Food Allergy News - Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods

Title	Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods
Date of Publication	2003
Date Review was published on website	December 2003
Editor	Edward R. Farnworth, Ph.D.
Author's Background	Food Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Credibility of Information	The information is supported by scientific literature and is very accurate.
Target Audience	Handbook of Fermented Functional Foods would be an excellent resource for food science/microbiology researchers. It provides a scientific review of the health properties and manufacturing procedures for several fermented food products. This book would not be a valuable reference for most healthcare clinicians because the information focuses on laboratory research rather than client care. Additionally, the reader would require a strong background in microbiology/biochemistry to understand this book.
Contents	Chapter 1: The History of Fermented Foods Chapter 2: Challenges Facing Development of Probiotic-Containing Functional Foods Chapter 3: The Properties of Enterococcus faecium and the Fermented Milk Product Gaio® Chapter 4: Kefir: A Fermented Milk Product Chapter 5: Yogurt and Immunity: The Health Benefits of Fermented Milk Chapter 6: Health Properties of Milk Fermented with Lactobacillus casei Strain Shirota (LcS) Chapter 7: Biologically Active Peptides Released in Fermented Milk: Role and Functions Chapter 8: Cheese and Its Potential as a Probiotic Food Chapter 9: Natto – A Food Made by Fermenting Cooked Soybeans with Bacillus subtilis (natto) Chapter 10: Fermented Meat Chapter 11: Miso: Production, Properties, and Benefits to Health Chapter 12: Korean Fermented Foods: Kimchi and Doenjang Chapter 13: The Role of Lactobacillus plantarum in Foods and in Human Health Chapter 14: Sauerkraut Chapter 15: The Future of Fermented Foods
Strengths	This topic is very unique and there is not a comparable reference. The information would be available from individual review articles, but it is handy to have it collated in one resource. Each chapter topic is thoroughly reviewed. Detailed description of the manufacturing process and health properties of each fermented food are given. Chapter 1: History of Fermented Foods provides an illuminating review of the history and overview for the fermented food industry.
Weakness	Each chapter is written by different authors; therefore, the style of writing varies. Some authors do not provide a strong conclusion to the chapter’s topic. The methodology and findings from the relevant research studies are sited, but the reader is left wondering what conclusions can be drawn from the various research findings. To understand the book, the reader will require a strong background in microbiology and biochemistry. The level of knowledge would by beyond most undergraduate health care degrees. The book is targeted to professionals at the research level. The book does not provide a complete review of the fermented/probiotic products that are currently available. Detailed information on a few products and strains are provided, but a less detailed review of the common products and their potential health benefits would have made this a more useful reference for the healthcare clinician.
Number of Pages/Size	378 pages; 6.5 x 9.5 inches
Publisher	CRC Press
ISBN	0849313724
Price	$150 USD
Where to purchase	www.crcpress.com