C-250 staining technique of Blakesley
and Boezi 3 is given incorrectly. In
cases, it may be prudent for users of this
book to refer to the original papers.
Classic immunoelectrophoretic tech-
niques and subtypes (e.g. crossed,
rocket, and fused-rocket immuno-
electrophoresis) are among the topics
covered by T.C. Bgg-Hansen. The
chapter is well written from a practical
viewpoint, but the inclusion of more
background on the theoretical con-
siderations employed in selecting a
particular immunoelectrophoretic tech-
nique would have been useful. The
final chapter, by A.T. Andrews, covers
peptide mapping, which has been used
(usually after the chemical or enzymatic
Fermentation is one of the oldest and
most economical methods of producing
and preserving food; various types of
fermentation have been used by nearly
every civilization since prehistoric
times. Foods are fermented for many
reasons, including the enhancement of
nutritive value and the improvement of
sensory characteristics such as flavour
and taste. In some parts of the world,
particularly in South-East Asia and parts
of Africa, large amounts of fermented
foods are produced and are an essential
part of the diet. The potential for cre-
ating new markets for fermented foods
in developed and developing countries
is promising, as awareness of the nu-
tritional value of fermented f~e~s in-
creases. Many fermented foods have
been introduced to the Western world
by immigrants from the Orient, and
some, such as miso, soy sauce and tem-
peh, are becoming popular. Hence, the
commercial production of fermented
foods under controlled conditions is
necessary to meet the demand of the
market.
This book presents authoritative ac-
counts of indigenous fermented foods
produced commercially throughout the
world. Chapter 1, by Danji Fukushima,
discusses various aspects of the com-
mercial production of soy sauce, while
Hideo Ebine's chapter on the fermen-
tation of miso covers both traditional
and industrial production methods, in-
cluding discussions of the most ad-
vanced technologies and microbiological
knowledge, and their possibie appli-
cations in other industries. The chapter on
sake outlines the commercial brewing
process, production and consumption
patterns, and chemical, nutritional and
biochemica~ aspects.
Trends in Food Science & Technology September1991
fragmentation of proteins) primarily to
study structural aspects of proteins,
such as sequence homology or the
specificity of protease sites. This
chapter will be invaluable to those
interested in proteolysis in food sys-
tems. It is clearly written and demon-
strates applications of the techniques
presented earlier in the text.
In the preface, the editors express the
hope that the text will be an instructive
and informative laboratory manual. It
readily achieves this goal. Laden with
illustrations and practical information, it
is up to date and well referenced, with
a collection of detailed appendices
that cover, among other things, infor-
mation about suppliers, isotopic
Industrialization of Indigenous Fermented
Foods
edited I:)y Keith H. Steinkraus,Marcel Dekker, 1989. $99.75 in USA and Canada($119.50 elsewhere)
Tapai, a sweet fermented snack food
made from rice or cassava, is described
in Chapter 4. The critical steps in pro-
cessing and fermentation are empha-
sized, with a view to the small-scale
industrialization of the product. Reflect-
ing the importance in the African diet of
beef's made from sorghum millet and
maize, separate chapters are included
on sorghum beer and mageu (a maize
beverage), providing in-depth infor-
mation on the commercial production
of these products. Information on the
manufacture of ogi (a traditional African
fermented starch cake processed from
maize, sorghum and millet) and gari
(prepared from the fermentation of cas-
sava roots), and the major problems in
the industrialization of these products
are presented in Chapters 7 and 8.
The last chapter, on biotechnological
aspects of the industrialization of
indigenous fermented food processes,
outlines the possibility of exploiting
biotechnological advances to improve
production methods and the quality of
indigenous fermented foods.
The authors of all chapters have
sought to present an in-depth under-
standing of the industrial/commercial
production, in contrast to the traditional
production, of fermented foods, includ-
ing discussions of the most advanced
technologies, the chemical/biochemical
and nutritional changes that occur in
the component raw materials during
labelling reagents and marker proteins.
This book is required readio~ for the
novice who intends to separate proteins
by gel electrophoresis.
t. JosephKiely
Department of AnimalScience,
Universityof Vermont,
Burlington, VT 05405, USA.
References
1 Theorell,H. (1938)in Handbookof
Biological ExperimentationI0
(Alxlerhalden,E.,ed.), p. 1097,Urbanand
Schwarzenberger,Berlin, FRG
2 Tiselius,A. (1939)HarveyLect. 35, 37
3 Blakesley,R.W.and Boezi,J.A.(i 977)Anal.
Biochem.82, 580
(xii + 439 pages)ISBN 0 8247 8074 4
processing and fermentation, and fore-
casts of the future roles of the fermented
foods. This has made the book well
organized and noteworthy for its dis-
passionate discussion of all aspects
of commercially produced fermented
fouds.
Some indigenous foods, such as
sufu (China), idli (Indial and tempeh
ilndonesia), which are commercially
produced and marketed in different
parts of the world, were omitted from
the text, even though scientific litera-
ture is available on the products. As
their industrializati~m has potential in
Southeast Asia, a review of irformation
on such products would have been use-
ful. However, this is a minor deficiency,
and does not detract from my belief that
this is an excellent book.
The information presented is up to
date and has been compiled by well-
established experts, making the book
excellent reading and a unique pres-
entation on the commercialization of
indigenous fermented foods. The text
will certainly serve as a reference for
students, researchers and professionals
involved in food science, microbiology,
biochemistry and nutrition.
S.S. Kadam
Departmentof FoodScienceand Technology,
Mahatma PhuleAgricultural University,
Rahuri413722, Oisr.Ahmednagar,
Maharashfra,India.
231