This book is designed to give students an understanding of the role of microorganisms in food processing and preservation; the relation of microorganisms to food spoilage, foodborne illness, and intoxication; general food processing and quality control; the role of microorganisms in health promotion; and federal food processing regulations.

The listed laboratory exercises are aimed to provide a hands-on-opportunity for the student to practice and observe the principles of food microbiology. Students will be able to familiarize themselves with the techniques used to research, regulate, prevent, and control the microorganisms in food and understand the function of beneficial microorganism during food manufacturing process. 

The second edition add 5 new chapters including "Chapter 10 -Thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in mechanically tenderized beef steaks and color measurements", "Chapter 11-Evaluate antimicrobial activity of chlorine water on apples and measurement of free chlorine concentrations", "Chapter 12-Evaluate cross-contamination of Salmonella on tomatoes in wash water using most probable number (MPN) technique", "Chapter 15-DNA extraction and purity determination of foodborne pathogens", and "Chapter 16-Practice of multiplex PCR to identify bacteria in bacterial solutions".

It also includes new lab work flowcharts for Gram-staining and endospore-staining technology in Chapter 1, pour plating and spread plating in Chapter 3, Enterotube II in Chapter 9, and Kirby Beau test procedure in Chapter 20. It includes a new sample of syllabus with the hybrid teaching of both lecture and lab sections in one course, which will assist junior faculty/instructors to develop similar lecture and lab courses.