This is the second edition of Holdsworth and Simpson's highly practical work on a subject of growing importance in this age of convenience foods. As before, it discusses the physical and engineering aspects of the thermal processing of packaged foods, and examines the methods which have been used to establish the time and temperature of processes suitable to achieve adequate sterilization or pasteurization of the packaged food. However, new material includes the increased use of new packaging materials, including retortable pouches and the use of containers made from other plastic composite materials, as well as the application of newer processing methods which use heat transfer media such a hot water, air/steam and steam/water, which are necessary for the newer forms of packaging material. Unlike other texts on thermal processing, which cover very adequately the technology of the subject, the unique emphasis of this text is on processing engineering and its relation to the safety of processed foods products.