Probiotics in Food Safety and Human Health by Goktepe, Ipek; Juneja, Vijay K.; Ahmedna, Mohamed;

Short description:

Our understanding of foodborne pathogens has dramatically increased over the past two decades, including the discovery of microorganisms previously not known to cause foodborne illness, making it necessary to reconsider traditional approaches to preservation. This timely volume presents an in-depth characterization of probiotic strains and explores their mechanism of action in humans. It also discusses the development of products that promote health by guarding against gastrointestinal diseases. Unique in its coverage of our emergent understanding of probiotics, it paves the way for creating opportunities to develop foods with specific health benefits for different subpopulations.

Long description:

The discovery of new and previously unknown organisms that cause foodborne illness makes it essential for scientists, regulators, and those in the food industry to reconsider their traditional approaches to food preservation. A single source reference that can provide the latest practical information on how to deal with the range of probiotic health issues that have recently arisen would be invaluable to have. 

Probiotics in Food Safety and Human Health is that resource. It presents an in-depth characterization and diagnosis of probiotic strains and their mechanisms of action in humans, explains the role food applications have in the development of new products that guard against gastrointestinal diseases, and addresses the current regulatory environment. The material in each chapter is written in an accessible format by internationally renowned experts and includes citations from scientific literature.

Highlights include a thorough discussion of probiotic issues such as pre- and postharvest food safety applications of probiotics, genetic engineering, and probiotic identification. The book also presents information on new regulations and emerging trends in the two major probiotics markets in the world, Europe and Japan.

Unique in its depth and breadth of scope, Probiotics in Food Safety and Human Health provides vital information to those who need to be knowledgeable of the functional properties of foods aimed at improving human health.

Table of Contents:

Introduction to Prebiotics and Probiotics. Development of Probiotic Food Ingredients. Taxonomy and Biology of Probiotics. Primary Sources of Probiotic Cultures. Properties of Evidence-Based Probiotics for Human Health. Genetic Engineering of Probiotic Bacteria. Immunochemical Methods for Detection of Probiotics. Molecular-Based Methods Directed Toward Probiotics. Application of Repetitive Element Sequence-Based (rep-) PCR and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis
for the Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Probiotic Products. Genetically Modified Protobiotics. Use of Probiotics in Preharvest Food Safety Applications. Preharvest Food Safety Applications of Competitive Exclusion Cultures and Probiotics. Probiotics as Biopreservatives for Enhancing Food Safety. EU Perspectives on Food, Gastrointestinal Tract Functionality, and Human Health. Modulation of Epithelial Function and Local Immune System by Probiotics: Mechanisms Involved. Probiotics in Cancer Prevention. Statistical Considerations for Testing the Efficacy of Probiotics. The Safety of Probiotics in Foods in Europe and Its
Legislation. Probiotics in Food Safety and Human Health: Current Status of Regulations on the Use of Probiotics in Foods in Japan. Index.