PREFACE 
THE present volume is an outgrowth of a course in food microbiology 
at the University of Illinois. This course has been developed for those 
who wish to fit themselves for food control, food chemists and for those 
students in household science who possess a sufficient fundamental 
training in chemistry. A thorough training in chemistry is essential 
for intelligent work in microbiology. 
The aim of the volume is to present the methods of analysis along 
with sufficient discussion based on the literature of the subject, to 
show the history and ‘ make-up” of these methods. An mtelligent 
use of them would be difficult without this. The field of food micro- 
biology is a broad one and the author has drawn freely from the reported 
investigations of others. Many of these several investigators are 
experts in their fields, having devoted a lifetime to the study of cer- 
tain subjects. Some of the methods of analysis are given in the language 
of their originators, since, by doing this, the personal touch of the 
author may be retained. No apology is made for the rather liberal 
quotations from the different ‘‘ Standard Methods” of the American 
Public Health Association. These have been worked out by com- 
mittees composed of men who are experts and their opinions may 
be given considerable weight. 
Numerous references are given at the end of each chapter. Much 
of the data presented in the chapter has been taken from them; in most 
instances direct reference is made to them. It is believed that such 
a feature will render the book more useful to both the practitioner 
and the student. No serious attempt has been made to list all of the 
literature on the different subjects which have been treated in this 
book for this must obviously come from the abstract literature. As 
the data in this field are accumulating very rapidly, a working reference 
library is essential. 
The author will appreciate helpful suggestions and criticisms from 
those who use this book. Only by the help of them may the errors and 
crudities in the first edition of any book be corrected for later editions. 
abet 
