Differences in recognition of physical properties of food in food science and engineering and the influence of water on them were discussed. The physical properties, 'Bussei' in Japanese, can be usually defined in food engineering and physics as 'the physical quantities that characterize a substance and do not depend on the shape and size of the material'. There seem, however, to be other interpretations of the physical properties among food researchers and technologists. For example, some researchers such as food chemists and cooking scientists refer to the dynamic properties and the texture of foods as the 'Bussei', whereas others such as technologists in food companies refer to it as the physical characteristics of foods reflecting some physical phenomena in food manufacturing and preservation processes. Most of the latter two types of 'Bussei' are influenced by the size and shape of materials and are not, therefore, the true physical properties. The type of 'Bussei' useful for food researchers and engineers would, however, vary depending on the situation or problem to be solved. Physical properties of foods are used for several purposes: first, they are indispensable parameters in the engineering models for predicting the optimal conditions for food manufacturing; second, the inner structure or state of food materials can be estimated from the behaviors of some of their physical properties. For example, water interacts with many food components; and thus the amount and/or state of water considerably influences the physical properties of foods, for example, by causing a change in the dynamic properties during sol-gel transition and the glass-rubber transition by the plasticizing effect of water.

This Medium Term Plan (MTP) is written as the CPWF transitions from the first five years of operation to the second phase commencing in 2009. It describes the status of the CPWF as the newly established Board discusses and approves plans for the CPWF second five year term.<br/><br/><p>Key components of the vision and implementation plans include:-</p> <ul> <li> Focus on six river basins rather than nine.</li> <li> Added focus on the most successful content of Phase 1.</li> <li> Priority Development Challenges in each basin.</li> <li> Establishment of ‘Topic Working Groups’.</li> <li> Increased presence of CPWF within each basin.</li> <li> Enhanced and purposive network building in each basin.</li> <li> Streamlined governance.</li> <li> Simplified management and reporting structures.<br/> <br/> An introductory section provides an overview of these changes. Subsequent sections outline each of the seven MTP projects that are the basis of CPWF’s Second Phase. These are the six initial ‘Basin Development Challenges’ with a seventh describing the ‘Cross Basin Learning’ aspects of the program. <p><br/>River basins focused on during the next phase of CPWF are the Ganges, Mekong, Nile, Limpopo, Volta and Andes.</p> <p>Also attached is a Science Council Commentary on the MTP.</p>

Peter G. McCornick, Seleshi B. Awulachew, Michael Abebe, 'Water?food?energy?environment synergies and tradeoffs: major issues and case studies', Water Policy, vol. 10(S1), pp.23-36, IWA Publishing, 2008

This review article gives a survey of the biosynthetic pathways that lead to water-soluble vitamins in microorganisms, plants and some animals. The biosynthetic pathways leading to some the B-group vitamins (biotin, folacin, cobalamins) and to vitamin C are described in detail using reaction schemes and mechanisms with enzymes involved and detailed explanations based on chemical principles and mechanisms.