Basic Food Science Terms

Front 1

Chemical produced by nerve cells that helps transmit electrical signals from nerve cells to muscle.

Back 1

Acetylcholine

Front 2

A measure of the number of free fatty acids present in a fat

Back 2

Acid Value

Front 3

Food additive that functions to lower pH; examples of which include citric acid, phosphoric acid, and benzoic acid.

Back 3

Acidulant

Front 4

Crosslinked contractile muslce tissue proteins actin and myosin

Back 4

Actinomyosin

Front 5

The amount of energy needed to convert substrate molecules from the ground or baseline energy state to the ES complex - the greatest barrier to enzyme product formation.

Back 5

Activation Energy

Front 6

Region on the surface of an enzyme where catalytic activity occurs

Back 6

Active site

Front 7

Substance added to foods for a specific reason, such as a coloring agent, a flavoring ingredient, or a thickener

Back 7

Additive

Front 8

A molecule necessary for cell-building reactions through the transfer of high-energy phosphate

Back 8

ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

Front 9

A drying situation occurring when warm air provides the heat of evaporation to dry a food product with no heat gained or lost to the surroundings

Back 9

Adiabatic

Front 10

Purposeful introduction of foreign material into food, especially those aesthetically objectionable, indicative of unsanitary or uncrupulous manufacturing practices

Back 10

Adulteration

Front 11

Organism that requires oxygen for survival

Back 11

Aerobe

Front 12

Suspended droplets of liquid containing microorganisms

Back 12

Aerosols

Front 13

A powerful mycotoxin produced by the Aspergeillus mold, which is a ssociation with crops such as peanuts, corn, rice, cottonseed meal, oats, hay, barley, sorghum, cassava, and millet that are stresed by drought

Back 13

Alflatoxin

Front 14

Organic compounds containing hydroxyl (OH) functional groups

Back 14

Alcoho

Front 15

Cooked and dried pasta products

Back 15

Alimentary pastes

Front 16

Antigen substances (usually proteins) foreign to the body that elicit an immune system response and trigger inflammation and other symptoms

Back 16

Allergens

Front 17

Substance other than sucrose used to sweeten foods and beverages: examples are high fructose corn syrup, saccharin, and aspartame

Back 17

Alternative sweetener

Front 18

A simple, rapid test to identify the mutagenic potential of chemical substances including chemical food additives

Back 18

Ames test

Front 19

Compound that contains an amino (NH2) functional group

Back 19

Amine

Front 20

Component subunits of proteins

Back 20

Amino acids

Front 21

Poisoning caused by consuming mussels infected with the dinoflagellate Nitschia, containing the toxin domoic acid

Back 21

Amnesic shellfish poisoning

Front 22

molecules that contain polar (hydrophilic) and nonpolar (hydrophobic) regions in their structure

Back 22

amphiphilic molecules/amphiphiles

Front 23

Organism that cannot survive or grow in the presence of oxygen

Back 23

Anaerobe

Front 24

Coloring compound that imparts the characteristic yellow-orange color to cheddar cheese

Back 24

Annatto

Front 25

Water-soluble flavonoid compounds that range in color from deep purple to orange-red

Back 25

Anthocyanins

Front 26

Substances that keep ingredients in a powder form for ease of incorporation into formulations during product manufacture

Back 26

Anticaking agents

Front 27

Additive that acts to inhibit the oxidation of fats and pigments by molecular oxygen to prevent product rancidity and altered color

Back 27

Antioxidant

Front 28

The technique of making a copy of DNA with the complimentary sequence, resulting in production of an antisense mRNA molecule

Back 28

Antisensing

Front 29

presterilized containers that are hot-filled with product and hermetically sealed

Back 29

aseptic packaging

Front 30

organisms that have been centrifuged to remove cell walls material to concentrate such flavors and flavor precursor substances as free amino acids, peptides, monosaccharides, and Maillard reaction products generated during thermal processing

Back 30

Autolyzed yeast

Front 31

Egg white protein that binds to biotin, making it unavailable nutritionally

Back 31

Avidin

Front 32

unicellular organisms, measuring about 1 micron in length, which stain either gram-positive or gram-negative

Back 32

Bacteria

Front 33

Able to inhibit the growth of but not kill bacterial cells

Back 33

Bacteriostatic

Front 34

A compound that breaks down starch from barley into indiviual sugars during beer production

Back 34

Barley malt

Front 35

A nitrogen-containing compound found in the DNA molecule (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine)

Back 35

Base

Front 36

Polysaccharides of blucose similar to cellulose, but less linear, occuring in oats, barley, and yeast, useful as a fat replacer.

