Book excerpt: With diet and health news making headlines on a regular basis, the ability to separate, identify, and analyze the nutrients, additives, and toxicological compounds found in food and food compounds is more important than ever. This requires proper training in the application of the best methods, as well as knowledgeable efforts to improve existing methods to meet certain analytical needs. Methods of Analysis for Food Components and Additives is a concise guide to both new and established methods for the analysis of food components and additives. The book presents detailed explanations of modern methods of analysis by 32 leading scientists, many of whom personally developed or refined the techniques. They summarize key findings on novel methods of analysis of food components, additives, and contaminants, including the identification, speciation, and determination of components in raw materials and food products. Each chapter is structured to provide a description of the component or additive that can be analyzed, a simple method explanation of how it works, examples of applications, and references for more specific information. This comprehensive volume features all major classes of food components and contaminants, along with components of current interest to the nutraceutical and functional foods industries. It is an essential reference for food scientists and chemists, as well as food manufacturers and researchers interested in the many methods of food analysis.