Book excerpt: Over the past decade, new applications of genetic engineering in the fermentation of food products have received a great deal of coverage in scientific literature. While many books focus solely on recent developments, this reference book highlights these developments and provides detailed background and manufacturing information. Co-Edited by Fidel Toldra - Recipient of the 2010 Distinguished Research Award from the American Meat Science Association Presenting a comprehensive overview, Handbook of Food and Beverage Fermentation Technology examines a wide range of starter cultures and manufacturing procedures for popular alcoholic beverages and bakery, dairy, meat, cereal, soy, and vegetable food products. An international panel of experts from government, industry, and academia provide an in-depth review of fermentation history, microorganisms, quality assurance practices, and manufacturing guidelines. The text focuses on the quality of the final food product, flavor formation, and new advances in starter cultures for dairy fermentations using recent examples that depict the main species used, their characteristics, and their impact on the development of other fermented foods. With approximately 2,300 references for further exploration, this is a valuable resource for food scientists, technologists, microbiologists, toxicologists, and processors.