Book excerpt: The past 30 years have seen the establishment of food engineering both as an academic discipline and as a profession. Combining scientific depth with practical usefulness, this book serves as a tool for graduate students as well as practicing food engineers, technologists and researchers looking for the latest information on transformation and preservation processes as well as process control and plant hygiene topics. - Strong emphasis on the relationship between engineering and product quality/safety - Links theory and practice - Considers topics in light of factors such as cost and environmental issues