The best-selling first edition of this contributed book established itself as a highly practical and authoritative source of information on shelf-life evaluation. Every food manufacturer is concerned about shelf life, as are the major retailers and ingredient suppliers. Increasing consumer interest in food safety, quality and date marking, competitive pressures from retailers and extensive legislative changes have combined to give this subject new significance. A proper evaluation of shelf life must be grounded on sound scientific prinicles, supported by up-to-date techniques. This book begins with six chapters reviewing the principles of shelf-life evaluation, followed by ten chapters on a number of selected food products such as chilled yogurt and other dairy desserts, seafood, and meat. The latest edition has been expanded to include new chapters on HACCP, preservation technology and shelf life, and minimally processed, ready-to-eat ambient-stable meat products. Sufficient information on the principles and practice of shelf life evaluation has been included for the beginner as well as for those who are more experienced in this area.

The subject of shelf life of foods is not a new one. Increasing consumer interest in food safety, quality and date marking, competitjve pressures from retailers and extensive legislative changes, however, have combined to give the subject a new significance. The proper and correct determina tion of shelf life is of course fundamental to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for the food and drink industry. Manufacturers who aim to produce safe, wholesome and attractive food products 'right the first time' and 'right every time' will already know the importance of proper shelf life evaluation. Incorrect shelf lives can potentially bring about dire legal, safety or financial consequences. This is not to belittle the difficulty of failing to meet consumer expectations consistently as a result of shelf lives that have been arrived at unreliably. A proper evaluation of shelf life must be grounded on sound scientific principles, supported by up-to-date techniques in food science and tech nology. This book, therefore, begins with five chapters reviewing the prin ciples of shelf life evaluation. These are followed by ten chapters on a number of selected food products. All the authors either have first hand experience on the practice of shelf life evaluation or are involved in research of the subject. Because of the diversity and complexity of food products now available, no attempt has been made to cover every product group, let alone every product conceivable.

The ?eld of sensory science has grown exponentially since the publication of the p- vious version of this work. Fifteen years ago the journal Food Quality and Preference was fairly new. Now it holds an eminent position as a venue for research on sensory test methods (among many other topics). Hundreds of articles relevant to sensory testing have appeared in that and in other journals such as the Journal of Sensory Studies. Knowledge of the intricate cellular processes in chemoreception, as well as their genetic basis, has undergone nothing less than a revolution, culminating in the award of the Nobel Prize to Buck and Axel in 2004 for their discovery of the olfactory receptor gene super family. Advances in statistical methodology have accelerated as well. Sensometrics meetings are now vigorous and well-attended annual events. Ideas like Thurstonian modeling were not widely embraced 15 years ago, but now seem to be part of the everyday thought process of many sensory scientists. And yet, some things stay the same. Sensory testing will always involve human participants. Humans are tough measuring instruments to work with. They come with varying degrees of acumen, training, experiences, differing genetic equipment, sensory capabilities, and of course, different preferences. Human foibles and their associated error variance will continue to place a limitation on sensory tests and actionable results. Reducing, controlling, partitioning, and explaining error variance are all at the heart of good test methods and practices.

Ensuring that foods and beverages remain stable during the required shelf life is critical to their success in the market place, yet companies experience difficulties in this area. Food and beverage stability and shelf life provides a comprehensive guide to factors influencing stability, methods of stability and shelf life assessment and the stability and shelf life of major products.Part one describes important food and beverage quality deterioration processes, including microbiological spoilage and physical instability. Chapters in this section also investigate the effects of ingredients, processing and packaging on stability, among other factors. Part two describes methods for stability and shelf life assessment including food storage trials, accelerated testing and shelf life modelling. Part three reviews the stability and shelf life of a wide range of products, including beer, soft drinks, fruit, bread, oils, confectionery products, milk and seafood.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Food and beverage stability and shelf life is a valuable reference for professionals involved in quality assurance and product development and researchers focussing on food and beverage stability. - A comprehensive guide to factors influencing stability, methods of stability and shelf life assessment and the stability and shelf life of major products - Describes important food and beverage quality deterioration processes exploring microbiological spoilage and physical instability - Investigate the effects of ingredients, processing and packaging on stability and documents methods for stability and shelf life assessment

Producing products of reliable quality is vitally important to the food and beverage industry. In particular, companies often fail to ensure that the sensory quality of their products remains consistent, leading to the sale of goods which fail to meet the desired specifications or are rejected by the consumer. This book is a practical guide for all those tasked with using sensory analysis for quality control (QC) of food and beverages. Chapters in part one cover the key aspects to consider when designing a sensory QC program. The second part of the book focuses on methods for sensory QC and statistical data analysis. Establishing product sensory specifications and combining instrumental and sensory methods are also covered. The final part of the book reviews the use of sensory QC programs in the food and beverage industry. Chapters on sensory QC for taint prevention and the application of sensory techniques for shelf-life assessment are followed by contributions reviewing sensory QC programs for different products, including ready meals, wine and fish. A chapter on sensory QC of products such as textiles, cosmetics and cars completes the volume. Sensory analysis for food and beverage quality control is an essential reference for anyone setting up or operating a sensory QC program, or researching sensory QC. - Highlights key aspects to consider when designing a quality control program including sensory targets and proficiency testing - Examines methods for sensory quality control and statistical data analysis - Reviews the use of sensory quality control programs in the food and beverage industry featuring ready meals, wine and fish

