- Email: [email protected]
Food biotechnology: Microorganisms
BookReviews
Food Additive Toxicology e~ted by Joseph& Magaand~ y ~ N 0 824792459
1".Tu, MarcelDekker,1994.$175.00(viii + 552 pages)
,4d4/6ve To,doctor, edited by A. k,~ga and Anthony T. Tu, consists of ] 1 weH-wri~en and infom~ative chapters by 10 contributing audits and covering a broad range of mateda[ releb-~dto food additives and their safe use. The volume begins in Chapter | with a short inbod~_~ct~_:onto the various purposes for which substances are added to foods. Subsequent chapters are concerned with, in order, food acidulants, antioxidants, food colors, curing agents, flavoring agents, flavor potentiators, Salts, modified food starches, incidental food additives and finally, antimicrobial agents. For most chapters, the breadth and depth of the toxicological information provided are impressive. An extensive and exb'emeiy well-documented discussion of the adverse and, in several cases, the beneficial effects of natural and synthetic substances used as antioxidents in food is presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4, on food colors, contains an updated evaluation of the proposed behavioral effects of
the synthetic colors, in addition to information on their effects in standard toxicity tests. The authors of Chapter 8, on salts added to foods, have presented pertinent and welldocumented information on the biological effects of several salts in addition to NaCI, and emphasize the potential hazards of the overuse of KCI as a salt substitute. Chapter 10, entitled 'Incidental food additives', covers the timely subject of the potential hazards of substances that inadvertently find their way into food. The discussion in this chapter covers, in summary fashion, several toxic metals, pesticides, dregs used in animal feeds, food packaging contaminants, nitrates from fertilizers, and aromatic hydrocarbons from wood smoke. This chapter is notable in that it provides current numerical estimates of oncogenic risk associated with the occurrence of pesticides in specific foods. Whereas most of the chapters comprise considerable, current information on the adverse biological effects of food additives, several
chapters contain material that might not be expected in a volume with this title. For example, detailed discussions of the manufacture and food uses of the additives are included in most chapters. In addition, interesting historical perspectives are provided for the discovery and use of some eddigves, most notably flavoring agents and colors. Chapter 6, on flavoring agents, is notable in that extensive information is provided on flavor nomenclature, chemical structures, isolation techniques and equip ment, and even on the chemical synthesis of various additives. Unfortunately, only summary, somewhat outdated, material is presented on the toxicology of flavoring agents. Food Additive Toxicology is an important contribution to the field of food toxicology, and will be of interest to students (or even required reading), nutritionists and clinicians, as well as members of the food industry. Much of the material will also be of interest to an informed general public.
Leonarde ~ DepartmentofNutritional$ciences, Universityof California,Berkeley, CA94720,US~.
well as the applications, making it an interesting volume for food ingredient manufacturers and food produceditedby Y.H. Hui and GeorgeG. Khachatourians,VCH, 1995.£118.00/DM295.00 ing companies. Over 4100 citations (xvi ÷ 937 pages)ISBN1 56081 565 5 are provided and these can be conveniently used to obtain more inforThe use of bacteda and fungi is mation on specific details. Because of provides the reader with an impres- described in detail, providing the its logical build-up, this book could sive review of both current and future reader with a clear view of the funda- also be recommended for advanced ~velopments in microbial-based food mental techniques that are applied to students studying food technology or technology. The contents of the book modify the relevant microorganisms closely related disciplines. are logically divided into three parts, as well as of the application of the In addition to a normal index, which are subdivided into sections resulting enzyme, metabelite or the book contains four appendices and finally into specific chapters. microorganism in its respective food entitled 'Genetics and probes', Part I, which is entitled 'Principles environment. 'Microorganisms', 'Compounds' and and general applications', describes The emphasis in Part III is on the 'Enzymes'. the most relevant principles: the manufacture of fermented foods, with In summary, Food Biotechnology: available tools underlying recent the numerous applications of bac- Microorganisms is an extensive, intechniques in microbial genetics,physi- teda, esl~cially lactobacilli, being cow formative reference book on modem ology, molecular biology and protein ered in the first section, and the appli- food science and food technology, engineering. In fact, it represents an cation of yeasts in wine and brewing presenting fundamental know-how as overview of the state-of-the-art tech- in the second. well as a complete range of practical nology that can he used to control Food Biotechnology: Microorgan- examples. and direct microorganisms. In addi- isms should he regard~:l as a highly tion, some general applications are professional "reference book, which presented, including the production has been realized by an interesting Bob Poldennans of organic acids and also the produc- combination of authors from univerFood~m//en~ D~don, tion of volatile flavors. sities and industries. It distinguishes G ~ B ~ BV,D ~ Part II focuses on the production of itself from similar titles in the field by enzymes and other food ingredients. covedn8 both the fundamentals as
Food Biotechnology: Microorganisms
