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Biography
Food Science and Technology Books: Processing, Safety and the Story of Food
What makes bread rise? Why does cut fruit turn brown? How does a packet of biscuits stay fresh for months? Food science answers these questions, and it is one of the most practical sciences that you can study. Food technology books on this shelf serve B.Tech and MSc students, food entrepreneurs, quality professionals and curious home cooks. The range is unusually enjoyable, because it runs from technical reference work to delightful books on the history of particular foods.
You will find S. C. Bhatia, Charis Galanakis and Alexandru Grumezescu on the technical side, K. T. Achaya on Indian food history, and the charming Global Edible series, with its small books on single foods such as honey, mustard and cheese.
Food Technology Books for Students
Food technology draws on chemistry, microbiology and engineering. Students should build strength in all three.
- Food chemistry: learn how proteins, fats and sugars behave when heated or stored.
- Food microbiology: understand which microbes spoil food, which cause illness and which help make curd, cheese and bread.
- Processing: study drying, canning, freezing and pasteurisation, and why each of them works.
- Packaging: Mark Gibson and Galanakis are useful names to explore in this growing area. Packaging is often what decides how long a product lasts on the shelf.
- Dairy: Ramesh C. Chandan is an established author on dairy processing, and this is particularly relevant in the country with the world's largest milk production.
- Quality and safety: learn the basics of HACCP and the rules for labelling before you enter the industry.
Laboratory practice and an industrial internship will teach you far more than lectures alone. Visit a dairy, a bakery or a local processing plant if you get the chance.
Food Safety in India
Food safety matters to every family and every food business. In India, FSSAI sets the rules on labelling, hygiene and licensing. Anyone who wants to start a food business needs to understand these requirements before making or selling anything. Laws and standards change over time, so always check the latest information on the official FSSAI website, and consult a professional where needed.
At home, a few basics go a long way. Keep raw and cooked foods apart, cook meat thoroughly, wash your hands, refrigerate leftovers quickly and do not eat food that smells wrong. Most food poisoning can be prevented with such simple habits.
Starting a Food Business
Many people dream of turning a family recipe into a brand, and Indian consumers are increasingly open to new packaged foods. Before you begin, think through these questions:
- Is it safe and stable? How long does your product really last without going bad, and have you tested it?
- What will it cost? Include your ingredients, packaging, labour, transport and wastage.
- Who will buy it? Start with a small group of real customers, and ask for honest feedback.
- What licence do you need? Even small home businesses often need FSSAI registration.
- Can you make it consistently? A recipe that works at home for ten people may behave very differently when you make it for a thousand.
For more on running a business, visit business and management, and for how some real companies were built, see business biographies.
The History of Indian Food
Food is also history on a plate. Indian Food: A Historical Companion by K. T. Achaya is a landmark book. It traces where our ingredients came from and how they have spread across the subcontinent. You may be surprised to learn how many foods we now consider completely Indian, like chillies, tomatoes and potatoes, actually arrived from elsewhere only a few centuries ago. Khichdi: An Ancient, Cultural and Healthy Tradition by Kusum Jain takes one of the country's most comforting dishes and looks at it in depth. Khunti Korai by Shawkat Osman explores Bangladeshi cuisine, which shares so much with the food of Bengal.
The Global Edible Series
This series is a joy for anyone who loves food. Each short book picks one ingredient and follows it around the world, through history, trade, culture and cooking. Honey by Lucy M. Long, Mustard by Demet Guzey and Mango by Constance L. Kirker show how a simple food can tell a very large story. Rice by Renee Marton is a natural choice for Indian readers. They are small, easy to finish and make excellent gifts for people who enjoy cooking.
Food, Society and Sustainability
What we eat has effects well beyond our own health. Farm to Fork: All About Food by Praful C. Vin takes readers along the food chain. John Coveney explores how our beliefs about food and nutrition have been shaped. Parke Wilde writes on food policy, an area that is growing in importance as societies deal with hunger and obesity at the same time. Young readers can learn from Question It! Food by Philip Steele, which encourages them to think about where food comes from. If you are concerned about the larger picture, also read our environment books and agriculture books.
Food Science in Your Kitchen
You do not need a laboratory to enjoy this subject. Try these simple experiments at home.
- Bread: Make two small batches, with and without yeast, and compare them. You will see fermentation in action.
- Browning: Cut an apple and brush half of it with lemon juice. See which side stays fresh.
- Curd: Set curd at different temperatures and find out what happens to its thickness and taste.
- Salt and meat: See how salting changes a piece of chicken before you cook it.
Understanding why recipes work makes you a far better cook. A Guide for Gentlemen Chefs by Laxmi Dhaul is a fun and unusual book for those starting out in the kitchen, and you will find many more recipes in our cookery books section.
Careers in Food Technology
India's food processing sector is large and growing, and it needs trained people. Graduates work in quality control, product development, production management, regulatory affairs and research. Companies that make dairy products, snacks, beverages, frozen foods and ready meals all recruit from this field. Students who combine technical knowledge with business understanding are especially valued. Start building your experience early with internships and small projects, and read about the industry regularly.
How to Judge Food Claims
Food is surrounded by marketing and myths, so a little scientific thinking is useful.
- Read the label. Ingredients are listed by quantity, so look carefully at the first few.
- Be wary of words like natural. Such terms can mean very little on a package.
- Look at serving sizes. Numbers can look small when the serving is unrealistically tiny.
- Ask for evidence. A single study, or one person's story, does not prove that a food cures anything.
If you have a health condition, always ask a doctor or a qualified dietitian before you change your diet.
Where to Go Next
To understand diet and health, see nutrition books. For the science underneath, try chemistry books and biology and life science. Those who are interested in how food gets grown should visit agriculture. Whether you plan a career in food or simply want to know what is on your plate, this is a subject that you can taste every single day.
Food entrepreneurs should also learn about hygiene and FSSAI rules before launching a product. For students, these subjects open careers in processing, quality control and research.