Back 36

Beta-glucans

Front 37

A whey protein component of milk

Back 37

B (beta)-lactoglobulin

Front 38

Group of two types of water-soluble plant pigm ents: betacyanins and betaxanthins

Back 38

Betalains

Front 39

Drinkable liquid that is consumed for its ability to quench thirst, for its stimulant effect, for its alcohol content, for its health value, or for enjoyment

Back 39

Beverage

Front 40

Controlled study utilizing laboratory animals

Back 40

Bioassay

Front 41

Measure of protein quality equal to the amount of nitrogen derived from food protein used in the body to promote growth; expressed as a ratio of the nitrogen retained to the amount of nitrogen absorbed from the food.

Back 41

Biological Value (BV)

Front 42

the practice of genetic engineering to make useful products

Back 42

Biotechnology

Front 43

The rapid application of mild heat processing to deactivate browning (polyphenol oxidase) and tissue softening (pectinase) enzymes present in fruits and vegetables that are to be further processed

Back 43

Blanching

Front 44

Processing to remove colored substances from an oil, through heating and use of adsorbants

Back 44

Bleaching

Front 45

Powerful neurotoxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinim

Back 45

Botulinim toxin

Front 46

Disease caused by consumption of toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinim

Back 46

Botulism

Front 47

Interface between two dissimilar materials, such as frying oil and a food material, that come in contact with each other and experience the phenomena of heat and mass transfer

Back 47

Boundary layer

Front 48

A deadly condition thought to be transmitted by a protein termed a prion; "mad cow disease"

Back 48

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)

Front 49

Physical meat tenderizing treatment that involves a slow, moist heating process, causing the pulling apart of the collagen strands in tough meat

Back 49

Braising

Front 50

outermost layer in a grain kernel, high in fiber content (cellulose and hemicellulose), and also containing protein, B vitamins (niacin, thiamin, riboflavin), and iron

Back 50

Bran

Front 51

The product of baking 3:1 mixutre of flour and water, with added salt, yeast, and other ingredients

Back 51

Bread

Front 52

Toxins produced by the dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus, responsible for neurotoxic shellfish poisoning

Back 52

Brevitoxins

Front 53

A solution of a weak acid and its salt at a pH where the solution has the ability to maintain that pH when quantities of base are added

Back 53

Buffer

Front 54

Dairy spread made from either sweet or sour cream, as a water-in-oil emulsion

Back 54

Butter

Front 55

Amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius

Back 55

Calorie

Front 56

Rotating an egg in front of a light source to examine the size and position of the air cell, clearness of the white, etc.

Back 56

Candling

Front 57

The sucrose product obtained from sugarcane, generally produced in two stages after harvesting

Back 57

Cane sugar

Front 58

Food preservation method achieved by filling food into sealed containers and heating to destroy spoilage microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, and mold)

Back 58

Canning

Front 59

An example of a natural colorant exempt from certification, and produced commercially by heating sugar and other carbohydrates under strictly controlled conditions

Back 59

Caramel color

Front 60

Formation of brown caramel pigments as a result of applying heat energy to sugars

Back 60

Caramelization

Front 61

The saturation of water with CO2 under pressure in which the gas dissolved in the water becomes carbonic acid

Back 61

Carbonation

Front 62

Acid containing the COOH functional group

Back 62

Carboxylic acid

Front 63

Exudate from palm tree leaves that functions as a coating in chewing gum, sauces, fruits and vegetables, and confections

Back 63

Caranuba wax

Front 64

Class of fat-soluble plant pigments that consists of carotenes and xanthophylls that are responsible for the yellow, orange, and red colors of fruits and vegetables

Back 64

Carotenoids

Front 65

Proteins found in milk

Back 65

Caseins

Front 66

Polysaccharide found in the cell wall of plants, composed of glucose molecules, a type of insoluble fiber that quickens the movement of food through the intesine

Back 66

Cellulose

Front 67

A concentrated dairy food defined as the fresh or matured product obtained by draining the whey (the moist serum from the original mlik) after coagulation of casein

Back 67

Cheese

Front 68

Organism that requires chemicals for metabolism

Back 68

Chemotrophic organism

Front 69

Enzyme that breaks down casein proteins in milk

Back 69

Chymosin

Front 70

Fruits in which ripening is accompanied by increased respiration (e.g., apples, bananas)

Back 70

Climacteric fruits

Front 71

A natural color additive derived from the dried bodies of cochineal insects

Back 71

Cochnieal extract

Front 72

A tough fibrous protein that comprises the majority of the connective tissue surrounding muscle fiber bundles

Back 72

Collagen

Front 73

Surface active ingredients such as fatty acids, glycerides, phospholipids, polysaccharides, and proteins too large to dissolve and become the dispersed phase of a true solution

