Fish and marine invertebrates are important sources of nutrients for the world's population, and many species have exceptionally high market value because of their exquisite sensory properties. Both the utilization of the available catch in different forms and the market price are affected by the quality of the fish. Proteins and nonprotein nitroge nous compounds playa crucial role in the nutritional value and sensory quality of seafoods as well as in the suitability of different species to various forms of processing, preservation, and use in other branches of the food industry. This role of proteins results from their basic chemical and biochemical properties and functions in different tissues. A presenta tion of the actual state of knowledge on seafood nitrogenous compounds in one volume may contribute to a better understanding of the involve ment of these components in all stages of handling and processing fish. It has been possible to prepare this text thanks to the cooperative effort of an international group of specialists. The editors of the book are greatly indebted to all colleagues who have willingly contributed to this volume, sharing their knowledge and experience, as well as to all persons who have granted permission to use their previously published materials. viii Preface ix A large part of the book has been prepared during my sabbatical in the Department of Marine Food Science, National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU) in Keelung, Taiwan.

Research and development of seafood continues to be productive in terms of new and improved products for both food and non-food purposes. The use of biotechnology, microbiology, computer modeling and advanced analytical techniques has led to improvements in processing and product safety. This recent book provides extensive new information on these developments. The 25 reports were prepared by food scientists specializing in seafood. The reports are well illustrated with numerous schematics and some micrographs. Extensive reference data is provided in tables and graphs.

Seafoods are important sources of nutrients for humans. Proteins and non protein nitrogenous compounds play an important role in the nutritional value and sensory quality of seafoods. Consumption of fish and marine oils is also actively encouraged for the prevention and treatment of cardio vascular diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. Highly unsaturated long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are regarded as the active components of marine oils and seafood lipids. The basic chemical and biochemical properties of seafood proteins and lipids, in addition to flavour-active components, their microbiological safety and freshness quality, are important factors to be considered. A presentation of the state-of-the-art research results on seafoods with respect to their chemistry, processing technology and quality in one volume was made possible by cooperative efforts ofan international group of experts. Following a brief overview, the book is divided into three sections. In Part 1 (chapters 2 to 8) the chemistry of seafood components such as proteins, lipids, flavorants (together with their properties and nutritional significance) is discussed. Part 2 (chapters 9 to 13) describes the quality of seafoods with respect to their freshness, preservation, micro biological safety and sensory attributes. The final section of the book (chapters 14 to 16) summarizes further processing of raw material, underutilized species and processing discards for production of value added products.

This must-have resource focuses on marine food composition as it relates to nutrition. Filled with illustrations and graphs, it describes the biological and technical factors which effect the availability and quality of seafood resources and provides information on the biochemical changes, functional properties, contents, and biological value of the main components of the major marine food organisms. It presents the yield of edible parts for the different species and the applied procedures of processing and culinary preparation. This volume is intended for the general reader who is interested in food production, marketing, and nutrition, and is also an ideal text for students of food science as well as professionals in the food trade and fish industry.

The seafood processing industry produces a large amount of by-products that usually consist of bioactive materials such as proteins, enzymes, fatty acids, and biopolymers. These by-products are often underutilized or wasted, even though they have been shown to have biotechnological, nutritional, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications. For example, by-products derived from crustaceans and algae have been successfully applied in place of collagen and gelatin in food, cosmetics, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. Divided into four parts and consisting of twenty-seven chapters, this book discusses seafood by-product development, isolation, and characterization, and demonstrates the importance of seafood by-products for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and biomedical industries.

Traditionally a source of nutrition, proteins are also added to foods for their ability to form gels and stabilise emulsions, among other properties. The range of specialised protein ingredients used in foods is increasing. Handbook of food proteins provides an authoritative overview of the characteristics, functionalities and applications of different proteins of importance to the food industry in one convenient volume. The introductory chapter provides an overview of proteins and their uses in foods. The following chapters each focus on a particular protein ingredient or group of ingredients covering their origins, production, properties and applications. The proteins discussed are caseins, whey proteins, gelatin and other meat-derived protein ingredients, seafood proteins, egg proteins, soy proteins, pea and other legume proteins, mycoprotein, wheat gluten, canola and other oilseed proteins, algal proteins and potato protein. A chapter on texturised vegetable proteins completes the volume. Innovative products and potential methods for improving nutrition and diet using these proteins are described. With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors Handbook of food proteins is an invaluable reference tool for professionals using food protein ingredients for both food and other applications. An authoritative overview of the characteristics, functionalities and applications of different proteins of importance to the food industry Chapters each focus on a particular protein ingredient or group of ingredients Innovative products and potential methods for improving nutrition and diet using proteins is also described