Chemistry, biology, food science, and various permutations of them are the perspectives researchers bring as they explain the mechanisms involved in hypersensitive responses and threats caused by ingesting food-stuffs and their components that are often associated with modern food-processing technologies. They incorporate into their accounts elements of social education, so that the volume could be useful to consumers and other non-technical readers as well as to scientists. They begin by reviewing fundamentals and general features, such as molecular, cellular, and physiological mechanisms of immunological hyper-responsiveness and sensitization to food; immuno-modulating properties of food components; methods for detecting food allergens; recombinant food allergens and their role in immunoassay and immunotherapy; and general characteristics of food allergens. Then they survey allergens in milk, eggs, fish, crustacea and other seafood, nuts, peanuts, soy, wheat, and other foods. A final chapter examines risk analysis. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)