Back 73

Colloids

Front 74

Meat particle size reduction; the unit operation by which muscle tissue is chopped, diced, emulsified, ground, and transformed into minute particles for incorporation into a sausage

Back 74

Comminution

Front 75

Alternating single and double carbon-to-carbon bonds

Back 75

Conjugated double bonds

Front 76

Tissue composed of a watery dispersion of stromal protein matrix; includes elastin and collagen

Back 76

Connective Tissue

Front 77

Variables that may take on an infinite number of levels

Back 77

Continuous variables

Front 78

Storage that controls the amount of gases in the food environment in order to extend shelf life

Back 78

Controlled atmosphere storage

Front 79

The movement of heat energy due to density differences in a product caused by temperature gradients within the system, and characterized by random molecular motion (diffusion) and bulk motion

Back 79

Convection

Front 80

Disease condition characterized by hallucinations and convulsive seizures due to a mycotoxin produces by the genus Claviceps

Back 80

Convulsive ergotism

Front 81

A plastics polymer formed by the reaction of at least two different comonomers

Back 81

Copolymer

Front 82

Direct ingestion of feces, which are often infected with parasite eggs

Back 82

Coprophagy

Front 83

In a HACCP plan, specific outlined steps that dictate what is to be done to correct the cause of the violation, and what is to be done with the product that was produced while the critical limit was violated

Back 83

Corrective actions

Front 84

Chemical compounds found in the peel of citrus fruits, some of which are toxic

Back 84

Coumarins

Front 85

A bond in which the filling of valence shells occurs through the sharing of electrons

Back 85

Covalent bond

Front 86

The high-fat, liquid product that is separated from whole milk; according to the federal Standards of Identity, must be at least 18% milkfat

Back 86

Cream

Front 87

Steps during the food production process for which control is essential in order to produce the safest food possible

Back 87

Critical control Points (CCPs)

Front 88

Numerical values that, if exceeded or not met, will result in the loss of control of the particular CCP

Back 88

Critical limits

Front 89

Critical control point that occurs when microorganisms are transferred from one food to another

Back 89

Cross-contamination

Front 90

Vegetable in the family Cruciferae, such as broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts

Back 90

Cruciferous vegetable

Front 91

Solid made up of units in a repeating pattern

Back 91

Crystal

Front 92

The coagulate that forms when milk proteins precipitate out of solution during fermentation

Back 92

Curd

Front 93

Addition of salt, sutar, and sodium nitrtite to meats for the purposes of color development, flavor enhancement, preservation, and safety

Back 93

Curing

Front 94

Compounds produced in some plants that when consumed can be converted to hydrogen cyanide, a powerful toxicant

Back 94

Cyanogenic glucosides

Front 95

An alternative sweetener that, in 1968, was banned as a food ingredient when testing showed that mixing it with saccharin caused cancer in lab mice

Back 95

Cyclamate

Front 96

Temperature range between 40 and 140 F in which pathogenic microorganisms can proliferate

Back 96

Danger zone

Front 97

The time required for a bacterial population to pass through one log cycle, in which 90% of the organisms have been killed

Back 97

D value

Front 98

Chemical reaction in which food macromolecules come apart during processing conditions or by enzymatic action

Back 98

Decomposition reaction

Front 99

The host in which a parasite actually reproduces to multiply in number

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Definitive host

Front 100

A measure of a beverage or liquid's sugar concentration, equal to the weight percent of sucrose in solution

Back 100

Degrees Brix

Front 101

Separating the hydraded phospholipids from oils by washing in water and separating by centrifugation

Back 101

Degumming

Front 102

A form of food preservation in which moisture is driven off by the application of heat, resulting in a stable food that has a moisture content below that at which microorganisms can grow, thus preventing microbial and enzymatic deterioration

Back 102

Dehydration

Front 103

A legislative provision in the Food Additive Amendment that prohibited the approval of an additive if it was found to cause cancer in humans or animals

Back 103

Delaney Clause

Front 104

An unfolding of protein structure due to H bonds breaking without disrupting protein covalent bonds

Back 104

Denaturation

Front 105

Polysaccharides produced metabolically by certain bacteria and yeas composed of glucose units connected by alpha-1,6 glycosidic bonds

Back 105

Dextrans

Front 106

Linear arrays of glucose units bound by alpha-1,4 glycosidic linkages, produced by industrial starch hydrolysis

Back 106

Dextrins

Front 107

Measure of the percentage of glycosidic bonds hydrolyzed in disaccharides and polysaccharides, which indicates the level of reducing sugar present

Back 107

Dextrose equivalent

Front 108

Poisoning from consumption of clams containing toxin produced by the dinoflagellates Dinophysis and Prorocentrum

