Best before
Subtitle: the evolution and future of processed food
By: Nicola Temple
Series: Bloomsbury sigma series; Bloomsbury sigma series
Publisher: Bloomsbury Sigma
Published: 2018
Language: eng
Number of pages: 272
ISBN-13: 9781472941435; 9781472941442
Subjects: Processed foods; Forecasting; Food industry and trade; Food additives
Description: "Long before there was the ready meal, humans processed food to preserve it and make it safe. From fire to fermentation, our ancestors survived periods of famine by changing the very nature of their food. This ability to process food has undoubtedly made us one of the most successful species on the planet, but have we gone too far? Through manipulating chemical reactions and organisms, scientists have unlocked all kinds of methods of to improve food longevity and increase supply, from apples that stay fresh for weeks to cheese that is matured over days rather than months. And more obscure types of food processing, such as growing steaks in a test-tube and 3D-printed pizzas, seem to have come straight from the pages of a science-fiction novel. These developments are keeping up with the changing needs of the demanding consumer, but we only tend notice them when the latest scaremongering headline hits the news. Best Before puts processed food into perspective. It explores how processing methods have evolved in many of the foods that we love in response to big business, consumer demand, health concerns, innovation, political will, waste and even war. Best Before arms readers with the information they need to be rational consumers, capable of making informed decisions about their food."--Page [2] of cover.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-264) and index.
Table of contents: title: Have we tinkered too much?; title: Maturity doesn't necessarily come with age; title: Breaking bread; title: Ripe for the picking; title: Processed protein; title: No added sugar; title: The convenience conundrum; title: Really really small stuff; title: The future of food processing.