Two of the recent books in the Methods in Molecular Biology series,
Yeast Protocols and Pichia Protocols, have been narrowly focused on
yeasts and, in the latter case, particular species of yeasts. Food
Microbiology Pro- cols, of necessity, covers a very wide range of
microorganisms. Our book treats four categories of microorganisms
affecting foods: (1) Spoilage organisms; (2) pathogens; (3)
microorganisms in fermented foods; and (4) microorganisms p- ducing
metabolites that affect the flavor or nutritive value of foods. Detailed
information is given on each of these categories. There are several
chapters devoted to the microorganisms associated with fermented foods:
these are of increasing importance in food microbiology, and include one
bacteriophage that kills the lactic acid bacteria involved in the
manufacture of different foods--cottage cheese, yogurt, sauerkraut, and
many others. The other nine chapters give procedures for the maintenance
of lactic acid bacteria, the isolation of plasmid and genomic DNA from
species of Lac- bacillus, determination of the proteolytic activity of
lactic acid bacteria, det- mination of bacteriocins, and other important
topics.