How Technological Advances Change Human Food

Diet is key to understanding the past, present, and future of our species. Much of human evolutionary success can be attributed to our ability to consume and preserve a wide range of foods. Technological advances changed the types of foods we eat. With this consideration, How Technological Advances Change Human Food weaves together various themes starting with human evolution, moving on to methods of food preservation, and continuing with the evolution of cooking methods. Issues relating to sustainability are also reported, including green food processing, vertical farming, and edible insect farming. There is a close link between what we eat and the development of our gut microbiota; thus, this book covers the evolution and adaptation of microbiota.

Key Features:

• Contains a common thread in how technology has changed food and diet and its implications
• Focuses on the evolution of methods for both food preservation and cooking
• Explains the evolution and adaptation of gut microbiota in relation to diet

Dr. Matteo Bordiga is currently an Assistant Professor of Food Chemistry at Università del Piemonte Orientale (UPO), Novara, Italy. He earned his PhD in Food Science and MS in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies from the same University. His main research activity concerned food chemistry, investigating the different classes of polyphenols from an analytical, technological and nutritional point of view. More recently, he moved his research interests to wine chemistry, focusing his attention on the entire production process.

He has published more than 50 research papers in peer-reviewed international and national journals. He is currently Editor of LWT - Food Science and Technology (Q1; Elsevier). Associate Editor of Food Science and Nutrition (Q1; Wiley) and Quality Assurance and Safety of Crops & Foods (Q1; Codon Publications).

Editor of the books:

Valorization of Wine Making By-Products (CRC Press, 2015).

Post-Fermentation and -Distillation Technology: Stabilization, Aging, and Spoilage (CRC Press, 2018).

Food Aroma Evolution - During Food Processing, Cooking, and Aging (CRC Press, 2019).

Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology of Wine (CRC Press, 2021).

Edible Insects Processing for Food and Feed: From Startups to Mass Production (CRC Press, 2023).

Flavoromics: An integrated approach to Flavor and Sensory Assessment (CRC Press, 2023).

Dr. Baojun Xu is a Chair Professor in Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College (UIC, a full English teaching college in China), Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Zhuhai Scholar Distinguished Professor, Department Head of Department of Life Sciences, Program Director of Food Science and Technology Program, author of over 350 peer-reviewed papers. Dr. Xu received Ph.D. in Food Science from Chungnam National University, South Korea. He conducted postdoctoral research work in North Dakota State University (NDSU), Purdue University, and Gerald P. Murphy Cancer Foundation in USA during 2005-2009. He did short-term visiting research in NDSU in 2012, and University Georgia in 2014, and followed by visiting research during his sabbatical leave (7 months) in Pennsylvania State University in USA in 2016. Dr. Xu is serving as Associate Editor-in-Chief of Food Science and Human Wellness, Associate Editor of Food Research International, Associate Editor of Food Frontiers, and the editorial board member of around 10 international journals. He received inaugural President’s Award for Outstanding Research of UIC in 2016, President’s Award for Outstanding Service of UIC in 2020. Dr. Xu has been listed in the world's top 2% scientists by Stanford University in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, and has been listed in the Best Scientist in the world in the field of Biology and Biochemistry at Research.com in 2023 and 2024. Prof. Xu was named an inaugural Highly Ranked Scholar (top 0.05%) by ScholarGPSTM, ranked at #8 in Food Science and Technology in the world (#2 in China), and ranked at #14 Agricultural and Natural Sciences (#2 in China).

Research Interest

The overall goal of his research is to understand health promoting effects of phytochemicals. Specific interests include: 1) Complex relationship among diet, gut microbiota, and human health, 2) health benefits (targeted at aging, cancers, obesity, and diabetes) assessment of phytochemicals from natural products; 3) cellular and molecular mechanisms of bioactive components in disease prevention; 4) Dietary polysaccharides and their functional properties.