BOOKS
Practical Design, Construction and Operation of Food Facilities
The food industry relies on myriads of equipment and processes to convert raw commodities and ingredients into edible foods. The design and operation of food facilities where these processes are carried out must be done in a safe, economic, and sustainable manner. While a broad knowledge of the underpinning theory of food processes is essential to meet these goals, an understanding of the numerous practical design issues is often a key to success. Although there are several books written on the theoretical concepts inherent to food processes, the practical aspects are seldom covered in sufficient detail. This new book fills an important void in this area.
To write such a book, an author must be well versed in theory and possess sufficient work experience in the food industry to write an authoritative description of various processes and equipment. Peter Clark is familiar to the readers of Food Technology as he is the author of a popular column on food processing that has appeared in this magazine since 2002. In this new book, Clark provides a succinct description of many important food processes with an explanation of practical aspects that are of importance in the design and operation of food facilities.
The book begins with a brief overview of the food industry, noting its rich diversity in size and range of processed products. The follow-up discussion focuses on projects related to setting up new plants or expanding existing facilities. The role of economic analysis in the early stages of project planning and evaluation is underscored. An important chapter in the book deals with the selection of new equipment for a range of processes such as aseptic processing/pasteurization, thermal treatment, forming and cooking, and mixing and formulating. Additional discussion on equipment selection is oriented to products important in the dairy, cereal, and orange juice manufacturing industries.
The role of regulatory aspects is described with an overview of good manufacturing practices. Various factors important in sourcing and evaluating equipment are described. Most projects undergo a sequence of different steps that encompass how to conduct a feasibility study, formulate request for appropriation, develop a detailed design, manage construction, carry out final closure, and begin production. These topics are discussed with many excellent nuggets of practical information based on the author’s work experience in the industry and as a consultant.
About one-third of the book is an appendix section that contains a reprint of several case studies published previously in Food Technology. These examples provide a wealth of information that would be of considerable benefit for students taking courses in the area of food equipment design and operation.
The book is written in a lucid manner with sufficient illustrative artwork that describes key processing lines and equipment. The contents of this book will be useful to those who are unfamiliar with food facilities. Anyone seeking work opportunities in the food industry will find the description of food processes to be valuable.
Reviewed by R. Paul Singh, Distinguished Professor of Food Engineering, University of California, Davis
Academic Press/Elsevier Inc. Elsevier order fulfillment 11830 Westline Industrial Dr. St. Louis, MO 63146 Visit www.elsevierdirect.com. ISBN: 978-0-12-3742049. 2009. 328 pp.
Books Received
Food Policy: Integrating Health, Environment & Society.
Tim Lang, David Barling, and Martin Caraher. Oxford University Press1. ISBN: 978-0-19-856788-2.
The Psychology of Flavour. Richard J. Stevenson. Oxford University Press 1 . ISBN: 978-0-19-953935-2 1Oxford University Press; www.oup.com.