FOOD TOXICOLOGY. William Helferich and Carl K. Winter, eds. CRC Press LLC, 2000 NW Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Phone 561-994-0555, fax 561-361-6075, or www.crcpress.com. ISBN: 0-8493-2760-1. 2001. 225 pp. $99.95.
If you’re looking to add a current reference book on food toxicology to your shelf, this might be a good place to start. It serves as a good reference for food scientists as well as a good textbook for students who wish to get a broad overview of the field. Topics range from food allergens to pesticides, with much in between. The editors have brought together a number of respected authors to discuss various issues in food toxicology.
The book begins with a strong chapter written by faculty members of the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program at the University of Nebraska, providing an introduction to food allergies and sensitivities. Subsequent chapters involve dietary estrogens and antiestrogens, non-nutritive antioxidants, genetically enhanced food crops, microbial toxins, naturally ocurring toxins, pesticides, and food additives. The final chapter provides a discussion on measurement of toxicants and contaminants.
The overall content is good; however, some of the chapters assume more beginning knowledge than others. Additional background information in most chapters would make this an even more valuable textbook for students, but all chapters are heavily referenced for the reader to gather further information on selected topics. The book is very timely. since many of the issues covered are ones the food industry deals with daily.
The authors are well known and highly respected in the area of food toxicology. They have many years of experience and provide a current overview of many aspects of food toxicology. On their reputations alone, I welcomed an opportunity to review the book. The content is excellent, and I would recommend a reference copy on every toxicologist’s bookshelf. I plan to use this book in a graduate course in the near future.
Charles R. Santerre, Associate Professor, Dept. of Foods and Nutrition, Perdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.
NATURAL FOOD COLORANTS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Gabriel J. Lauro and F. Jack Francis, eds. Marcel Dekker, Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Phone 212-696-9000, fax 212-685-4540, or www.dekker.com. ISBN: 0-8247-0421-5. 2000. 336 pp. No price given.
This recent addition to the IFT Basic Symposium Series, which presents the results of a symposium held July 23-24, 1999, includes a great deal of useful information on natural color additives. The book includes detailed chapters on many of the natural color additives permitted for use around the world and a number of additional colorants with limited approvals that may one day be more widely accepted. In addition, chapters are dedicated to the health aspects of natural pigments, European and Japanese regulations, and color measurement.
The individual colorant chapters vary in scope and level of technical detail. There are in-depth discussions of applications for many of the color additives, including technical and regulatory limitations. Preparation, formulation, analysis, stability, and hue of the color additives are also discussed, and present and future applications are described. Many of the chapters provide a good background and history of the use of color additives.
One chapter provides a concise, informative summary of the history of carmine. The chapters on monascus, paprika, lycopene, turmeric, anthocyanins, and chlorophylls are comprehensive but tightly written so that the reader is provided with the key information on uses, safety issues, and regulatory status.
The chapter on human health aspects describes the biochemical and pharmacological properties of anthocyanins, carotenoids, chlorophylls, and curcuminoids. It also discusses their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-carcinogenic properties with respect to the improvement of human health and prevention of disease.
The chapter on European and Japanese regulations provides a useful overview of color additive regulations permitted for use in these areas. It includes the European Union’s regulatory process and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives’ safety evaluation procedure. The section on Japanese regulations includes a list of color additives permitted in the 1999 Japanese Standards for Food Additives.
A chapter on color measurement chapter provides a helpful general review of what color is and how it is described and measured. It discusses the relationship between subjective visual perception and objective instrument measurement as it pertains to natural color additives.
All in all, this book would be a welcome addition to the library of anyone interested in the history, chemistry, applications, and regulation of natural color additives.
John Hallagan, General Counsel, and Erin O’Connor, Staff Scientist, International Assn. of Color Manufacturers, Washington, D.C.
SPICES, SEASONINGS, & FLAVORINGS. Susheela Raghavan Uhl. Technomic Publishing Co., Inc., 851 New Holland Ave., Lancaster, PA 17604-9961. Call 717-291-5609, fax 717-295-4538, or www.techpub.com. ISBN 1-56676-931-0. 2000. 329 pp. $79.95.
Spice use has increased in the U.S., both in volume and variety. This book provides a comprehensive, updated overview of popular spices with an emphasis on emerging trends in spices, spice blends, seasonings, and other flavor contributors.
The first three chapters are introductory. There is a very short history of the spice trade, a discussion of the reasons for the U.S. increase in spice use, and a good introduction to the forms, functions, and applications of spices.
A large portion of the book is devoted to descriptions of 64 specific spices. Though some spices will be very familiar, such as sesame, mustard, basil, or clove, they are presented with a global perspective and with a view of their use in emerging food trends. Other spices will be less familiar, like wasabi, ajowan, epazote, galangal, and zeodary. All the descriptions include the origins and varieties, common names, scientific names, forms, properties, chemical components, preparation, and uses in a variety of dishes and spice blends. A short history, therapeutic uses, and folklore are also presented.
