Developments in the understanding of food protein structure, behaviour and applications continue apace. Many of these have, in the past decade, been reported and evaluated in the series 'Developments in Food Pro­ teins' , comprising seven volumes, with a total of 55 chapters. The time has now come to re-assess many of the topics reviewed in that series and to add certain others. However, instead of assembling, some­ what at random, food protein topics from quite disparate fields in indi­ vidual volumes, we have decided to bring together homogeneous groups of topics, each representing a specific sector of the subject. Under the general theme of 'Progress in Food Proteins' the first of these groups covers 'Biochemistry' . Readers will note that, though six of the topics reviewed in this volume are new, five of them have already featured in 'Developments in Food Proteins'. These last are in active research fields in which new develop­ ments have been of special significance. In this sense, therefore, they are welcome updates.