Highlights and examines the growing convergence between the food and agricultural industries—the technological, environmental, and consumer-related drivers of this change, and the potential outcomesThis is the first book of its kind to connect food and the food industry with agriculture, water resources, and water management in a detailed and thorough way. It brings together a small community of expert authors to address the future of the food industry, agriculture (both for plants...

The collection of lectures and publications from the Schumacher Center for a New Economics represents some of the foremost voices on a new economics.There is a fairly standard list of environmentally friendly actions American consumers are typically encouraged to take: “drive less, buy a hybrid car, buy energy-efficient appliances, change our light bulbs.” But Anna Lappé points out that this list entirely neglects food. Since 31 percent of greenhouse gas emissions can be traced bac...

Now in a fully revised and updated second edition, this volume provides a contemporary overview of food processing/packaging technologies. It acquaints the reader with food preservation processes, shelf life and logistical considerations, as well as packaging materials, machines and processes necessary for a wide range of packaging presentations. The new edition addresses environmental and sustainability concerns, and also examines applications of emerging technologies such as RFID and nan...

Riesling, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes can make magnificent wines but there are also many other excellent wine varieties that for many of us are rarely experienced. Vines for Wines will expand the wine lover’s knowledge and appreciation of a great range of wines and help to explore their individual preferences for specific varieties, blends, flavours and styles. This book is based on the highly successful Wine Grape Varieties, which is an aid to identifying grape vines. Vi...

Pulses are nutritionally diverse crops that can be successfully utilized as a food ingredient or a base for new product development. They provide a natural food grade ingredient that is rich in lysine, dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates, protein and B-vitamins suggesting that pulses can provide a variety of health benefits such as reducing heart disease and diabetes. Interest in the use of pulses and their ingredients in food formulations is growing and several factors are contributing t...

It is generally assumed that microorganisms synthesize, release, detect and respond to small signaling hormone-like molecules. These molecules are used for a process termed “quorum sensing” (QS), a phenomenon that enables bacteria to sense when the minimal number of cells, or “quorum,” is achieved for a concerted response to be initiated. Words such as “language” and “behavior” are frequently used to depict QS in the literature. More simply put, language and cross-talk between bacteria, an...

The pharmacopoeias of most African countries are available and contain an impressive number of medicinal plants used for various therapeutic purposes. Many African scholars have distinguished themselves in the fields of organic chemistry, pharmacology, and pharmacognosy and other areas related to the study of plant medicinal plants. However, until now, there is no global standard book on the nature and specificity of chemicals isolated in African medicinal plants, as well as a book bringin...

The story of beer and brewing in Britain is a diverse tale. Like a deep, amber ale, the development of the brewing industry is rich and full of depth. The history of brewing in Britain is a cornerstone of the country’s culture. Dating back to the Domesday Book, where more breweries were recorded than wineries, through to the glory days of the Victorians, the industry and the popularity of brewing in Britain has sky-rocketed in the past twenty years with the rise of the micro-brewer. Provin...

Consumer acceptance of food is highly dependent on flavour. This important collection reviews the chemical basis of fruit and vegetable flavour and current methods for improving the flavour of fruit and vegetable products.Opening chapters outline the economic importance of flavour in fruit and vegetables. Part one investigates the formation of fruit and vegetable flavour and how it deteriorates after harvest. Part three contains chapters on flavour management during horticultural and posth...

This book presents an in depth study of different aspects of pesticide use in food production. The text covers the sources of pesticide residues in foods, relevant health and environmental concerns, degradation of pesticides after their use, and available laws and regulations to regulate pesticide use. In addition, different pesticide management techniques, such as: reduction of pesticide residues in grains and foods, alternatives to conventional pesticides, and prospects of organ...

This Brief discusses aspects of the increasingly complex production of legal and reliable food products of non-animal origin. It introduces to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) in the USA (from January 2011), which requires the food industry to follow risk-based approaches with stronger self-regulation of food safety through measures such as the foreign supplier verification programs (FSVPs).The Brief addresses important chemical hazards of vegetable products: their peculiar ...

This Brief reviews thermal processes in the food industry – pasteurization, sterilization, UHT processes, and others. It evaluates the effects on a chemical level and possible failures from a safety viewpoint, and discusses in how far the effects can be predicted. In addition, historical preservation techniques – smoking, addition of natural additives, irradiation, etc. – are compared with current industrial systems, like fermentation, irradiation, addition of food-grade chemicals. The Bri...