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 addresses the shelf life of foods, a key factor in determining how food is distributed and consequently where and when different food products are available for consumption. Shelf life is determined by several factors, including microbiological, chemical, physical, and organoleptic deterioration. Often these factors are interrelated and interdependent. The editors of this volume focus specifically on the microbial factors related to shelf life of perishable foods and food commodities. This allows for more detailed coverage of foodborne bacterial pathogens and spoilage microorganisms of concern. The initial part of the book covers the why and how of shelf life determination as well as the specific microbial pathogens and spoilage microorganisms of concern for perishable foods. Contributors address topics such as the techniques utilized for determination of shelf life, the frequency of shelf life testing for different products, the interpretation of data to make shelf life determinations, and management of shelf life of food products from the perspective of the food producer, distributor, retailer, and regulator. Three key areas impacting shelf life are addressed in detail: sanitation, processing, and packaging. The sanitation chapter explains the necessary components of cleaning and sanitizing to assure a hygienic processing environment and why that is critical to shelf life control. Traditional processing procedures are reviewed and advanced processing technologies are explored. Materials used in food packaging and the utilization of traditional and activated food packaging by product type are covered in detail. The latter two chapters of the book delve into newer techniques of analysis and explore the microbiome of food products. Implications of microbial ecology and microbial quantification in food products are discussed in chapters on genomics and in the changing dogma of meat shelf life. The primary audience for this work includes food industry quality and food safety technicians, managers, directors, and executives responsible for shelf life. Academicians and governmental researchers involved in research and teaching about food safety and quality will also find the material relevant and useful.

The 9th International Flavor Conference: George Charalambous Memorial Symposium was held July 1-4, 1997 at the Porto Myrina Palace on the Island of Limnos, Greece. This conference was organized as a tribute to Dr. George Charalambous organizer of the previous eight conferences, who passed away in November of 1994.The symposium brought together a group of international experts in food science and human nutrition to discuss their latest findings in a broad area of food science. Particular emphasis was placed on state-of-the-art instrumentation and methods.The 9th Conference followed the format and traditions of the previous meetings. More than 90 papers/posters were presented by scientists from nineteen countries. Dr. Apostolos Grimanis, a radioanalytical chemist and retired Director of the Radioanalytical Laboratory at the National Center for Scientific Research "Demokritos" in Athens opened the meeting with a tribute to Dr. Charalambous.The Conference Committee announced that the Division of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (American Chemical Society) has agreed to sponsor a Fellowship in Dr. Charalambous' honor in recognition of his tremendous contributions to the Division over many years.

Shelf life, a term recognised in EU/UK food legislation, may be defined as the period of time for which a food product will remain safe and fit for use, provided that it is kept in defined storage conditions. During this period, the product should retain its desired sensory, chemical, physical, functional and microbiological characteristics, as well as accurately comply with any nutritional information printed on the label. Shelf life therefore refers to a number of different aspects; each food product has a microbiological shelf life, a chemical shelf life, and a sensory (or organoleptic) shelf life. These categories reflect the different ways in which a food product will deteriorate over time. Ultimately the shelf life of a food product is intended to reflect the overall effect of these different aspects. Shelf life has always been an important facet of industrial food preparation and production, as food and drink are often produced in one area and then distributed to other areas for retailing and consumption. Globalised distribution and supply chains make it imperative that food should survive the transit between producer and consumer – as a perishable commodity, food carries a high risk of spoilage. As such, a realistic, workable and reproducible shelf life has to be determined every time a new food product is developed and marketed; shelf life determination of food has become an integral part of food safety, quality assurance, product development, marketing, and consumer behaviour. Dominic Mans Shelf Life, now in a revised and updated second edition, encompasses the core considerations about shelf life. Section 1 introduces shelf life, describes its relationship to food safety, and provides answers to the frequently asked questions around shelf life determination and testing which are a managers chief concerns. Section 2 covers the science of the various ways in which food deteriorates and spoils, including the physical, chemical and microbiological changes. Section 3 looks at shelf life in practice, using case studies of different products to illustrate how shelf life may be determined in real life settings. This book will be invaluable to both practitioners and students in need of a succinct and comprehensive overview of shelf life concerns and topics.

Polymers are an important part in everyday life; products made from polymers range from sophisticated articles, such as biomaterials, to aerospace materials. One of the reasons for the great popularity exhibited by polymers is their ease of processing. Polymer properties can be tailored to meet specific needs by varying the "atomic composition" of the repeat structure, by varying molecular weight and by the incorporation (via covalent and non-covalent interactions) of an enormous range of compounds to impart specific activities. In food science, the use of polymeric materials is widely explored, from both an engineering and a nutraceutical point of view. Regarding the engineering application, researchers have discovered the most suitable materials for intelligent packaging which preserves the food quality and prolongs the shelf-life of the products. Furthermore, in agriculture, specific functionalized polymers are used to increase the efficiency of treatments and reduce the environmental pollution. In the nutraceutical field, because consumers are increasingly conscious of the relationship between diet and health, the consumption of high quality foods has been growing continuously. Different compounds (e.g. high quality proteins, lipids and polysaccharides) are well known to contribute to the enhancement of human health by different mechanisms, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, coronary disease, and hypertension. This first volume, of this two volume book, concerns the application of polymers in food packaging.