Low Temperature Biology of Foodstuffs describes the concept of low temperature biology and its application in the food industry. This book is divided into 23 chapters and begins with descriptions of several low temperature processes, such as nucleation, ice crystal growth, and freezing. The succeeding chapters deal with the protective mechanisms in frost-hardy plants, the physico-chemical changes in foods during freezing and storage, and the influence of cold storage, freezing, and thawing microbial and population of several foodstuffs. These topics are followed by discussions of the principles of freezing and low-temperature storage of fruit and vegetables. Other chapters explore the process of gelation, the freezing and frozen storage of fish muscle and meat. The final chapters look into the subjective evaluations of frozen food quality, including their physico-chemical properties.This book will prove useful to food scientists and manufacturers.

Organizing CommitteeAcknowledgmentList of ContributorsForewordThe Structure of Water and of Aqueous SolutionsNucleation and Growth of Ice Crystals in Water and Biological SystemsThe Formation of Ice and the Physical Behavior of the Ice Phase in Aqueous Solutions and in Biological SystemsThermodynamics of Freezing in Porous SolidsIce Formation in Frozen MuscleIce Formation Within Plants, the Resulting Damage and RecoveryProtective Mechanisms in Frost-Hardy PlantsPhysical Effects During Ice Formation in PlantsAspects of Freezing Important in the Freeze-Drying of Living CellsPhysicochemical Changes in Foods During Freezing and Subsequent StorageNature of Psychrophilic MicroorganismsThe Influence of Cold Storage of Milk on its Microflora and its Suitability for CheesemakingEffect of Freezing and Thawing on the Microbial Population of FoodstuffsLow Temperature Injury to Fruits and VegetablesThe Freezing of Fruits and Vegetables-Historical and GeneralPrinciples of Freezing and Low Temperature Storage, with Particular Reference to Fruit and VegetablesGelation of Egg Yolk Upon Freezing and ThawingThe Effect of Freezing and Frozen Storage on the Proteins of Fish MuscleThe Interaction of Freezing and Post-Mortem Changes in MuscleObjective Tests for Frozen Food QualityCold Storage Life of Frozen Fruits and Vegetables as a Function of Time and TemperatureFrozen MeatDeterioration and Storage Life of Frozen Fish