Essentials of Food Science

Abstract

It is with great pleasure that we introduce Essentials of Food Science, third edition. We hope that you find it more reader-friendly and more useful in explaining food science concepts. Essentials of Food Science continues to be designed to present principles of food science with you, the nonmajor in mind: the Nutrition, Dietetics, Hospitality, and Culinary Arts student enrolled in an introductory Food Science course. What is new: There are updates in each chapter, some significant. Additionally, considering the frequency with which terms are used on labels and in the press, a new Appendices section views biotechnology, functional foods, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals, and medical foods. To stay abreast of consumer concerns, the subjects of the USDA Food Pyramid and food label health claims are presented. As well, the Research Chefs Association certification is highlighted and a brief observation of human nutrigenomics is included. ‘Culinary Alert!’ appears throughout chapters in the text. Each Culinary Alert! is designed to point our culinary applications of the food science principle discussed. The old expression “give credit where credit is due” is applicable to authorship! So... Thanks to the Lord for giving us grace to meet each challenge in the process of writing. We are appreciative of student queries and of those who provided materials used throughout Essentials of Food Science to offer better explanations of the text. Thanks to the Vaclavik and Christian families, our husbands and children. More information is available in other texts relating to such topics as food chemistry, food engineering, food packaging, food preparation, food safety, food technology, nutrition and quantity foods, product evaluation, and in references cited at the end of each chapter. Bold, italicized words appearing in the text of each chapter are defined in a glossary at the completion of that chapter.