Back 108

Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning

Front 109

Electrical property that indicates the ability of a food to store electrical energy

Back 109

Delectric constant

Front 110

Residue of plants left undigested after consumption of edible fiber

Back 110

Dietary fiber

Front 111

Two monosaccharides joined together by a glycosidic linkage

Back 111

Disaccharide

Front 112

Quantifiable factors that can take on only certain values

Back 112

Discrete variables

Front 113

Toxin produced by the dinoflagellate Nitschia, responsible for amnesic shellfish poisoning

Back 113

Domoic acid

Front 114

Dose that will cause an adverse effect in 50 percent of the animals tested

Back 114

Effective Dose (ED 50)

Front 115

Specific mineral elements inside and outside of body cells that conduct electricity, such as Na and K

Back 115

Electrolytes

Front 116

The process in digestion by which bile surrounds fat molecules and converts them into smaller particles for digestion

Back 116

Emulsification

Front 117

Toxicant produced by tissue cells in plants and other biological entities

Back 117

Endogenous toxicant

Front 118

Study of wines and winemaking

Back 118

Enology

Front 119

The addition of nutrients to a food to meet a specific standard

Back 119

Enrichment

Front 120

Specialized protein molecule composed of amino acids that speeds up chemical reactions

Back 120

Enzyme

Front 121

Descriptive term used to denote grains that contain greater than 0.3% of Claviceps mold by weight

Back 121

Ergoty

Front 122

Organic compound having a carbonyl-oxygen-carbon system, present in fruits and responsible for characteristic flavors and aromas

Back 122

Ester

Front 123

Naturally occurring substance in plants, important in the ripening process

Back 123

Ethylene

Front 124

Device that uses rotating screw technology within a barrel to cook and shape foods quickly and efficiently

Back 124

Extruder

Front 125

Design that treats all levels of one test variable with all levels of another test variable

Back 125

Factorial design

Front 126

Substance that does not possess all of the true fat physical properties, such as flavor and flavor release, but can imitate some of them, such as creaminess

Back 126

Fat mimetic

Front 127

Food substance or combination of ingredients formulated into food products to replace all or part of the natural fat content

Back 127

Fat substitute

Front 128

A metabolic process carried out under anaerobic conditions

Back 128

Fermentation

Front 129

Nonstarch polysaccharide carbohydrate portion of plants that helps maintain structural rigidity

Back 129

Fiber

Front 130

A high-temp, short-time treatment in which pourable products such as juices are heated for 3-15 sec. to destroy pathogenic microorganisms

Back 130

Flash Pasteurization

Front 131

Organic molecules, some of which are toxic, that impart color and flavor to fruits and vegetables

Back 131

Flavonoids

Front 132

Overall impression of food combining taste, odor, mouthfeel factors, and trigeminal perception

Back 132

Flavor

Front 133

Colloidal dispersion in which the dispersed phase is a gas, within a liquid continuous phase

Back 133

Foam

Front 134

The addition of nutrients, either absent or present in insignificant amounts, to restore nutrients lost during food processing or to prevent or correct a particular nutrient deficiency in a population

Back 134

Fortification

Front 135

Atom or molecule with an unpaired electron

Back 135

Free radical

Front 136

lightly entrapped food water that acts as a dispersing agent and solvent, and can be removed by drying

Back 136

free water

Front 137

food preservation method that requires low-pressure chilling under a vacuum, allowing moisture to form ice crystals slowly, which are evaporated into the gas phase fvia sublimation, without passing through the liquid phase

Back 137

freeze-drying

Front 138

naturally occuring sugars consisting of multiple units of sucrose joined to one, two, or three fructose molecules via glycosidic linkage to the fructose portion of the sucrose molecule

Back 138

fructooligosaccharides

Front 139

monosaccharide commonly found in fruits and other plant foods

Back 139

fructose (aka levulose or fruit sugar)

Front 140

the sweet, edible, fleshy seed-bearing or reproductive part of flowering plants

Back 140

fruit

Front 141

a food with demonstrable beneficial effects on health due to the presence of one or more biologically active components

Back 141

functional food

Front 142

arrangements of just a few atoms that create particular properties of their molecules

Back 142

functional groups

Front 143

monosaccharide that exists bound to another monosaccharide (glucose) in forming the structure of the disaccharide lactose

Back 143

galactose

Front 144

two-phase system in which a liquid is dispersed into a solid

Back 144

Gel

Front 145

protein that originates from heated collagen

Back 145

gelatin

Front 146

the formation of a gel from a cooled paste

Back 146

gelation (starch)

Front 147

the size, shape, and orientation of discrete food particles present in a food

Back 147

geometrical characteristics

Front 148

layer in a grain kernel that is rich in unsaturated fat, specific b vitamins (niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin), and iron

