VEGETABLE PROCESSING

preparation of vegetables for use by humans as food. Vegetables consist of a large group of plants consumed as food. Perishable when fresh but able to be preserved by a number of processing methods, they are excellent sources of certain minerals and vitamins and are often the main source of dietary fibre. The consumption of vegetables has increased significantly as consumers have become more health-conscious. Owing to the perishable nature of the fresh produce, international trade in vegetables is mostly confined to the processed forms. Additional reading R. MacRae, R.K. Robinson, and M.J. Sadler (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology, and Nutrition, 8 vol. (1993); and Y.H. Hui (ed.), Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology, 4 vol. (1992), are general works that cover all aspects of the science of food. P. Fellows, Food Processing Technology: Principles and Practices (1988), is an introductory text. R. Paul SinghJoseph J. Jen (ed.), Quality Factors of Fruits and Vegetables: Chemistry and Technology (1989), describes the four major factorscolour, flavour, texture, and nutritive valuethat determine food quality and discusses new technology used in food processing. Other works on vegetable processing include Bor Shiun Luh and Jasper Guy Woodroof, Commercial Vegetable Processing, 2nd ed. (1988), the most complete treatment of the subject, with chapters on quality control, nutrition labeling, and computer usage in food processing; William F. Talburt and Ora Smith (eds.), Potato Processing, 4th ed. (1987), a comprehensive text; and Mas Yamaguchi, World Vegetables: Principles, Production, and Nutritive Values (1983), presenting a global view of vegetable production. Joseph J. Jen