Encyclopedia of agricultural, food, and biological engineering /

In the years since the first edition (CH, Mar'04, 41-3799), numerous scientific and engineering advances have improved global agricultural production and greatly affected food processing industries. This updated edition reflects these changes. It comprises nearly 400 peer-reviewed articles in two volumes. The scope has expanded to include new processes developed at the micro- and nanoscales, applications of new sensory technologies, and sustainability issues related to food and agricultural security. Readers do not need extensive technical backgrounds in order to understand the articles, written by experts from around the world. Useful illustrations, graphs, and formulas continue to enhance the narrative entries. In addition to an excellent index and alphabetical table of contents, a topical table of contents groups articles across both volumes under agricultural, biological, and food engineering taxonomies. This encyclopedia is also available through Taylor and Francis's informaworld ; according to the preface, online quarterly updates will be released to give readers the most recent information available. All readers should find this set useful, but nonspecialists and students will benefit more than practitioners or faculty. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. K. L. Carriveau Jr. Baylor University