BOOK REVIEW

NOVEL FOOD PACKAGING TECHNIQUES. Raija Ahvenainen, editor.2003. Woodhead Publishing Ltd, Abinton Hall, Abington, CambridgeEngland, CB1 AH, UK.590 pp. ISBN 1 85573 675 6 (book); 1 85573 702 7(e-book). $235.

The large packaging industry is critical to all food processors and con-sumers. As with all aspects of the food industry, the packaging sector iscontinuously evolving new technologies. The editor for this book comes froma respected center of food research and gathered some excellent authors topresent several new and growing packaging techniques involved in food pres-ervation, transportation and storage. She has drawn on experts from around theworld, with most being experts from Europe.

The book is divided into four sections with the largest being the first(Active and Intelligent Packaging) and the second (Developments in ModifiedAtmosphere Packaging). These are followed by a section on novel packagingused for meat, fish, and fruits and vegetables, and a catchall section coveringseveral topics including optimization, legal issues, recycling and consumerissues. By the nature of several authors involved, there is duplication of sometopics.

The first section covering active and intelligent packaging was the mostinteresting to this reviewer and contains some valuable information. Thesection on modified atmosphere packaging covers a constantly changing areaof packaging and is a good place to start if the reader is new to the area.Chapters 23 and 24 on the environmental issues related to packaging waste andrecycling should be a mandatory read for all food industry personnel involvedin packaging.

The book is a good reference book to have for food science professionalsand would be a good resource for any professor who is teaching food pack-aging at the undergraduate or graduate level.

ALAN R. MCCURDY, PhD

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation 30 (2006) 379. All Rights Reserved.© 2006, The Author(s)Journal compilation © 2006, Blackwell Publishing

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