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Science, agriculture and food security
464
Book Reviews
book is more than an academic approach of the field. Manufacturing and customer aspects are always considered. All the topics discuss the basic information in reasonable details that are supplemented by new research data and advances. Each chapter has a good list of literature references. The text is well illustrated by figures and photographies and the subject index seems adequate. The main concern is that some overlapping may exist with other books in the series dedicated to the dairy field or recent review literature. Otherwise this book is an invaluable current state of knowledge. This book would represent an excellent text for teaching both undergraduate and graduate students interested in this topic and is recommended for specialists and those seeking an authoritative overview of this research area. PII:SO963-9969(97)00065-3
J.-L. Berger
Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods. 2nd edn. Edited by Keith H. Steinkaus. Marcel Dekker Inc., NY. 1996. 792 p. $195. ISBN O-8247-9352-8.
The first edition of the Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods has been an excellent reference for those who are interested in the use, production and biochemistry of indigenous fermented foods. In the last 13 years since it was published, there has been a tremendous increase in interest on indigenous fermented foods among the food industry, the scientific community and general public. This is partly due to the increasing demand for protein rich vegetarian foods as alternatives for meat, and the increase in acceptance for ‘foreign exotic’ foods. Terms such as ‘Tofu’ or ‘Wasabe’ have found their place in our everyday language. Therefore the research activities and our knowledge in the area have proportionally increased, and hence, an updated version of the Handbook is long awaited. In the second edition of the Handbook, Dr K. H. Steinkraus has included new information and updated references throughout the text but did not make any significant changes in the layout of the book. A well written introduction which puts in perspective the nutritional and socioeconomic importance of indigenous fermented foods in a global scale, has been included. A new chapter on indigenous foods involving alkaline fermentation is also added. Other than the addition of a few new sections, the rest of the six chapters covering major topics including Indonesian tempe and related fermentations, indigenous fermented foods involving acid fermentation, indigenous fermented foods in which ethanol is a major product, indigenous amino acid/peptide sauces and pastes with meatlike fla-
vours, mushrooms and general papers related to indigenous fermented foods, are basically the same as in the previous edition. The figures and tables are essentially unchanged. Anthropologists will be disappointed that there is little increase in scope in documenting the varieties of foods use in different parts of the world. Nutritionist will find there is little new information on food composition particularly on the micronutrients, of the indigenous foods. The new sections are all well written and address some rapidly growing areas of interest and research on fermented foods. Dr U. Svanberg reviewed the use of lactic acid fermented foods for feeding infants, and addresses both the positive aspects on nutrition as well as the negative effects of diarrhea. The chapter written by Dr Steinkraus illustrates the importance of the use of bacilli in the production of fermented foods with meatlike flavours. Two new sections are added to the final chapter; the importance of microbial genetics in indigenous food fermentations and mycotoxin problems in indigenous fermented foods and improved methods for mycotoxin analysis, written by Dr B. H. Nga et al. and Dr F. S. Chu, respectively. Many examples of the use of modern biotechnology and analytical chemistry to improve the quality of indigenous fermented foods are presented. There is also some editorial improvement: sub-headings in each chapter have been added or revised and better reflect the contents; inclusion of a table of contents at the beginning of the book also helps the reader to locate the information easier. The second edition of the Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods could be adapted for use as a text in microbiology, food science, nutrition and anthropology at the undergraduate or graduate level. It continues to sere as an excellent reference. However, those who have a copy of the first edition and have been keeping up with literature may not need to spend the extra money. PII:SO963-9969(97)00066-5
Laurie H. M. Chan
Science, Agriculture and Food Security. By Joseph H. Hulse. National Research Council of Canada Monograph Publishing, N.P.C. Research Press, Ottawa. 1995. 242 pp. US $45. ISBN o-660-16210-5. This book is an excellent and summary review of the two most fundamental issues facing man and the environment-food security, and sustainability. The author has remained unbiased in his presentation, providing example and counterexample of how these central ideas may be perceived differently by people from rural or
Book Reviews
urban areas, industrialized or underdeveloped nations, policy-makers or business people and other contrasting, yet interrelated, categories. A full understanding of Joseph Hulse’s Science, Agriculture & Food Security requires a fairly broad background. Nevertheless, this work should be recommended reading for final year undergraduates in the biological Sciences, if only to open their eyes to the broad implications of agricultural production, agricultural sciences research, and the roles these play in the present welfare of humanity and environment. Although this book provides no new information to those well-versed in the fields of research encompassed here, it does provide a global perspective to the hardened specialist who may have lost touch with the big picture. The reader is challenged to think and to feel his way through this text. It would be a fairly simple matter to review this book at face value--chapter by chapter, issue by issue. However, a challenging text deserves a challenging response. Admittedly, the issues of food security and sustainability of ecosystems and production systems are global. Although the author has taken care to keep the reader aware of the fact that the same problem may have to be treated differently in one context than another, one gets the feeling that international committees are tacitly assumed to have the wisdom and altruism to guide decision-making on a world-wide scale. The material is generally presented in such a way as to leave the reader with the impression that more research is needed, and that the priorities set out by international working groups are the result of knowledge and wisdom and fundamentally motivated by a desire to help. This may be so in principle; however, the sometimes too-intimate relations between the scientific establishment, industry, finance and government should not be ignored and the author is fully aware of these, perhaps even painfully so.
