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# Resources — Food Science References, Books & Standards

This page provides authoritative reference materials related to food [spoilage](/articles/microbial-vs-chemical-spoilage-explained/) science, shelf-life determination, preservation technology, and [industrial food](/articles/food-science-basics/) safety. All resources are selected for their relevance to the **industrial food science perspective** — not general cooking advice.

## Leading Food Science Organizations

| Organization | Focus Area | Key Resource |
|---|---|---|
| **Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)** | Global food science authority | [ift.org](https://www.ift.org) — journals, education, shelf-life science |
| **FAO / WHO** | Food safety & quality standards | [fao.org/food-safety](https://www.fao.org/food-safety) |
| **Codex Alimentarius** | International food standards | [codexalimentarius.org](https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius) |
| **EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)** | EU food safety & shelf-life regulation | [efsa.europa.eu](https://www.efsa.europa.eu) |
| **FDA (US Food & Drug Administration)** | US food labeling & safety | [fda.gov/food](https://www.fda.gov/food) |
| **USDA FSIS** | Meat, poultry & egg safety | [fsis.usda.gov](https://www.fsis.usda.gov) |
| **UK Food Standards Agency (FSA)** | Date labeling & food safety | [food.gov.uk](https://www.food.gov.uk) |

## Recommended Books & Textbooks

- **Food Spoilage Microorganisms** — Blackburn (Ed.), Woodhead Publishing. Comprehensive microbial spoilage for industrial products.
- **Fennema’s Food Chemistry** — Damodaran, Parkin & Fennema, CRC Press. The standard reference for lipid oxidation, enzymatic reactions, and [water activity](/articles/water-activity-food-stability/) theory.
- **Food Shelf Life Stability: Chemical, Biochemical, and Microbiological Changes** — Eskin & Robinson, CRC Press. Practical shelf-life prediction and testing.
- **Hurdle Technologies: Combination Treatments for Food Stability, Safety and Quality** — Leistner & Gould, Springer. The definitive work on hurdle technology.
- **Water Activity in Foods: Fundamentals and Applications** — Barbosa-Cánovas et al., Blackwell. Complete coverage of aw science.
- **Modified Atmosphere Packaging of Foods** — Blakistone, Blackwell. Principles and applications of MAP technology.

## Academic Journals

- **Journal of Food Science** (IFT/Wiley) — microbial spoilage, shelf-life modeling, preservation
- **Food Microbiology** (Elsevier) — spoilage organisms, pathogenic bacteria, fermentation
- **Food Chemistry** (Elsevier) — lipid oxidation, enzymatic reactions, chemical degradation
- **Trends in Food Science & Technology** (Elsevier) — reviews of preservation technology and shelf-life advances
- **Food Packaging and Shelf Life** (Elsevier) — packaging effects on food stability
- **International Journal of Food Microbiology** (Elsevier) — microbial spoilage and predictive microbiology

## Shelf-Life Testing & Regulatory Resources

- **Food Date Labeling Guide** — [Detailed comparison of US, EU, UK, JP, CA regulations](/articles/food-date-labels-explained/)
- **COMAH / HACCP Guidelines** — [myhaccp.food.gov.uk](https://myhaccp.food.gov.uk) (UK FSA HACCP tool)
- **FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act)** — US FDA preventive controls
- **ISO 22000** — Food safety management systems

## Tools & Calculators on DoTheyGoBad

- [Water Safety Risk Calculator](https://dotheygobad.com/water-safety-risk-calculator/) — Assess microbial growth risk based on aw, pH, temperature
- [NRV Calculator](https://dotheygobad.com/nrv-calculator/) — Nutritional reference value tool

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