Back 148

germ

Front 149

the temperature at which a food polymer or ingredient molecules acheives transition to or from the amorphous glassy physiochemical state

Back 149

glass transition temperature (Tg')

Front 150

Ireggular polypeptide structures twisted into somewhat spherical shapes; examples include egg white albumen, myoglobin, and enzymes

Back 150

globular proteins

Front 151

monosaccharide used as the preferred body fuel

Back 151

glucose

Front 152

degree to which a food causes an increase in blood glucose

Back 152

glycemic effect

Front 153

polar lipids in foods, such as the emulsifier lecithin

Back 153

glycerophospholipids

Front 154

the splitting apart of glucose during anaerobic metabolism to maintain energy

Back 154

glycolysis

Front 155

the sweet portion of a tastant, consisting of AH and Beta units together with a third unit called gamma, to form a tripartite structure

Back 155

Glycophore

Front 156

enlargement and atrophy of the thyroid gland

Back 156

goiter

Front 157

toxicants found in cruciferous vegetables, responsible for the development of goiter in humans

Back 157

goitrogens

Front 158

Good Manufacturing Practices (acronym)

Back 158

GMP

Front 159

a small hard seed produced by plants that are grasses

Back 159

grain

Front 160

the direction and organization of muscle fibers in muscle held together by connective tissue into bundles, fine is more tender and has smaller bundles whereas coarse is tougher and has larger bundles

Back 160

grain (meat)

Front 161

method used to differentiate bacteria, with those having a thin cell wall and an outer membrane being classified as negative and those having a thick cell wall and no outer membrane being positive

Back 161

gram staining

Front 162

Additives that have been adequately shown to be safe in food prior to January 1, 1958, through either scientific procedures or experience based on common use in food

Back 162

GRAS substances

Front 163

Enzyme that catalyzes the production of cyclic guanosine monophosphate (CGMP) from guanosine triphosphate (GTP)

Back 163

Guanylate cyclase

Front 164

An expression relating egg weight to the height of the egg white

Back 164

Haugh Unit

Front 165

Amount of energy needed to speed up molecular motion to cause the temperature of one unit of mass to increase by 1 degree C

Back 165

heat capacity

Front 166

Condition that results in kidney failure, due to damage to the convoluted tubules of the kidneys; caused by toxins produced after infection by hemorrhagic E. coli serotypes

Back 166

Hemolytic uremic syndrome

Front 167

Condition that results in profuse bleeding due to inflammation of the large intestine; caused by infection with pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7

Back 167

Hemorrhagic Colitis

Front 168

Manner by which cans are sealed by fusion, which means that they are completely sealed so that no gas can enter or escape the can

Back 168

Hermetic seal

Front 169

Microorganism that produces more than one compound, such as lactic acid and diacetyl, during fermentation

Back 169

Heterofermentor

Front 170

Process used to decrease the size of fat globules in milk

Back 170

Homogenization

Front 171

Plant flowers that impart bitterness and flavor in the fermentation of grains into beer

Back 171

Hops

Front 172

Use of heat in production of tomato paste to destroy pectinase enzyme, producing a thicker (higher viscosity) product

Back 172

Hot-break process

Front 173

A substance that attracts water within a food product, which may lower the product's water activity

Back 173

Humectant

Front 174

A stress placed on a microorganism that it must overcome to survive, grow, and reproduce in a food

Back 174

Hurdle

Front 175

Process by which water molecules surround and interact with solutes by acting as a solvent

Back 175

Hydration

Front 176

the forced addition of hydrogen atoms to the unsaturated bonds in an unsaturated fat

Back 176

hydrogenation

Front 177

a reaction in which a water molecules enters the region of the functional group of a larger molecule and splits it off

Back 177

hyrdolysis

Front 178

off-flavor resulting from chemical reactions that liberate free fatty acids by water hydrolysis and enzyme action

Back 178

hydrolytic rancidity

Front 179

the result of the oxidation of an unsaturated fatty acid

Back 179

hydroperoxide (ROOH)

Front 180

ability of a substance to attract moisture

Back 180

hygroscopicity

Front 181

food contaminants, or substancers that accidentally occur in a food product during its production, processing, or packaging

Back 181

indirect additives

Front 182

foodborne illness due to ingestion of food contaminated with large humbers of microorganisms that colonize the intestine and damage the intestinal lining

Back 182

infection

Front 183

a process that removes fatty acids from glycerol and causes their subsequent rearrangement or recombination into numerous configurations, most of which differ from the original fat molecule

Back 183

interesterification

Front 184

a foodborne illness due to the ingestion of food contaminated with microorganisms that have produced toxins in the food

