Book Review: Química de los alimentos
The interest of hydrocolloids in the food industry and more specifically in the area of formulated foods is unquestionable. The editors, with a large experience in the study of these materials, have carried out a very good selection of specialists in each one of the hydrocolloids described. They are either university professors or highly qualified technical personnel from manufacturing industries. The chapters are, in general, uniform in their content. For each hydrocolloid, information is offered on: Source, fabrication methods, structure and chemical composition, functional properties, rheological properties, applications in the food industry, sometimes particular examples of formulations are included. Regulatory status is also dealt with, which in some cases results in curious and practical interest to potential users. All chapters contain literature information but, as a consequence of the different sources and habits of the diverse authors, this is unequally treated from one chapter to the next. While some chapters provide more than 100 complete literature references, cited in text, others offer a short list of references (2 general ones in the chapter on pectins) or alternatively a list of books or publications for further reading. The coverage is really wide, comprising the following gums: agar, starch, gelatin, carrageenan, xanthan gum, gellan gum, galactomannans, gum arable, pectins, milk proteins, cellulosics, tragacanth and karaya gums, xyloglucan, curdlan, cereal b-glucans, soluble soybean polysaccharide, bacterial cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, gums for coating and adhesives, chitosan, alginates, Frutafit-inulin, CRC emulsifying biopolymer, konjac mannan and Philippine Natural Grade or semi-refined carrageenan. Some of the latter gums are very particular and difficult to find in other texts. As stated by the editors, it is not a textbook but a manual designed to assist readers, from students to food scientists, in the acquisition of information on each hydrocolloid, coming from reliable sources, which will undoubtedly be of great value in formulating new products or in planning research to improve their functionality. L. Durán