This volume provides the reader with the updated state-of-the-art in the Modified Atmospheres field. It explains the Modified Atmospheres Method which is derived from the ancient Hermetic Storage Technique of keeping grain and seeds, which was practiced in Middle Eastern and other ancient cultures. This unique work covers all aspects of the field and reveals new important, useful information. This interesting publication is a valuable guidebook for all involved in postharvest agriculture, such as agronomists, horticulturists, extension officers and teachers at agricultural schools. It is also an important reference source for entomologists, postharvest fruit pathologists and physiologists, as well as agricultural engineers, food scientists, and food technologists.

With over 2900 references, tables, and drawings, this book covers a wide variety of conventional and potential food preservation techniques. Emphasizing practical, cost-effective, and safe strategies, the book facilitates the selection of the best food ingredients and preservation techniques. It covers postharvest handling, explains conventional preservation methods, details the use of natural antimicrobials, antioxidants, edible coating, nitrites, food packaging, and HACCP in food safety. Highlighting the effects of preservation methods on the functional and sensory properties of foods, the book also features the exact mode or mechanisms involved in each preservation method.

Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) has proved to be one of the most significant and innovative growth areas in retail food packaging of the past two decades. Bulk modified atmosphere packs have been an accepted form of packaging for meat and poultry in the USA since the early 1970s, but MAP is only now of being widely adopted. Today there is a substantial wholesale on the verge market for bulk packaged fresh vegetables and fruit, and the most significant retail MAP products are fresh pasta, pre-cooked poultry and sausage, and biscuits (a unique American product). The United Kingdom is the biggest single market for the modified atmosphere packaging of fresh chilled food products, accounting for about half of the total European market. A further quarter is represented by France. The success of MAP in both the British and French markets can be attributed to the large, highly sophisticated food retailing multiples and dense populations existing in both countries.

This volume presents a wide range of new approaches aimed at improving the safety and quality of food products and agricultural commodities. Each chapter provides in-depth information on new and emerging food preservation techniques including those relating to decontamination, drying and dehydration, packaging innovations and the use of botanicals as natural preservatives for fresh animal and plant products. The 28 chapters, contributed by an international team of experienced researchers, are presented in five sections, covering: Novel decontamination techniques Novel preservation techniques Active and atmospheric packaging Food packaging Mathematical modelling of food preservation processes Natural preservatives This title will be of great interest to food scientists and engineers based in food manufacturing and in research establishments. It will also be useful to advanced students of food science and technology.

Authored by world experts, the Handbook of Food Processing, Two-Volume Set discusses the basic principles and applications of major commercial food processing technologies. The handbook discusses food preservation processes, including blanching, pasteurization, chilling, freezing, aseptic packaging, and non-thermal food processing. It describes com

This edited volume provides up-to-date information on recent advancements in efforts to enhance microbiological safety and quality in the field of food preservation. Chapters from experts in the field cover new and emerging alternative food preservation techniques and highlight their potential applications in food processing. A variety of different natural antimicrobials are discussed, including their source, isolation, industrial applications, and the dosage needed for use as food preservatives. In addition, the efficacy of each type of antimicrobial, used alone or in combination with other food preservation methods, is considered. Factors that limit the use of antimicrobials as food preservatives, such as moisture, temperature, and the ingredients comprising foods, are also discussed. Finally, consumer perspectives related to the acceptance of various preservation approaches for processed foods are described.

Food Storage Stability addresses one of the foremost problems faced by food processors - how to stabilize food once it is harvested. Using a holistic approach, the book discusses the changes responsible for food quality deterioration and considers strategies for minimizing or eliminating these degradative changes. Topics include: consumer perceptions and preferences, cellular changes, conversion of major constituents to more stable products, the effect of color and texture, packaging issues, and practical strategies for storing foods frozen, chilled, or at ambient temperature. Food Storage Stability is the only treatment of this subject that covers the diverse factors that influence quality retention in foods and integrates basic concepts in storage stability with practical applications. Food scientists and technologists concerned with changes in food quality are interested in ensuring that safe and appealing food products reach consumers - this is the book that will assist them with that important goal.

This book covers application of food microbiology principles into food preservation and processing. Main aspects of the food preservation techniques, alternative food preservation techniques, role of microorganisms in food processing and their positive and negative features are covered. Features subjects on mechanism of antimicrobial action of heat, thermal process, mechanisms for microbial control by low temperature, mechanism of food preservation, control of microorganisms and mycotoxin formation by reducing water activity, food preservation by additives and biocontrol, food preservation by modified atmosphere, alternative food processing techniques, and traditional fermented products processing. The book is designed for students in food engineering, health science, food science, agricultural engineering, food technology, nutrition and dietetic, biological sciences and biotechnology fields. It will also be valuable to researchers, teachers and practising food microbiologists as well as anyone interested in different branches of food.

Focusing exclusively on postharvest vegetable studies, this book covers advances in biochemistry, plant physiology, and molecular physiology to maximize vegetable quality. The book reviews the principles of harvest and storage; factors affecting postharvest physiology, calcium nutrition and irrigation control; product quality changes during handling and storage; technologies to improve quality; spoilage factors and biocontrol methods; and storage characteristics of produce by category. It covers changes in sensory quality such as color, texture, and flavor after harvest and how biotechnology is being used to improve postharvest quality.

The book will be focused on the three most important aspects of food packaging: Modeling, Materials and Packaging Strategies. The modeling section will provide a complete overview of mass transport phenomena in polymers intended for food packaging applications. The materials section will cover the most interesting problem-solving solutions in the field of food packaging, i.e., low environmental impact active films with antimicrobial activity. Lastly, the packaging section will provide an overview of the most recent approaches used to prolong the shelf life of several food products.