Campylobacter continues to be an enigma, even after 30 years of intensive research. It is unable to multiply in the environment or food and survives relatively poorly outside its animal hosts, yet it remains the leading cause of food-borne disease in the developed world. This book brings together much of the research with a view to explaining why Campylobacter is so common and what practical steps can be taken by the food industry to intervene in its transmission.

The background chapter is excellent. It covers a wide variety of topics and is not restricted to food microbiology. It is fascinating to discover which aspects of curiosity-led research are of use to applied microbiologists.

The ways in which Campylobacter is transmitted to its victims is dealt with in a very interesting way. It concentrates on outbreaks and discusses the lessons learnt. To some extent this is a pragmatic approach, because, although most of the human infections are sporadic, little is known of the infection route. The causes of the outbreaks are clearly presented, but I gained no strong sense of the lessons learnt.

As Campylobacter does not grow in food, the thrust of much research is on determining how food becomes contaminated in the first place and on how the bacterium survives in enough numbers to form an infective dose. This book's section on growth and survival cover this topic well, but includes little on the biocidal effect on either ultraviolet or visible radiation, both of which are involved in reducing Campylobacter numbers in aquatic environments and have the potential to reduce contamination during food processing.

The main section of the book is on the control of Campylobacter in industry. This is wide-ranging and authoritative, presumably reflecting the authors' applied interests, and distinguishes this book from others on Campylobacter. It should prove extremely helpful to those working in the food industry.

There is a short section on 'the future'. It seems, however, to reflect the status quo, in that it suggests more monitoring, more testing - using more and more sophisticated methods, risk assessments and better hygiene. As none of this has so far had any effect on reducing exposure to Campylobacter, is it disappointing that there is no glimmer of an industry-led breakthrough to the Campylobacter enigma.

I recommend this book. It provides industrial added value and it makes you think.

This long awaited volume on Campylobacter appears to be the fifth in the 'practical approach' series from the highly respected authors Chris Bell and Alex Kyriakides. Written in a highly accessible and readable style, it provides a factually accurate distillation of the scientific literature on Campylobacter from an industry perspective.

The style is discursive in relating the factual aspects to an industry focus. In the background sections, the authors have captured some of the key differences between Campylobacter and other food-borne pathogens as well as some of the contradictory findings that make this such a fascinating organism. Yet guidance, specific for Campylobacter, is clearly presented on aspects of control and policy for the food industry. A series of well presented case studies are particularly welcome and provide a critical examination of the notably few outbreaks that have occurred internationally.

As such the book is highly relevant to professionals in food manufacturing, quality assurance and retail as well as students thereof.