The last two chapters discuss emerging flavor contributors and emerging spice blends and seasonings. The emerging flavor contributors section goes beyond traditional spices to include root/rhizome flavorings, flowers, wrappers, and seafood flavorings. The emerging spice blends section is organized geographically. The information is well organized and relates similar types of spice blend trends to those from other countries.
The technical sections are generally accurate. There are some statements, such as the authors’ simplified discussion of EtO’s toxicity, that could lead the reader to draw incorrect conclusions.
This book provides a very good overview of emerging trends and is recommended to product developers, chefs, and curious consumers.
Elizabeth Erman, Executive Director, American Spice Trade Association, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
MICROBIAL FOODBORNE DISEASES: MECHANISMS OF A PATHOGENESIS AND TOXIN SYNTHESIS. Jeffrey W. Cary, John E. Linz, and Deepak Bhatnagar, eds.Technomic Publishing Co., Inc., 851 New Holland Ave., Lancaster, PA 17604-9961. Call 717-291-5609, fax 717-295-4538, or www.techpub.com. ISBN 1-56676-787-3. 2000. 550 pp. No price given.
If you are looking for a well-written, straightforward, advanced treatise of molecular and cellular processes that govern pathogenicity and toxin production in foodborne pathogens, then this book is for you. Unlike many texts on molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogens, this one provides a concise description without in-depth or extraneous detail regarding the molecular aspects of pathogenicity. The information is up-to-date and covers most of the significant foodborne pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, dinoflagellates, and protozoa.
Each chapter is written by one or more experts on the topic, and most include descriptions of relevant virulence determinants and how they induce adverse effects in the host, how the host responds to virulence factors, and the genetic basis for the pathogen’s virulence. The book is loaded with current references, which makes it an excellent starting point for graduate students and postgraduates pursuing research on microbial pathogenicity. However, this is not for the neophyte, since it is written at a level that requires a basic understanding of microbiology and genetics.
Despite my general enthusiasm for the book, I was disappointed that not all the major foodborne pathogens were addressed. For example, there are no chapters on Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and hepatitis A virus. There is, however, a very timely chapter on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies, which provides excellent coverage of the prion-associated diseases.
This book would serve as a very good reference for scientists involved in food microbiology and food safety, and perhaps human and veterinary medicine. It could be particularly helpful to those interested in developing prophylactics or therapeutics for foodborne pathogens or their toxins.
Michael P. Doyle, IFT Fellow, Professor of Food Microbiology, Center for Food Safety, University of Georgia, Griffin, Ga.
BOOKS RECEIVED
Biscuit, Cracker, and Cookie Recipes for the Food Industry. Duncan Manley. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-1220-5. 2001. 189 pp. No price given.
Chilled Foods: A Comprehensive Guide, Second Ed. Mike Stringer and Colin Dennis, eds. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-0856-9. 2000. 486 pp. No price given.
Food, Consumers, and the Food Industry: Catastrophe or Opportunity? Gordon W. Fuller. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-2326-6. 2001. 295 pp. No price given.
Food Irradiation: Principles and Applications. Ricardo Molins, ed. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158-0012. Call 800-CALL-WILEY or fax 212-850-6008. ISBN 0-471-35634-4. 2001. 469 pp. No price given.
Functional Foods: Concept to Product. Glenn R. Gibson and Christine M. Williams, eds. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-0851-8. 2000. 374 pp. No price given.
Fundamental Food Microbiology, Second Ed. Bibek Ray. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-0045-2. 2001. 562 pp. No price given.
HACCP in the Meat Industry. Martyn Brown, ed. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-0840-6. 2000. 329 pp. No price given.
Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods. Robert E.C. Wildman. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-8734-5. 2001. 542 pp. No price given.
Irradiation for Food Safety and Quality. Paisan Loaharanu and Paul Thomas, eds. Technomic Publishing Co., Inc., 851 New Holland Ave., Lancaster, PA 17604-9961. Call 717-291-5609, fax 717-295-4538, or www.techpub.com. ISBN 1-58716-081-1. 2001. 216 pp. $99.95.
The ISO 9000 Quality System: Applications in Food and Technology. Debby L. Newslow. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158-0012. Call 800-CALL-WILEY or fax 212-850-6008. ISBN 0-471-36913-6. 2001. 241 pp. No price given.
Mechanisation and Automation in Dairy Technology. Adnan Y. Tamime and Barry A. Law. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-0509-8. 2001. 348 pp. No price given.
Poultry Meat Processing. Alan R. Sams. CRC Press LLC, 2000 N.W. Corporate Blvd., Boca Raton, FL 33431. Call 800-272-7737 or fax 800-374-3401. ISBN: 0-8493-0120-3. 2001. 334 pp. No price given.