Responding to an estimated 14 million cases of food-borne disease that occur every year in the United States alone, the Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Agriculture have begun implementing new regulations and guidance for the microbial testing of foods. Similarly, Europe and other regions are implementing stricter oversight, as foodborne pathogens that cause deadly diseases such as "e. coli 0157: H7" have raised the stakes everywhere. Food safety scientists have acted on this growing public health risk by developing improved media for the cultivation of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, much of it geared toward specific rapid detection. Reflecting the development of these new media and the latest FDA recommendations, the second edition of the Handbook of Microbiological Media for the Examination of Foodprovides an essential resource for anyone involved with the monitoring of both food production and post-production quality control. Organized alphabetically by medium, the expanded edition of this highly respected handbookincludes" ". Descriptions of nearly 1,400 media including those recommended by the FDA, as well as media used elsewhere in the world . Concise and lucid instructions for the preparation and uses of each of the media . Cross-referenced indexing that allows the media to be found by name or specific microorganism of interest . Descriptions of expected results as they apply to microorganisms of importance for the examination of foods . Common synonyms for the various media and listings of compositions, so that alternate media an be effectively employed when needed Compiled by Ronald M. Atlas, a world-renowned researcher and author known for his pioneering work in pathogen detection, the Handbook of Microbiological Media for the Examination of Food, Second Edition, provides microbiologists with an essential tool for safeguarding public health."