Meat Science 14 (1985) 123-125

Book Reviews

The Meat Industry in the 21st Century. Edited by R. G. Cassens, Charles F. Cook and Robert G. Kauffmann, University of Wisconsin Press, viii + 101 pp. 1985. Price not quoted.

This well produced book is a record of a Symposium held in May, 1984, and sponsored by the University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA, to honour and pay tribute to Professor R. W. Bray on retiring after 40 years' work in the field of meat science and technology. The tribute is undoubtedly well deserved but the book itself I found a little disappointing as it concerns itself solely with the American situation, although a global view would seem to be more appropriate for such long range predictions. In addition, the projections are rather predictable and conservative. Whilst accepting that changes within the meat industry will evolve slowly, in speculating on the r61e of any part of the food industry over the next 20--let alone 116 years, it does not seem reasonable to divorce the issue from the inevitable social and economic changes that will also take place during that time: this publication, though, does largely ignore such influences. Perhaps involvement of more non-meat oriented personnel would have generated a livelier, and more balanced, discussion.

The Editors state that, during editing, they had an opportunity to comprehend the ideas 'between the lines' and perhaps such is the case. If so, though, surely such concepts should be made readily apparent and not expressed in such a way as to be obscured from all but the most diligent reader.

123 Meat Science (14) (1985)--© Elsevier Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1985. Printed in Great Britain

124 Book reviews

One of the problems with developing meat science and technology is that it has never successfully attracted the more talented and able young researchers and this publication will certainly not encourage any such people to opt for a career in this area, This is a pity since, in future years, all areas concerned with food supply and utilisation are going to present challenges with respect to improving the quality of life for the majority of people in the lesser developed countries whilst ensuring that no decline occurs in the quality of life the majority of us enjoy in the more developed countries.

Specifically, the book concerns itself solely with striated muscle meats with scant or no consideration of such concerns as the by-products from the carcass, new products that may be developed incorporating meat or meat constituents, new preservation systems for specific environments such as the developing countries or space missions, utilisation of new species, etc. However, within its own limited framework it is quite comprehensive and perhaps a more modest title, covering a less daunting time scale, would not have led this reader to expect more than is offered.

American readers may find some benefit in the book but certainly I will not be recommending it to any students thirsting for ideas for future research.

D. A. Ledward

In Vivo Measurement of Body Composition in Meat Animals. Edited by D. Lister, Elsevier Applied Science Publishers, London, 241 pp. 1985. Price: £28.00.

Techniques for the measurement of the body composition of live animals and man are of great interest to both the agriculturalist and those involved in human medicine. For example, the animal scientist needs such techniques for studying the growth, development and carcass characteris- tics of meat animals, while, in human medicine, they are of value as diagnostic aids. The book is the proceedings of a workshop held at AFRC's Research Institute in 1983. It was essentially to consider body composition in meat animals, but, as much of the new technology comes from the medical field, there was a substantial contribution from medical experts.

The book presents a comprehensive and up to date coverage of the