Dairy Microbiology

DAIRY MICROBIOLOGY. By Edwin M. Foster, F. Eugene Nelson, Marvin L. Speck, Raymond N. Doetsch, and Joseph C. Olson, Jr. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1957. 492 pp. $5.65. There has long been a need in the dairy industry for a text or reference book to fill the gap between texts dealing with public health and theoretical aspects of dairy microbiology for college students and those which cater to laboratory personnel and plant operators. The present book fills this gap. In the preface the authors state that the book should provide a working reference for plant operators, field men, sanitarians, etc., as well as a text for college students. This is rather a broad classification of personnel for one text to cover. However, the authors have skillfully blended material of interest to all the above groups which heretofore has only been available to the reader in several different texts. Some of the material is oversimplified for a college course in dairy bacteriology. Nevertheless, the authors have selected references which, if investigated by the student, will enhance his knowledge of the subject without an extensive survey of the literature. Also, this text does not overemphasize the public health aspect of dairy products, a topic which is adequately covered in other works. They may thus have endeared themselves to many people who have long felt a need for stressing the nonpathogenic aspects of dairy microbiology, many of which are everyday problems met by milk producers and dairy products processors. Conversely, some of the material in the book is too detailed for laboratory personnel, field men, and sanitarians. However, the authors have assembled and presented it in such a manner that the reader can easily find information of concern to him and will not have to stumble through theoretical discussions on the subject. The only fault this reviewer has found with the book is that there is some repetition between chapters. This is of little consequence to the reader interested in only a single section of the book but may be detrimental in a college course. The text is well written and clearly presented. The authors have done extremely well in their attempt to please a great number of people in diversified sections of dairy bacteriology. It should be well received by all those in the dairy field as it is a ready reference as well as a satisfactory teaching text. LESTER HANKIN