Back 184

intoxication

Front 185

a foodborne illness due to the ingestion of bacteria that produce toxins once inside the small intestine

Back 185

intoxification

Front 186

a nondigestible frucooligosaccharide that functions as a soluble dietary fiber and a prebitoic

Back 186

inulin

Front 187

a mixture of glucose plus fructose produced by the hydrolysis of sucrose

Back 187

invert sugar

Front 188

a measure of the degree of unsaturation of a fat or oil

Back 188

iodine value

Front 189

the pH value at which a protein molecules loses its net electrical charge and is easily denatured and precipitated

Back 189

Isoelectric point (pI)

Front 190

a milk protein with antibacterial properties, as a natural defense to mastitis

Back 190

lactoferrin

Front 191

disaccharide composed of glucose bound to galactose

Back 191

lactose

Front 192

a type of beer with a pH of 4.2

Back 192

lager

Front 193

an insoluble dispersion derived from dyes, used to color the surface of foods or fat-based products, including chocolates

Back 193

lake

Front 194

production of gas by yeast fermentation or the production of gas caused by the reaction of an acid with baking soda, in batter and dough products that contributes to the volume acheived during baking and to the final aerated texture

Back 194

leavening

Front 195

edible seeds and pods of certain flowering plants, such as beans, lentils, soybeans, and peas

Back 195

legumes

Front 196

dose required to kill 50 per cent of the animals tested

Back 196

lethal dose (LD50)

Front 197

polysaccharides composed of fructose units produced by certain microorganisms

Back 197

levans

Front 198

fatty acid having two double bonds, part of the omega family of fatty acids

Back 198

linoleic acid

Front 199

fatty acid having three double bonds, belonging to the omega family of fatty acids

Back 199

linolenic acids

Front 200

food molecules that do not mix or dissolve in water, including all types of fats, oils, phospholipids, sterols, and waxes

Back 200

lipids

Front 201

enzyme present in soybeans that needs to be deactivated by heat, otherwise it creates objectionable "beany" off-flavors in soy proteins

Back 201

lipoxygenase

Front 202

foodborne illness caused by consumption of Listeria monocytogenes cells

Back 202

listerosis

Front 203

nutrients humans must consume in the largest amounts, including carbohydrate, lipid, and protein

Back 203

macronutrients

Front 204

the browning of foods as a result of a nonenzymatic sequence of chemical reactions involving sugars and amino acids

Back 204

Maillard browning

Front 205

nutritional imbalance, either too much or too little intake of essential nutrients or calories, resulting in poor health

Back 205

malnutrition

Front 206

polysaccharide fragments derived from starch hydrolysis and defined as having a dextrose equivalent of less than 20

Back 206

maltodextrins

Front 207

disaccharide composed of two glucose units bonded together

Back 207

maltose

Front 208

water-in-oil emulsion made from various fat ingredients (e.g., animal fat, soy, or cottonseed oils) that are churned with cultured, pasteurized skim milk or whey

Back 208

margarine

Front 209

movement or migration of a liquid (such as frying oil) or a food component, either within one phase or between different phases, which is caused by physical conditions (i.e., concentration gradients) present in the liquid oil/food system

Back 209

mass transfer

Front 210

the condition of a fruit when it is picked at or just before the ripened stage

Back 210

maturity

Front 211

the first raw to regulate meat quality and safety, passed on june 30, 1906

Back 211

meat inspection act

Front 212

organism that cannot tolerate extremes of temperature

Back 212

mesophile

Front 213

the chemical reactions that take place within the human body

Back 213

metabolism

Front 214

CH3 group

Back 214

methyl

Front 215

small, spherical complexes that are products of lipid digestion, composed of monoglycerides, long-chain fatty acids, cholesterol, and phospholipids

Back 215

micelles

Front 216

organism that cannot survive in the presence of atmospheric levels of oxygen but requires more reduced oxygen conditions, typically 6% O2

Back 216

microaerophile

Front 217

nutrients the body requires in lesser amounts, including the vitamins and minerals

Back 217

micronutrients

Front 218

a processing technique used to reduce the particle size of fat replacers like proteins in order to create a creamy sensation in the mouth similar to fat

Back 218

microparticulation

Front 219

graphs of data that interrelate the water (moisture) content of a food with its water activity at a constant temperature

Back 219

water sorption isotherm

Front 220

single unit carbohydrate, also called a simple sugar

Back 220

monosaccharide

Front 221

perceived sensation of food by the epithelial lining within the oral cavity, which includes tactile sensation as well as thermal response

