ABSTRACT
The knowledge underlying the industrialization of modern foods is one of the most successful, yet least heralded achievements of science. Conversion of highly unstable, unpalatable, and frequently overtly toxic agricultural commodities into the diverse array of food products that comprise the core of modern urban diets requires a broad and deep understanding. The understanding must cover many fi elds, from the chemistry of biomolecules, the colloidal properties of biomaterials to the biology of plants, animals, and microorganisms. It is also necessary to understand the chemical, structural, and biological responses of molecules, biomaterial ensembles, and living tissues to the changes in a variety of external variables. The range of these external variables is large, often complex, including temperature, pressure, and shear forces.
