ILSI Human Nutrition Reviews provide an account of current thought in the field under review and point to problems and questions yet to be elucidated. They are intended to fill the gap between the textbook on the one hand and the specialist publication on the other. They are written by leading international authorities and are reviews for workers in the medical, nutritional and allied sciences rather than the expert. Dietary Starches and Sugar in Man presents the latest thinking of leading research scientists in a unique, multi-authored book. Leading European experts have collaborated to prepare a multi-disciplinary update on the subject. Each chapter was submitted to peer review by every other author, after which the commentaries were either incorporated into a revision of the original text or added at the end of the chapter. In many cases the group discussion raised new points, so that the final product truly represents a complete picture of international expertise. This book thus gives nutrition experts in the medical sciences and the food industry all current information on the latest research, and the critiques of this research, concerning these two groups of carbohydrates.

Infant Feeding is about a controversy which fascinated the medical and scientific world, as well as national and international health authorities, politicians, religious groups and consumer organisations, for more than 11 years. It often disturbed public opinion, being concerned, as it is, with nothing less than the life and death of babies. The infant food industry was directly accused of having caused a decline in breast-feeding through the inappropriate marketing of breast milk substitutes. The problem was said to be particularly acute in poor under-developed communities, because illiterate mothers were unable to understand instructions for its use, water was often contaminated and, in order to "stretch" an admittedly expensive product, it was over-diluted. The inevitable result, said the critics of industry, was malnutrition, gastroenteritis and increased infant mortality. These were very serious charges against companies which had until then been generally considered to provide an important contribution to medical progress and child health. One company was to be particularly singled out: Nestle SA, the Swiss multinational. Perhaps it became the target because it was the longest establishment, and served well as a symbol of the whole industry. It is a story which is full of confrontations, intrigue and passionately-held opinions, based, nevertheless, on a sizeable body of medical science. After countless twists and turns, it has some sort of "happy ending". Yet a great deal remains to be said, as will be seen throughout the book.

Iron deficiency in infancy is very widespread, even in developed countries and even when there is no general malnutrition. This book examines the question whether iron deficiency in early life leads to deleterious changes in brain and/or behavioural development. Each of the nine contributors comments critically on each of the other eight chapters, so that the book is very extensively peer-reviewed. The evidence is set out so that the reader may make his own informed judgement. Iron deficiency could very easily be prevented; this fact is of prime importance if such deficiency has long-lasting effects on human intellectual capacity and achievement.