Leading textbook presenting all aspects of food microbiology
Food Microbiology: An Introduction presents the basics of microorganisms that impact food safety and quality, the roles of beneficial microbes, food safety regulations, and proper practices for safe and healthy foods throughout all aspects of the supply chain. This Fifth Edition has been updated to reflect advances in research and technology and threats to the global food supply while retaining the pedagogy and structure that students and professors appreciate.
Written in a clear and easy-to-understand style, the book is divided into four sections: Part I introduces the fundamentals of food microbiology, including a brief history of the field, the growth processes of food microorganisms, the biology of spores and sporeformers, techniques for enumeration and detection of organisms in food, description of rapid and automated microbial methods, and a new chapter focused on antimicrobial resistance. Part II addresses important regulatory issues and focuses on foodborne pathogenic microorganisms with chapters describing the most common bacterial species that cause foodborne diseases, as well as discussion of parasites, viruses, and prions. Part III explores nonpathogenic microbes important in food, including those responsible for fermentations and food spoilage. Part IV focuses on the control of microorganisms in food, including chemical antimicrobials, biological and physical methods of food preservation, nonthermal processing, and food safety systems.
Food Microbiology: An Introduction also includes updated information on:
Food Microbiology: An Introduction is an essential textbook for undergraduate and graduate students in food science, nutrition, and microbiology, providing the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate the complexities of food microbiology in the 21st century.
Karl R. Matthews is Professor of Microbial Food Safety at Rutgers University. Dr. Matthews has earned an international reputation for his work on the interaction of foodborne pathogens with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Kalmia E. Kniel is Professor of Microbial Food Safety in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences at the University of Delaware.
Faith J. Critzer is Associate Professor& Produce Safety Extension Specialist at the School of Food Science at Washington State University.
The information in this chapter will enable the student to:
The field of food microbiology has gained increased prominence as the result of global complexity of the food supply and consumer desire for new foods. Food microbiology is a subdivision of microbiology encompassing the study of microbes that grow in food and how food environments influence microbes. Keeping pace with other subdivisions of microbiology, food microbiology has progressed considerably in many ways; genetic and immunological probes have replaced older biochemical tests and reduced testing time from days to minutes. In other ways, food microbiology is still near the beginning. Louis Pasteur would find his pipettes in a modern laboratory. Julius Richard Petri would find his plates (albeit plastic rather than glass). Hans Christian Gram would find all the reagents required for his stain. However, food microbiologists are moving beyond studying only the microbes that we can see under the microscope and grow on agar media in petri dishes. Advanced approaches are being used to study food‐associated microbes that are difficult to culture (Box 1.1).
This chapter’s discussion of microbesper se sets the stage for a historical review of food microbiology. The bulk of the discussion in this chapter, and indeed in most of this book, concerns bacteria. Viruses, parasites, and prions are covered but to a lesser extent. This chapter ends with some thoughts about future developments in the field.
Membership in professional societies is a great way to advance professionally, even as a student (who benefits from reduced membership fees and is eligible for a variety of scholarships). Professional societies provide continuing education and employment services to their members, provide expertise to those making laws and public policies, have annual meetings for presentation of the latest science, and publish books and journals. The three main societies for food microbiologists are listed below. Applications for membership can be obtained from their websites. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) (https://asm.org/) is the largest single life science membership organization in the world, with more than 36,000 members globally. It covers all facets of microbiology from microbial pathogenesis to clinical and public health to antimicrobial agents to food microbiology, and it publishes many scholarly journals. The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) (https://www.ift.org/) devotes itself to all areas of food science by discipline (food microbiology, food chemistry, and food engineering), as well as by commodity (cereals, fruits and vegetables, and seafood) and by processing (refrigerated foods). The IFT is a nonprofit scientific society with more than 12,000 members across over 90 countries working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. The IFT publishes two journals, sponsors a variety of short courses, and contributes to public policy and opinion at national, state, and local levels. The International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) (https://www.foodprotection.org/) is the only professional society devoted exclusively to food safety microbiology. IAFP is dedicated to the education and service of its members, as well as industry personnel. Members keep informed of the latest scientific, technical, and practical developments in food safety and sanitation. IAFP publishes two scientific journals,Food Protection Trends