Trendsin FoodScience& TechnologyOctober1995 [Vol.6]
Food Additive Toxicology e~ted by Joseph& Magaand~ y ~ N 0 824792459
1".Tu, MarcelDekker,1994.$175.00(viii + 552 pages)
,4d4/6ve To,doctor, edited by A. k,~ga and Anthony T. Tu, consists of ] 1 weH-wri~en and infom~ative chapters by 10 contributing audits and covering a broad range of mateda[ releb-~dto food additives and their safe use. The volume begins in Chapter | with a short inbod~_~ct~_:onto the various purposes for which substances are added to foods. Subsequent chapters are concerned with, in order, food acidulants, antioxidants, food colors, curing agents, flavoring agents, flavor potentiators, Salts, modified food starches, incidental food additives and finally, antimicrobial agents. For most chapters, the breadth and depth of the toxicological information provided are impressive. An extensive and exb'emeiy well-documented discussion of the adverse and, in several cases, the beneficial effects of natural and synthetic substances used as antioxidents in food is presented in Chapter 3. Chapter 4, on food colors, contains an updated evaluation of the proposed behavioral effects of
the synthetic colors, in addition to information on their effects in standard toxicity tests. The authors of Chapter 8, on salts added to foods, have presented pertinent and welldocumented information on the biological effects of several salts in addition to NaCI, and emphasize the potential hazards of the overuse of KCI as a salt substitute. Chapter 10, entitled 'Incidental food additives', covers the timely subject of the potential hazards of substances that inadvertently find their way into food. The discussion in this chapter covers, in summary fashion, several toxic metals, pesticides, dregs used in animal feeds, food packaging contaminants, nitrates from fertilizers, and aromatic hydrocarbons from wood smoke. This chapter is notable in that it provides current numerical estimates of oncogenic risk associated with the occurrence of pesticides in specific foods. Whereas most of the chapters comprise considerable, current information on the adverse biological effects of food additives, several
chapters contain material that might not be expected in a volume with this title. For example, detailed discussions of the manufacture and food uses of the additives are included in most chapters. In addition, interesting historical perspectives are provided for the discovery and use of some eddigves, most notably flavoring agents and colors. Chapter 6, on flavoring agents, is notable in that extensive information is provided on flavor nomenclature, chemical structures, isolation techniques and equip ment, and even on the chemical synthesis of various additives. Unfortunately, only summary, somewhat outdated, material is presented on the toxicology of flavoring agents. Food Additive Toxicology is an important contribution to the field of food toxicology, and will be of interest to students (or even required reading), nutritionists and clinicians, as well as members of the food industry. Much of the material will also be of interest to an informed general public.
Leonarde ~ DepartmentofNutritional$ciences, Universityof California,Berkeley, CA94720,US~.
well as the applications, making it an interesting volume for food ingredient manufacturers and food produceditedby Y.H. Hui and GeorgeG. Khachatourians,VCH, 1995.£118.00/DM295.00 ing companies. Over 4100 citations (xvi ÷ 937 pages)ISBN1 56081 565 5 are provided and these can be conveniently used to obtain more inforThe use of bacteda and fungi is mation on specific details. Because of provides the reader with an impres- described in detail, providing the its logical build-up, this book could sive review of both current and future reader with a clear view of the funda- also be recommended for advanced ~velopments in microbial-based food mental techniques that are applied to students studying food technology or technology. The contents of the book modify the relevant microorganisms closely related disciplines. are logically divided into three parts, as well as of the application of the In addition to a normal index, which are subdivided into sections resulting enzyme, metabelite or the book contains four appendices and finally into specific chapters. microorganism in its respective food entitled 'Genetics and probes', Part I, which is entitled 'Principles environment. 'Microorganisms', 'Compounds' and and general applications', describes The emphasis in Part III is on the 'Enzymes'. the most relevant principles: the manufacture of fermented foods, with In summary, Food Biotechnology: available tools underlying recent the numerous applications of bac- Microorganisms is an extensive, intechniques in microbial genetics,physi- teda, esl~cially lactobacilli, being cow formative reference book on modem ology, molecular biology and protein ered in the first section, and the appli- food science and food technology, engineering. In fact, it represents an cation of yeasts in wine and brewing presenting fundamental know-how as overview of the state-of-the-art tech- in the second. well as a complete range of practical nology that can he used to control Food Biotechnology: Microorgan- examples. and direct microorganisms. In addi- isms should he regard~:l as a highly tion, some general applications are professional "reference book, which presented, including the production has been realized by an interesting Bob Poldennans of organic acids and also the produc- combination of authors from univerFood~m//en~ D~don, tion of volatile flavors. sities and industries. It distinguishes G ~ B ~ BV,D ~ Part II focuses on the production of itself from similar titles in the field by enzymes and other food ingredients. covedn8 both the fundamentals as
Food Biotechnology: Microorganisms
Trendsin FoodScience& TechnologyOctober1995 [Vol.6]