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Preface to the Fifth edition
The golden era of food microbiology has begun. All three areas of food microbiology, beneficial,
spoilage, and pathogenic microbiology, are expanding and progressing at an incredible pace; thus,
it is difficult for one to stay abreast of new developments. A genuine attempt has been made to
capture those developments in this new edition. Spoilage-causing microorganisms are a major
concern. To feed the growing population in the world, microbial food spoilage must be reduced,
and improved intervention technologies must be developed. To achieve that goal, it is necessary
to understand the problems; that would help to develop effective control methods for different
types of foods, especially using the hurdle concept. In the past decade, foodborne pathogens have
broadened their association with varieties of foods that were unexpected, such as Salmonella in
peanut butter, fish, and spices; Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe and celery; and a new strain of
Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (O104:H4) with sprouts. To have a greater understanding of
pathogen association in preharvest plants and meat animals, the concerted efforts of plant biologists, animal scientists, soil chemists, environmental scientists, agriculture and biological engineers, social scientists, and microbiologists are needed to address food safety and quality issues.
In the past decade, we have also witnessed enormous developments in intervention technologies,
such as application of bacteriophages and novel antimicrobials to control pathogens and spoilage
microbes, and novel processing technologies, such as high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric
fields, low temperature plasma, infrared, X-rays, ultrasound, and many more. Microbial ecology
(microbial community) in food animals, soils, plants, and raw and processed foods are receiving greater attention to understand pathogen behavior in the complex environment. Subsequent
application of natural microorganisms as biocontrol and probiotics are receiving renewed interest
in controlling pathogens in meat and poultry production or controlling diseases in humans. In
this edition, several new topics have been added, such as microbial biofilm formation; quorum
sensing; gut microbiota and their role in chronic diseases, including diabetes; obesity; application
of food nanotechnology in food preservation; bacteriophages as intervention and detection tools;
and emerging pathogens (Cronobacter sakazaki, Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli O104:H4,
and Nipah virus). All chapters in this fifth edition have been thoroughly revised and updated with
recent reference articles when possible.
I am indebted to my wife, Banashri Bhunia, for her assistance with the collection of literature
materials, inspiration, and for her patience while I work late hours, weekends, and holidays for several months on this book; to my colleague, Bruce Applegate, for research photographs, insightful
discussions, and his love of microbiology; to my postdoc, Atul Singh, for generating photographs
of several microorganisms; and to the students for their continued support.
Preface to the Fifth edition
The golden era of food microbiology has begun. All three areas of food microbiology, beneficial,
spoilage, and pathogenic microbiology, are expanding and progressing at an incredible pace; thus,
it is difficult for one to stay abreast of new developments. A genuine attempt has been made to
capture those developments in this new edition. Spoilage-causing microorganisms are a major
concern. To feed the growing population in the world, microbial food spoilage must be reduced,
and improved intervention technologies must be developed. To achieve that goal, it is necessary
to understand the problems; that would help to develop effective control methods for different
types of foods, especially using the hurdle concept. In the past decade, foodborne pathogens have
broadened their association with varieties of foods that were unexpected, such as Salmonella in
peanut butter, fish, and spices; Listeria monocytogenes in cantaloupe and celery; and a new strain of
Shiga-toxin producing Escherichia coli (O104:H4) with sprouts. To have a greater understanding of
pathogen association in preharvest plants and meat animals, the concerted efforts of plant biologists, animal scientists, soil chemists, environmental scientists, agriculture and biological engineers, social scientists, and microbiologists are needed to address food safety and quality issues.
In the past decade, we have also witnessed enormous developments in intervention technologies,
such as application of bacteriophages and novel antimicrobials to control pathogens and spoilage
microbes, and novel processing technologies, such as high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric
fields, low temperature plasma, infrared, X-rays, ultrasound, and many more. Microbial ecology
(microbial community) in food animals, soils, plants, and raw and processed foods are receiving greater attention to understand pathogen behavior in the complex environment. Subsequent
application of natural microorganisms as biocontrol and probiotics are receiving renewed interest
in controlling pathogens in meat and poultry production or controlling diseases in humans. In
this edition, several new topics have been added, such as microbial biofilm formation; quorum
sensing; gut microbiota and their role in chronic diseases, including diabetes; obesity; application
of food nanotechnology in food preservation; bacteriophages as intervention and detection tools;
and emerging pathogens (Cronobacter sakazaki, Clostridium difficile, Escherichia coli O104:H4,
and Nipah virus). All chapters in this fifth edition have been thoroughly revised and updated with
recent reference articles when possible.
I am indebted to my wife, Banashri Bhunia, for her assistance with the collection of literature
materials, inspiration, and for her patience while I work late hours, weekends, and holidays for several months on this book; to my colleague, Bruce Applegate, for research photographs, insightful
discussions, and his love of microbiology; to my postdoc, Atul Singh, for generating photographs
of several microorganisms; and to the students for their continued support.