465
His position is quite clear, if one considers how the main body of this work has been framed. Beginning with: Agriculture is the only means of making money which can give no offence (St. Ambrose of Milan, De Officiis, 375 CE) Hulse brings us back to modern times at the end of the epilogue of this book: Science can provide technological means; but it cannot promise global panaceas. Those with political power and financial resources might best be guided by the essential principal of food security as it is succinctly captured in the Book of Proverbs, ‘Give me neither poverty nor riches; but feed me with food convenient to me (Proverbs 30, viii)‘. Science, Agriculture & Food Security does outline priorities for agriculture, nutrition, health, and resource management from the ‘status quo’ point of view of institutionalized research; yet, Hulse also subtly hints that it is time for some major changes in thinking, particularly with respect to the extent to which mankind actually applies fundamental human values in business, administration and governance. In general, this book provides a wealth of information relating to the principles of analytical measurement with emphasis on reliability of methods. There is detailed coverage of concepts and principles. This volume will be a useful reference text particularly for professionals in the European food industry as well as for university professors and students with particular interest in food quality control. PII:SO963-9969(97)00067-7
G. S. V. Raghavan and P. Alvo
Book Reviews
book is more than an academic approach of the field. Manufacturing and customer aspects are always considered. All the topics discuss the basic information in reasonable details that are supplemented by new research data and advances. Each chapter has a good list of literature references. The text is well illustrated by figures and photographies and the subject index seems adequate. The main concern is that some overlapping may exist with other books in the series dedicated to the dairy field or recent review literature. Otherwise this book is an invaluable current state of knowledge. This book would represent an excellent text for teaching both undergraduate and graduate students interested in this topic and is recommended for specialists and those seeking an authoritative overview of this research area. PII:SO963-9969(97)00065-3
J.-L. Berger
Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods. 2nd edn. Edited by Keith H. Steinkaus. Marcel Dekker Inc., NY. 1996. 792 p. $195. ISBN O-8247-9352-8.
The first edition of the Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods has been an excellent reference for those who are interested in the use, production and biochemistry of indigenous fermented foods. In the last 13 years since it was published, there has been a tremendous increase in interest on indigenous fermented foods among the food industry, the scientific community and general public. This is partly due to the increasing demand for protein rich vegetarian foods as alternatives for meat, and the increase in acceptance for ‘foreign exotic’ foods. Terms such as ‘Tofu’ or ‘Wasabe’ have found their place in our everyday language. Therefore the research activities and our knowledge in the area have proportionally increased, and hence, an updated version of the Handbook is long awaited. In the second edition of the Handbook, Dr K. H. Steinkraus has included new information and updated references throughout the text but did not make any significant changes in the layout of the book. A well written introduction which puts in perspective the nutritional and socioeconomic importance of indigenous fermented foods in a global scale, has been included. A new chapter on indigenous foods involving alkaline fermentation is also added. Other than the addition of a few new sections, the rest of the six chapters covering major topics including Indonesian tempe and related fermentations, indigenous fermented foods involving acid fermentation, indigenous fermented foods in which ethanol is a major product, indigenous amino acid/peptide sauces and pastes with meatlike fla-
vours, mushrooms and general papers related to indigenous fermented foods, are basically the same as in the previous edition. The figures and tables are essentially unchanged. Anthropologists will be disappointed that there is little increase in scope in documenting the varieties of foods use in different parts of the world. Nutritionist will find there is little new information on food composition particularly on the micronutrients, of the indigenous foods. The new sections are all well written and address some rapidly growing areas of interest and research on fermented foods. Dr U. Svanberg reviewed the use of lactic acid fermented foods for feeding infants, and addresses both the positive aspects on nutrition as well as the negative effects of diarrhea. The chapter written by Dr Steinkraus illustrates the importance of the use of bacilli in the production of fermented foods with meatlike flavours. Two new