Modern society demands foods that are safe, nutritious, aesthetically appealing, readily available, convenient to use, and reasonably priced. Considerable progress in food science and technology and in many related areas over the past decades has made it possible to meet these challenges. Shelf life, defined as the maximal period of time during which the predetermined quality attributes of food are retained, is a critical factor in the consumer acceptability and the economic feasibility of a product.
New achievements in basic sciences, better and more sophisticated analytical methods, as well as computerized acquisition and interpretations of data have created new possibilities for progress in the development of scientific principles of shelf life determination.
This book offers current results and views on such topics as the effects of shelf life of extrusion, irradiation, packaging of foods and beverages. Experts from academia, industry and research centers provide the latest information along with up to date bibliographies. The continuing importance of this field is demonstrated by this comprehensive, high quality publication.
