Statistics indicate that one-third of a billion people are now regular users of the Internet, and the amount of information on the World Wide Web doubles every 3 months, confirming the significance of the Internet as an information source, and the importance of a means of navigating this vast resource to best effect.

An increasing number of people working in all areas of industry are aware of the importance of the Internet, but may not be sure of what is available, or the value of the information on the Web. Many have no idea where to begin, and those that have ventured onto the World Wide Web become aware of the amount of time that can be wasted in searching for the right information.

The Guide is in its fourth edition, the first being produced in 1997, and has undergone several revisions, with the number of URLs included rising to over 1,750, and the addition of four new sections in this new edition, covering analytical laboratories for the food industry, consumer associations, environmental information, and functional foods. Many of the sites listed have links to similar sites of interest, effectively increasing further the 1,750 sites listed.

The Guide contains a brief introduction to terminology and search engines, and is divided alphabetically into a list of subject categories. Within each category, there are descriptions of the contents of the major sites relating to the subject, followed be a select listing of other relevant sites with their URLs. There is also the benefit of password-protected access to all the Web sites listed on the Leatherhead Food RA Web site for purchasers of the Guide, eliminating the time-consuming process of entering URLs; the sites listed in the Guide can be accessed directly from the listings on Leatherhead's Web site.