisms, process biochemistry, manufacturing, and down-streaming processing, as well as the bioactive metabolites released by the fermenting organisms and, above all, the healthy functions of these foods were extensively researched. The application and progress of biotechnology and biochemistry of traditional fermented food systems are different from each other, as the microorganisms and the food matrices vary widely. Part I (Biochemistry and Biotechnology) of this book (Fermented Foods) discusses the general aspects of biochemistry and biotechnological application of fermented foods involving acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, ethanolic yeasts, and fungi in accelerating the many and variable functional factors in the fermented foods as well as metagenomics of fermented foods. The detailed technological interventions involved in different categories of fermented foods such as fermented cereals (bread and sourdough), fermented milk products (yogurt, cheese), fermented sausages, fermented vegetables (kimchi, sauerkraut), fermented legumes (tempeh, natto) and coffee and cocoa fermentations, and fermented beverages (animal- and plant-based) with their potential and actual health benefits, are discussed in Part II (Fermented Foods: Technological Interventions).

This book puts together all aspects of valorization of vegetable and fruit wastes (VFWs) into different biocommodities and platform chemicals using fermentation and non-fermentation processes. VFWs are a special group of solid waste (biomass) that needs to be characterized to understand the nature of applications as raw materials and to propose an appropriate methodology for bioprocessing into value-added commodities. VFWs provide favorable conditions for the growth of microorganisms, and this opens up great opportunities for their use in fermentation processes. For example, VFWs can be used as a solid support, carbon, and nutrient source in fermentation for the production of a variety of value-added biocommodities such as enzymes, single-cell proteins, bioadsorbents, phenolic bioactive compounds, aroma and flavor compounds, and platform chemicals like lactic acid, bioethanol, and biobutanol. Researchers and academics in the area of environmental science and engineering, chemical engineering, biotechnology, life science, and food science and technology, undergraduate and graduate students, industry professionals, and policymakers will find this publication useful. Bioprocessing of agro-wastes is a recent technology for developing novel bioproducts. This book will also be of interest to the general public as a reference for all those interested in waste management.