Understanding and Measuring the Shelf-life of Food

The shelf-life of a product is critical in determining both its quality and profitability. Understanding and Measuring the Shelf-Life of Food reviews the key factors in determining shelf-life and how it can be measured. Part 1 examines the factors affecting shelf-life and spoilage, with individual chapters on the major types of food spoilage, the role of moisture and temperature, spoilage yeasts, the Maillard reaction, and the factors underlying lipid oxidation. Part 2 addresses the best ways of measuring the shelf-life of foods, with chapters on verification and validation of food spoilage models, measuring and modelling the glass transition temperature, detecting spoilage yeasts, and measuring lipid oxidation. Featuring contributions from an international panel of authors, this is a valuable reference for all those concerned with extending the shelf-life of food.