Food Microbiology: An Introduction

By Kalmia E. Kniel, Thomas J. Montville, Karl R. Matthews

Food microbiology is a multidisciplinary field that combines basic microbiology, beneficial microbe roles, food safety regulations, and practices to ensure safe and healthy food for billions of people. It requires understanding of new analytical methods, problem-solving skills, and constant vigilance to keep the food supply safe.

Basics of Food Microbiology

This section presents the growth processes of food microorganisms, the biology of spores and sporeformers, and the establishment of microbiological criteria in food safety programs. It introduces students to methods used to detect and enumerate microbes in food and food handling equipment.

Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria

This section discusses the regulatory agencies and surveillance systems responsible for keeping the United States food supply safe. It also covers a rogue’s gallery of pathogenic bacteria found in food.

Other Microbes Important in Food

This section examines the beneficial and detrimental ways microorganisms affect our food supply. It opens with a look at numerous foods created by the fermentation reactions of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. The rest of the section looks at less desirable microbes: food spoilers, toxigenic molds, and foodborne parasites. It closes with a look at viruses and prions.

Control of Microorganisms in Food

This section discusses the tactics used to inhibit microbial growth in food. It ends with a chapter on the essentials of developing quality sanitation and HACCP programs in food processing facilities.

Product Details

Publisher: ASM Press; 4th edition (March 21, 2017)

Language: English

Hardcover: 624 pages

ISBN-10: 1555819389

ISBN-13: 978-1555819385