Specialty Foods: Processing Technology, Quality, and Safety

Specialty foods are made from high quality ingredients and offer distinct features to targeted customers who pay a premium price for their perceived benefits. The rise in production and sale of these foods has increased concerns over product quality and safety. Specialty Foods: Processing Technology, Quality, and Safety explores how these foods differ from other food sectors and describes their specific processing technologies, the equipment used to produce them, and steps taken to ensure their quality and microbial safety.

The book begins by describing various types of specialty foods, their regulation, and the major trends guiding the specialty food industry. It examines the diverse specialty foods marketplace and the strategies and practices that entrepreneurs must understand to be successful specialty food marketers. It also discusses internationally recognized food safety programs and examples of implemented food safety controls.

Next, the book presents sharply focused chapters on specific foods:

• Bread, including whole wheat, multigrain/seed, sourdough, organic, gluten-free, and reduced sodium, as well as functional baked goods



• Specialty condiments, dressings, and sauces



• Jams, jellies, and other jelly products



• Chocolate, including diet-friendly, allergen-free, dark, gourmet, and kosher



• Dairy products, including specialty cheese, yogurt, and other cultured products



• Juices and functional drinks



• Specialty fruit and vegetable products



• Specialty entrees, meats, convenience foods, soups, and other miscellaneous items

The final chapter provides additional information and resources for entrepreneurs, including sections on small-scale food processing equipment and packaging. Innovators in the food industry will find this resource an invaluable guide to a range of issues critical to the sp

Dr. Yanyun Zhao is a professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University. She focuses on developing novel food processing and packaging techniques. Her research in natural antimicrobial edible films and coatings has received worldwide attention and has been broadly reported by national and international media. Dr. Zhao has published over 60 peer-reviewed research articles and 17 book chapters. She has edited Berry Fruit: Value-Added Product for Health Promotion (CRC Press, 2007), held or filed five patents, and received over 15 USDA competitive grants totaling over $2.5 million. Since 1991, Dr. Zhao has been a member of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and has served in various roles, including chair of IFT Fruit and Vegetable Products Division and IFT Peer Reviewed Communication Committee. She is a 2012 IFT Fellow. Dr. Zhao also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Food Processing and Preservation and Journal of Food Processing and Technology.