The recent series of texts 'Developments in Food Proteins' comprised in all seven volumes which were published in the course of the decade 1982-1991. Each volume contained inter alia one or more chapters that were concerned with new or developing sources of food proteins. Most of these have now been collected together in an up dated and re-evaluated form for the present volume. 'New' sources of food proteins includes those sources that are unconventional, that are still of very limited significance in market terms, or that are at present of very localized use. Several of these were included in 'Developments in Food Proteins'. One of them, algae, appeared both in Volume 1 and in an up-dated form in Volume 7. It is therefore not included here. Others, such as yeasts and bacteria, have not yet increased in practical importance as potential food components beyond the long-term promise already evident at that time. However, leaf protein, as described in the present Chapter 10, has moved from the original rather crude concept to a much more sophisticated product in the form of Rubisco. Fungal protein, as Quorn (Chapter 11), has also proved to be potentially of real food value. 'Developing' sources of food protein are those sources that have always been basic items in human diets."

Developments in the understanding of food protein structure, behaviour and applications continue apace. Many of these have, in the past decade, been reported and evaluated in the series 'Developments in Food Pro teins' , comprising seven volumes, with a total of 55 chapters. The time has now come to re-assess many of the topics reviewed in that series and to add certain others. However, instead of assembling, some what at random, food protein topics from quite disparate fields in indi vidual volumes, we have decided to bring together homogeneous groups of topics, each representing a specific sector of the subject. Under the general theme of 'Progress in Food Proteins' the first of these groups covers 'Biochemistry' . Readers will note that, though six of the topics reviewed in this volume are new, five of them have already featured in 'Developments in Food Proteins'. These last are in active research fields in which new develop ments have been of special significance. In this sense, therefore, they are welcome updates.

The recent series of texts 'Developments in Food Proteins' comprised in all seven volumes which were published in the course of the decade 1982-1991. Each volume contained inter alia one or more chapters that were concerned with new or developing sources of food proteins. Most of these have now been collected together in an up dated and re-evaluated form for the present volume. 'New' sources of food proteins includes those sources that are unconventional, that are still of very limited significance in market terms, or that are at present of very localized use. Several of these were included in 'Developments in Food Proteins'. One of them, algae, appeared both in Volume 1 and in an up-dated form in Volume 7. It is therefore not included here. Others, such as yeasts and bacteria, have not yet increased in practical importance as potential food components beyond the long-term promise already evident at that time. However, leaf protein, as described in the present Chapter 10, has moved from the original rather crude concept to a much more sophisticated product in the form of Rubisco. Fungal protein, as Quorn (Chapter 11), has also proved to be potentially of real food value. 'Developing' sources of food protein are those sources that have always been basic items in human diets."