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HIGHER QUALITY FOODS, HIGHER CONSUMER SATISFACTION

Due to increasing consumer demand for safe, high quality, ethical foods, the production and consumption of organic food and produce has increased rapidly over the past two decades. In recent years the safety and quality of organic foods has been questioned. If consumer confidence and demand in the industry is to remain high, the safety, quality and health benefits of organic foods must be assured. With its distinguished editor and team of top international contributors, Handbook of organic food safety and quality provides a comprehensive review of the latest research in the area.
The book provides an introduction to basic quality and safety with chapters on factors affecting the nutritional quality of foods, quality assurance and consumer expectations. It discusses the primary quality and safety issues related to the production of organic livestock foods including the effects of feeding regimes and husbandry on dairy products, poultry and pork. A concept for ‘inner quality’ Is developed, specially for organic production. Further chapters discuss methods to control and reduce infections and parasites in livestock. The main quality and safety issues concerning the production of organic crop foods, such as agronomic methods used in crop production and their effects on nutritional and sensory quality, as well as their potential health impacts are examined. The final part of the book focuses on assuring quality and safety throughout the food chain. Chapters focus on postharvest strategies to reduce contamination of food and produce, and ethical issues such as fair trade products. The final chapters conclude by reviewing quality assurance strategies relating to specific organic food sectors.

Handbook of organic food quality and safety (ISBN 1 84569 010 9) is published at £150/US$285/€220 (plus p&p) by Woodhead Publishing Ltd, Abington Hall, Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AH, UK. Tel: +44(0)1223 891358. Fax: +44(0)1223 893694. Email: sales@woodhead-publishing.com

The Editors
Julia Cooper is a Senior Research Fellow for the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group (NEFG) in the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (AFRD) at Newcastle University, UK.
Carlo Leifert is Professor of Ecological Agriculture, NEFG group leader and Director of the Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC) at Newcastle University, UK.

Urs Niggli is Director of the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture in Switzerland.
Many of the authors that have contributed to the book are partners or collaborators in the EU integrated project QualityLowInputFood (FP6-2002-Food-1-506358) and a range of chapters report results from the project.