The response to the first edition of this book has been most gratifying. Both in
private conversations and in a formal review it has been suggested that "The book
could easily form the basis for an interesting academic course in this area." I have
received many constructive criticisms and suggestions and have endeavored to
address them to the best of my ability.
Let me start by describing the things that have not been changed in the revised
book. They include the outlay, scope, and the objectives. The objectives were and
are to describe and discuss the identity of the main food components, their presence
in food commodities and ingredients, and the functions that they perform in the
production of desirable and acceptable foods.