ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Upon arriving at this chapter, the reader may immediately react by questioning the relevance of fatty acid and triacylglycerol biosynthesis to mainstream food science. ‘‘Is that not better left to the biochemists?’’ might be a common retort. One challenge assumed by the author in agreeing to prepare this chapter is to convince the reader that it is important for food scientists to have a working knowledge of lipid biosynthesis. The next paragraph is intended to provide the initial fiber for this argument. The conclusion of this chapter (Sec. VI) strives to reinforce the argument by identifying examples of how food science research can be put to use for improving food quality, provided new knowledge can be transmitted (through genetic manipulation) or interpreted within the context of a working knowledge of lipid biosynthesis.