Back 221

mouthfeel

Front 222

toxic substances produced by molds

Back 222

mycotoxins

Front 223

protein pigment molecule that binds oxygen and provides color to red meat

Back 223

myoglobin

Front 224

poisoning from consumption of oysters and clams containin toxin produced by the dinoflagellate Ptychodiscus

Back 224

neurotoxic shellfish poisoning

Front 225

processing a fat with strong alkali solution to remove free fatty acids

Back 225

neutralization

Front 226

fruits in which postharvest ripening is not accompanied by increased respiration (e.g., grape, strawberry)

Back 226

nonclimacteric fruits

Front 227

homogeneous mixtures that exhibit no change in viscosity as the rate of shear (applied mechanical force) is increased

Back 227

newtonian foods

Front 228

proposed new regulatory category of food components that may be considered a food (in whole or in part) that provides health benefits beyond nutrition

Back 228

nutraceutical

Front 229

study of the nutrient substances in food, their contribution to health and siease, and the process by which the body digests, absorbs, and utilizes them

Back 229

nutrition

Front 230

method in which a food product is subjected to an alternating current passed through a salt brine

Back 230

Ohmic heating (or resistance heating)

Front 231

legumes that are higher in fat, such as soybeans, cottonseed, sesame seed, sunflower seed, and peanut seed

Back 231

oilseeds

Front 232

toxin produced by the dinoflagellate Dinophysis fortit, causing diarrhetic shellfish poisoning

Back 232

Okadaic acid

Front 233

perception of odors by nerve cells in the nasal passage or cavity

Back 233

olfaction

Front 234

complex carbohydrates of 10 or fewer (typically nonreducing) sugar units

Back 234

oligosaccharides

Front 235

type of unsaturated fatty acid; referring to the first double-bond position from the methyl end of the molecule

Back 235

omega (#) fatty acid

Front 236

excessive intake of one or more nutrients, which may lead to toxic response and overdose disease

Back 236

overnutrition

Front 237

the addition of oxygen in a chemical reaction

Back 237

oxidation

Front 238

off-flavor resulting from chemical reactions between unsaturated fatty acids and oxygen, producing hydroperoxides and their odorous breakdown products

Back 238

oxidative rancidity

Front 239

myoglobin derivative responsible for a bright red color

Back 239

oxymyoglobin

Front 240

an unstable, colorless gas used in the bottled water industry as a powerful oxidizer and a potent germicide

Back 240

ozone

Front 241

digestive juice secreted by the pancreas containing a mixture of two proteases, chymotrypsin and trypsin, which is useful in the production of protein hydrolyisates

Back 241

pancreatin

Front 242

poisoning caused by consumption of mussels, clams, and oysters containing toxin produced by the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax

Back 242

Paralytic shellfish poisoning

Front 243

a food preservation process that heats liquids to 160F (71C) for 15 seconds, or 143F (62C) for 30 minutes, to kill bacteria, yeasts, and molds

Back 243

Pasteurization

Front 244

the purest flour, selected from the purest flour streams released in the mill

Back 244

patent flour

Front 245

a short-chain demethylated derivative of pectinic acid associated with overripe fruit

Back 245

pectic acid

Front 246

polysaccharide found in many fruits, composed of galacturonic acid molecules

Back 246

pectin

Front 247

a measure of lipid oxidation, using potassium iodide, to assess an oil's quality

Back 247

peroxide value (PV)

Front 248

the hydrogen ion concentration, expressed on a logarithmic scale, of the free or dissociated hydrogen ions in a product

Back 248

pH

Front 249

gray-green and olive-green degradation product of chlorophylls a and b, respectively

Back 249

pheophytin

Front 250

salts of phosphoric acid (H3PO4)

Back 250

phosphates

Front 251

type of fat that contains phosphorus as well as fatty acid residues in its structure

Back 251

phospholipid

Front 252

organism that requires energy in the form of light to live

Back 252

phototroph

Front 253

bone, metal, plastic, and any other foreign material that can cause damage to the consumer upon ingestion

Back 253

physical hazards

Front 254

four states that characterize the movement of water in food upon food polymers and ingredients

Back 254

physiochemical states:
1) crystalline
2) liquid
3) amorphous rubbery
4) amorphous glassy

Front 255

plant-derived chemical that is biologically active and thought to function in the body to prevent certain disease processes; considered nonnutritive

Back 255

phytochemical

Front 256

the physical property of a fat that describes its softness at a given temperature

Back 256

plasticity

Front 257

substance that lowers the glass transition temperature when added to a polymer food system

Back 257

plasticizer

Front 258

method in which concentrated egg white is sprayed onto metal plates after fermentation and dried at 45-50C (113-122F) for a minimum of 48 hours to produce egg white crystals

