'Like science, cuisine thrives on curiosity' states Heston Blumenthal in his Foreword to the new fifth edition of Food: The Chemistry of its Components just published in time for Christmas. When he met the author Tom Coultate he found him very entertaining and passionate about his subject and this is conveyed in the book 'full of similarly valuable, thought-provoking information, guaranteed to spark off all kinds of insights and ideas'. The book 'deserves to be on the bookshelf not just of every chef and scientist, but of anyone interested in food or how the world around us works'.

The fifth edition of Food: The Chemistry of its Components is published by the Royal Society of Chemistry in December 2008. Heston Blumenthal has previously worked with the RSC on 'Kitchen Chemistry', published in 2005. In 2006 Blumenthal was awarded an honorary fellowship of the RSC.