This eighth volume in the Gums and Stabilisers series places major emphasis on new and innovative processing methods, particularly hydration, high pressure and high temperature processing. It also covers identification of interactions likely to influence production functionality, notably incompatibility and phase separation of biopolymers, and describes in some detail new developments in biopolymer characterisation. Stabilisation of chilled and frozen products is increasingly studied in the scientific arena is given a prominent place in this volume. This book is based on the eighth International Conference on Gums and Stabilisers for the Food Industry, which was held in Wrexham, Wales, in July 1996, organised by the Food Hydrocolloids Trust.