sections are added to the final chapter; the importance of microbial genetics in indigenous food fermentations and mycotoxin problems in indigenous fermented foods and improved methods for mycotoxin analysis, written by Dr B. H. Nga et al. and Dr F. S. Chu, respectively. Many examples of the use of modern biotechnology and analytical chemistry to improve the quality of indigenous fermented foods are presented. There is also some editorial improvement: sub-headings in each chapter have been added or revised and better reflect the contents; inclusion of a table of contents at the beginning of the book also helps the reader to locate the information easier. The second edition of the Handbook of Indigenous Fermented Foods could be adapted for use as a text in microbiology, food science, nutrition and anthropology at the undergraduate or graduate level. It continues to sere as an excellent reference. However, those who have a copy of the first edition and have been keeping up with literature may not need to spend the extra money. PII:SO963-9969(97)00066-5
Laurie H. M. Chan
Science, Agriculture and Food Security. By Joseph H. Hulse. National Research Council of Canada Monograph Publishing, N.P.C. Research Press, Ottawa. 1995. 242 pp. US $45. ISBN o-660-16210-5. This book is an excellent and summary review of the two most fundamental issues facing man and the environment-food security, and sustainability. The author has remained unbiased in his presentation, providing example and counterexample of how these central ideas may be perceived differently by people from rural or
Book Reviews
urban areas, industrialized or underdeveloped nations, policy-makers or business people and other contrasting, yet interrelated, categories. A full understanding of Joseph Hulse’s Science, Agriculture & Food Security requires a fairly broad background. Nevertheless, this work should be recommended reading for final year undergraduates in the biological Sciences, if only to open their eyes to the broad implications of agricultural production, agricultural sciences research, and the roles these play in the present welfare of humanity and environment. Although this book provides no new information to those well-versed in the fields of research encompassed here, it does provide a global perspective to the hardened specialist who may have lost touch with the big picture. The reader is challenged to think and to feel his way through this text. It would be a fairly simple matter to review this book at face value--chapter by chapter, issue by issue. However, a challenging text deserves a challenging response. Admittedly, the issues of food security and sustainability of ecosystems and production systems are global. Although the author has taken care to keep the reader aware of the fact that the same problem may have to be treated differently in one context than another, one gets the feeling that international committees are tacitly assumed to have the wisdom and altruism to guide decision-making on a world-wide scale. The material is generally presented in such a way as to leave the reader with the impression that more research is needed, and that the priorities set out by international working groups are the result of knowledge and wisdom and fundamentally motivated by a desire to help. This may be so in principle; however, the sometimes too-intimate relations between the scientific establishment, industry, finance and government should not be ignored and the author is fully aware of these, perhaps even painfully so.
465
His position is quite clear, if one considers how the main body of this work has been framed. Beginning with: Agriculture is the only means of making money which can give no offence (St. Ambrose of Milan, De Officiis, 375 CE) Hulse brings us back to modern times at the end of the epilogue of this book: Science can provide technological means; but it cannot promise global panaceas. Those with political power and financial resources might best be guided by the essential principal of food security as it is succinctly captured in the Book of Proverbs, ‘Give me neither poverty nor riches; but feed me with food convenient to me (Proverbs 30, viii)‘. Science, Agriculture & Food Security does outline priorities for agriculture, nutrition, health, and resource management from the ‘status quo’ point of view of institutionalized research; yet, Hulse also subtly hints that it is time for some major changes in thinking, particularly with respect to the extent to which mankind actually applies fundamental human values in business, administration and governance. In general, this book provides a wealth of information relating to the principles of analytical measurement with emphasis on reliability of methods. There is detailed coverage of concepts and principles. This volume will be a useful reference text particularly for professionals in the European food industry as well as for university professors and students with particular interest in food quality control. PII:SO963-9969(97)00067-7
G. S. V. Raghavan and P. Alvo