VEROCYTOTOXIGENIC E. COLI. Eds. G. Duffy, P. Garvey, and D.A. McDowell. Food & Nutrition Press, 6527 Main St., Trumbull, CT 06611 (phone 203-261-8587, fax 203-261-9724, e-mail [email protected]. 2001. 452 pp. No price given.
Verocytotoxigen (or Shiga toxin)-producing Escherichia coli (VTEC) have emerged as significant foodborne pathogens worldwide. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of research on VTEC. It consists of five sections: methodology, epidemiology, pathogenic aspects of VTEC infection, survival and growth, and control measures. Since the contents are clearly designed for those with a basic background in pathogens, it should be a good reference book for current researchers in this area, rather than the general reader.
The chapters are written by established scientists from 12 European countries, Canada, and the United States, and each provides detailed information on different aspects of VTEC. Because the topics are diverse, the value to the individual reader of including such a range of topics is difficult to determine as it will ultimately depend on the corresponding diversity of interests of the reader. Although the book mainly reflects current research of VTEC in Europe, it provides excellent information on VTEC serotypes other than O157:H7, which is the predominant VTEC serotype in North America. Chapters addressing contamination, survival and growth, detection, and control of VTEC should be of interest to food scientists.
A minor criticism of the book is that it has avoided addressing the complexity of the nomenclature of VTEC and failed to acknowledge the use of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) for VTEC, which has been seen and widely accepted in the literature since 1996. It is important to introduce the term STEC in a book on VTEC if the book is also designed to encourage attention in the U.S.
Jianghong Meng, Associate Professor and Director of the Food Science Graduate Program, Dept. of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park.
FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. Mary Earle, Richard Earle, Allan Anderson. CRC Press LLC, 2000 Corporate Blvd., NW, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (phone 800-272-7737, fax 800-374-3401). ISBN 0-8493-1209-4. 2001. 380 pp. No price given.
The authors have based the contents of this book on their many years of experience in practicing product development (PD) in the food and pharmaceutical industries and teaching it at the university level, where it developed into an academic discipline leading to BS and MS degrees.
This is reflected in the format of the book—after each chapter subsection there is a useful “think break” for further digestion which relates the presented information to one’s work situation. This makes the book better as a college text rather than a how-to guide to PD.
The authors focus on two messages: There is no single recipe for successful PD, and the consumer is the center of PD in the food industry. This text differs from other books on PD by recognizing that different stages in the food system require different approaches to PD, that the consumer must hold a central place, and that there are political effects on food products and their marketing. It also takes a global economy view-point and covers aspects of PD usually taken for granted and not addressed by the American food industry.
The authors consider four knowledge areas to be the most important part of PD and devote an entire chapter to each: technology; wants and needs of different world cultures; skills in producing raw materials and food processing; and PD systems and organization. Other extensive chapters are devoted to consumer aspects, principles and applications of managing the PD process, and key requirements for successful PD. Each chapter contains a list of references for further reading and study. A separate section contains a number of case histories. Good use is made of the graphical presentation of information.
As the authors state in the preface, “this is not a book on techniques of PD; it is a book to raise the awareness of different aspects of PD and to apply the new or revived knowledge in the practical situation of managing PD in a food company.” It is intended for people at all levels of the PD process. Some of the British terminology and concepts may be foreign to the American reader.
Alina Surmacka Szczesniak, IFT Fellow and retired Principal Scientist, General Foods Corp. (now Kraft Foods), Mount Vernon, N.Y.
BOOKS RECEIVED
Aseptic Processing of Foods Containing Solid Particulates. Sudhir K. Sastry, Bill D. Cornelius. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158-0012 (800-CALL-WILEY, fax 212-850-6008). ISBN 0-471-36359-6. 2002. 250 pp. $125.
Barley Science: Recent Advances from Molecular Biology to Agronomy of Yield and Quality. Gustavo A. Slafer, José Luis Molina-Cano, Roxana Savin, José Luis Araus, Ignacio Romagosa, eds. Food Products Press (an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.), 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 (phone 607-722-5857). ISBN 1-56022-909-8. 2002. 565 pp. $129.95 hardcover, $69.95 paperback.
Chemical Food Safety. Jim Riviere. Iowa State Press, 2121 State Ave., Ames, IA 50014-8300 (phone 800-862-6657, www.iowastatepress.com). ISBN 0-8138-0254-7. 2002. 213pp. $59.99.
Crop Improvement: Challenges in the Twenty-First Century. Manjit S. Kang, ed. Food Products Press (an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.), 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 (phone 607-722-5857). ISBN 1-56022-904-7. 2002. 389 pp. $124.95 hardcover, $59.95 paperback.
Food Lipids, 2nd Edition. Casimir C. Akoh, David B. Min, eds. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016 (phone 212-696-9000, fax 212-685-4540, www.dekker.com). ISBN 0-8247-0749-4. 2002. 1,005 pp. $225.
Free Radicals in Food: Chemistry, Nutrition, and Health Effects. Michael J. Morello, Fereidoon Shahidi, Chi-Tang Ho, eds. Oxford University Press. 2001 Evans Rd., Cary, NC 27513 (phone 800-451-7556, www.oup-usa.org). ISBN 0-8412-3741-7. 2002. 356pp. $140.
Introduction to Food Biotechnology. Perry Johnson-Green. CRC Press LLC, 2000 Corporate Blvd., NW, Boca Raton, FL 33431 (phone 800-272-7737, fax 800-374-3401). ISBN 0-8493-1152-7. 2002. 293 pp. No price given.
In Vitro Plant Breeding. Acram Taji, Prakash Kumar, Prakash Lakshmanan. Food Products Press (an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.), 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 (phone 607-722-5857). ISBN 1-56022-907-1. 2002. 217 pp. $79.95 hardcover, $39.95 paperback.
Physiological Bases for Maize Improvement. María E. Otegui, Gustavo A. Slafer, eds. Food Products Press (an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.), 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 (phone 607-722-5857). ISBN 1-56022-889-X. 2002. 217 pp. $69.95 hardcover, $39.95 paperback.
Plant Viruses as Molecular Pathogens. Jawaid A. Kahn, Jeanne Dijkstra, eds. Food Products Press (an imprint of The Haworth Press, Inc.), 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580 (phone 607-722-5857). ISBN 1-56022-894-6. 2002. 537 pp. $129.95 hardcover, $59.95 paperback.