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Preface
The biodiversity of foods-cereals, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruits and vegetables is varied and high in India, where we have varied agro-climatic regions from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. India is one of the World’s major food producers and total food production in India is likely to double in next ten years. Green revolution (crop production), White revolution (milk production) and Blue revolution (fish production) were responsible for our country to meet the national requirements in food production. Biotechnological application in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are going to play a pivotal role in further enhancing the food production.
Man has exhibited much thought and foresight in cultivating a variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and oilseeds and in rearing birds and animals for use as food. Food provides a rich habitat for microorganisms, as most foods contain an abundance of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, vitamins and minerals. Microbial association with foods can be of desirable or undesirable nature in relation to the food product. However, foods are prone to microbial contaminants, which are known for their undesirable changes in foods-food spoilage and food poisoning. Although chemical changes and microbial growth usually mean food spoilage, in some cases, fermentation is desirable and microorganisms are actually added to foods. For example, in the production of fermented foods such as wine, bread, yoghurt, fish sauce, pickles, sausages, soya sauce etc. Microorganisms themselves are used as food (SCP, mushrooms) and their chemical products (organic acids, enzymes) are used in food processing. The plant, animal and microbial foods are now genetically modified to improve their qualities.
Food microbiology is a branch of applied microbiology and the scope of food microbiology is expanding rapidly to protect food from microbial spoilage and provide safe, nutritious food to consumers. We now live in a period of world-wide food crisis, a food saved is a food produced.
The book embodies twenty chapters covering the types and sources of microorganisms in food, factors influencing microbial growth in foods; Preservation of food by high temperature, low temperature, dehydration, osmotic pressure, irradiation, high pressure processing, chemical preservatives, food storage and packaging; Food safety and quality management, fermented food products, dairy microbiology, microbial foods and chemicals, mushroom cultivation, and microbial enzymes; Contamination, preservation and spoilage of cereals, sugars, fruits and vegetables, meat, sea foods, eggs and poultry, milk and milk products, canned foods; Bacterial food poisoning, mycotoxin and impact of genetically modified foods with descriptive and objective questions. In addition, procedures for fifteen practical experiments in food and dairy microbiology and glossary are included.
Preface
The biodiversity of foods-cereals, pulses, oilseeds, spices, fruits and vegetables is varied and high in India, where we have varied agro-climatic regions from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. India is one of the World’s major food producers and total food production in India is likely to double in next ten years. Green revolution (crop production), White revolution (milk production) and Blue revolution (fish production) were responsible for our country to meet the national requirements in food production. Biotechnological application in Agriculture and Animal Husbandry are going to play a pivotal role in further enhancing the food production.
Man has exhibited much thought and foresight in cultivating a variety of grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and oilseeds and in rearing birds and animals for use as food. Food provides a rich habitat for microorganisms, as most foods contain an abundance of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and lipids, vitamins and minerals. Microbial association with foods can be of desirable or undesirable nature in relation to the food product. However, foods are prone to microbial contaminants, which are known for their undesirable changes in foods-food spoilage and food poisoning. Although chemical changes and microbial growth usually mean food spoilage, in some cases, fermentation is desirable and microorganisms are actually added to foods. For example, in the production of fermented foods such as wine, bread, yoghurt, fish sauce, pickles, sausages, soya sauce etc. Microorganisms themselves are used as food (SCP, mushrooms) and their chemical products (organic acids, enzymes) are used in food processing. The plant, animal and microbial foods are now genetically modified to improve their qualities.
Food microbiology is a branch of applied microbiology and the scope of food microbiology is expanding rapidly to protect food from microbial spoilage and provide safe, nutritious food to consumers. We now live in a period of world-wide food crisis, a food saved is a food produced.
The book embodies twenty chapters covering the types and sources of microorganisms in food, factors influencing microbial growth in foods; Preservation of food by high temperature, low temperature, dehydration, osmotic pressure, irradiation, high pressure processing, chemical preservatives, food storage and packaging; Food safety and quality management, fermented food products, dairy microbiology, microbial foods and chemicals, mushroom cultivation, and microbial enzymes; Contamination, preservation and spoilage of cereals, sugars, fruits and vegetables, meat, sea foods, eggs and poultry, milk and milk products, canned foods; Bacterial food poisoning, mycotoxin and impact of genetically modified foods with descriptive and objective questions. In addition, procedures for fifteen practical experiments in food and dairy microbiology and glossary are included.