Downloaded by CALIFORNIA STATE UNIV FRESNO on February 17, 2013 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: October 10, 2002 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2003-0836.pr001
Preface Freshness is a particularly appreciated attribute o f many fresh foods, (e.g., vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, milk, and fish), but also o f processed foods such as bread, fine bakery products, and coffee. S h e l f life is often closely associated with freshness, but shelf life is also increasingly important for products not normally associated with the attribute fresh. The latter category includes a variety o f foods such as dairy products, beverages, confectionery products, frozen products, as w e l l as meat and meat products. Industry and consumers both benefit from ways to preserve the fresh character o f foods or to increase their shelf life. I m proving the fresh character and the shelf life o f foods starts w i t h understanding what causes a product to be perceived as fresh as w e l l as understanding what limits the shelf life o f products. The underlying functionalities o f freshness can be described in terms o f sensory and nutritional properties. That is, a product is perceived as fresh i f the sensory and nutritional properties are the same as when the product was freshly harvested or prepared. The shelf life o f a product is traditionally determined primarily by whether a product can safely be consumed; however, the sensory and nutritional properties are becoming increasingly important. Improving shelf life can lead to prolonged freshness, and that is the link between shelf life and freshness. The symposium Freshness and Shelf Life of Foods was held at the American Chemical Society ( A C S ) National Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, from August 2 6 - 3 1 . The symposium focused on the flavor and texture aspects o f the freshness and shelf life o f foods. This book contains the proceedings o f this symposium, and includes contributions from flavor chemists, food physicists, sensory scientists, and food technologists from universities, research institutes, and companies. It is d i vided into three sections: (1) general aspects o f freshness and shelf life, (2) texture aspects o f freshness and shelf life, and (3) flavor aspects o f freshness and shelf life. The first section starts with a study, on the perception o f freshness by consumers. This section includes a general
xi In Freshness and Shelf Life of Foods; Cadwallader, K., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2002.
Downloaded by CALIFORNIA STATE UNIV FRESNO on February 17, 2013 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: October 10, 2002 | doi: 10.1021/bk-2003-0836.pr001
overview o f shelf-life issues and two chapters on packaging. The second section includes studies not only on which physical chemical parameters are most critical for preserving freshness but also on methods o f how to improve freshness and shelf life. The third section focuses on the characterization o f aroma changes during storage and the underlying mechanisms o f these changes. Products that are covered i n this book include tomatoes, citrus fruits, milk, cereals, bread, peanuts, beer, meat, and vegetable oils. W e gratefully acknowledge the financial support o f the A C S D i v i s i o n o f Agricultural and Food Chemistry and the Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences (The Netherlands), which allowed us to financially assist some o f the speakers. Authors and reviewers deserve commendation for the quality o f their contributions.
Keith R. Cadwallader Department o f Food Science and Human Nutrition University of Illinois 1302 West Pennsylvania Avenue Urbana, I L 61801
Hugo Weenen T N O Nutrition and Food Research Wageningen Centre for Food Sciences P . O . B o x 360 3700 AJ Zeist The Netherlands
xii In Freshness and Shelf Life of Foods; Cadwallader, K., et al.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2002.
