The forest industry operates in a dynamic and global market where change and competition are the rule rather than the exception. The color of wood is one of the most attractive features for the modern wood industry. Even when wood is chosen for its structural qualities, attractive and decorative colors are usually an important factor. In many applications, particularly in furniture, decorative products, decorative veneers and fl ooring, accurate matching of the color of different samples is required. Wood attributes and properties are important because they have a direct bearing on market opportunities and consumer acceptance for many types of manufactured wood products. The aim of this review is to identify causes of wood discoloration and advances in drying technology to overcome this problem. Wood discoloration is a complex phenomenon, mainly affected by heat, light, physiological and biochemical reactions, as well as from attack by microorganisms.

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Sorbic acid (E200) and its salts (potassium and calcium sorbate: E202 and E203) are allowed for use as preservatives in numerous processed foods. Sorbic acid has a conjugated system of double bonds which makes it susceptible to nucleophilic attack, sometimes giving mutagenic products. Under conditions typical of food processing (50-80 degrees C), we analyzed the cyclic derivatives resulting from a double addition reaction between sorbic acid and various amines. Mutagenesis studies, involving the Ames test and genotoxicity studies with HeLa cells and plasmid DNA, showed that none of the products studied presented either mutagenic or genotoxic activities.