Back 258

plate drying

Front 259

enzyme that causes softening in tomatoes

Back 259

polygalacturonase

Front 260

high molecular weight molecule created by the repetitive reaction of hundreds or thousands of low molecular weight units

Back 260

polymer

Front 261

the property of a fat such as cocoa butter that can exist in multiple crystal forms depending upon conditions of tempering and crystallization

Back 261

polymorphism

Front 262

any polymer that is comprised solely of straight-chain hydrocarbon units ("olefins") of covalently bonded carbon and hydrogen atoms

Back 262

polyolefin

Front 263

polyhydric alcohol counterparts of the sugars maltose, mannose, sucrose, and xylose called maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol

Back 263

polyols (sugar alcohols)

Front 264

complex carbohydrates, long chain-like linkages of sugar units

Back 264

polysaccharides

Front 265

substances that promote the growth of probiotic bacteria

Back 265

prebiotics

Front 266

repeatability of a test result

Back 266

precision

Front 267

substance that functions to maintain or preserve a food product's freshness

Back 267

preservative

Front 268

mechanical squeezing of oil from oilseeds

Back 268

pressing

Front 269

covalently bonded backbone chain of C-C-N-C-C-N atoms in sequence derived from amino acids joined by polypeptide bonds

Back 269

primary protein structure

Front 270

substances that the FDA or USDA had determined were safe for use in specific foods prior to the 1958 amendment, such as sodium nitrite and potassium nitrite

Back 270

prior-sanctioned substances

Front 271

bacterial organisms believed to be beneficial to health

Back 271

probiotics

Front 272

microorganisms with no nucleus, including bacteria

Back 272

procaryotes/ prokaryotes

Front 273

used to prevent disease or minimize the probability of disease

Back 273

prophylactic

Front 274

the practice of combining specific nonmeat and nondairy foods to create a high-quality protein meal

Back 274

protein complementing

Front 275

a protein breakdown product obtained via enzyme or chemical (acid, alkali) action

Back 275

protein hydrolysate

Front 276

nonmethylated galacturonic acid polymers found in immature fruit

Back 276

protopectin

Front 277

toxic mushroom poisoning that affects the liver and kidneys

Back 277

protoplasmic poisoning

Front 278

single-celled eucaryotes

Back 278

protozoa

Front 279

instrument used to measure dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures

Back 279

psychrometer

Front 280

"cold-loving" organisms that thrive in cold environments

Back 280

psychrophiles

Front 281

juices that flow from the meat, as water, soluble material, and extracellular fluid

Back 281

purge

Front 282

compound produced by the decarboxylation of ornithine by certain microorganisms

Back 282

putresceine

Front 283

toxic compounds found in eomfrey, herbal teas, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant

Back 283

pyrrolizidine alkaloids

Front 284

doses above 10 kGy, such as 20 to 30, which can sterilize a food product, and considered a high processing dose

Back 284

rapdapperization

Front 285

the emission and propagation of energy through matter or space by electromagnetic disturbances called photons

Back 285

radiation

Front 286

dose of irradiation less than 1.0 kGy, considered a low processing dose

Back 286

radicidation

Front 287

the international symbol for radiation

Back 287

radura

Front 288

sugars containing the aldehyde or ketone carbonyl group; they function as reducing agents

Back 288

reducing sugars

Front 289

the gain of hydrogen in a chemical reaction

Back 289

reduction

Front 290

removal of impurities from an extracted fat or oil

Back 290

refining

Front 291

cooling process to slow the rates of reactions in foods, to prolong their storage

Back 291

refrigeration

Front 292

ratio of the amount of water present in air to the maximum amount of water the air could contain if fully saturated with water

Back 292

refrigeration

Front 293

heating of fatty meat scraps in water, which allows the fat to melt and rise to the surface to be separated from the tissue and water

Back 293

rendering

Front 294

enzyme used to coagulate milk, derived from the gastric juice of the fourth stomach of calves

Back 294

rennin or rennet

Front 295

polymer in the form of small, individual pellets that are manufactured via melting and extrusion into plastic packaging sheets

Back 295

resin

Front 296

the biological oxidation of organic molecules to produce energy plus carbon dioxide and water, which plays an essential role in postharvest fruit and vegetable ripening and quality

Back 296

respiration

Front 297

using a chamber with steam valve jets that can be set to allow steam to enter the chamber for precise temperature control, used to heat sealed cans to destroy bacteria and spores

Back 297

retort processing

Front 298

result of heating and cooling starch in water, with reassociation of especially amylose polymers into an ordered structure

Back 298

retrogradation

Front 299

inhalation of air carrying volatile food odorants already present in the mouth after a food item is tasted

Back 299

retro-inhalation

Front 300

a membrane separation system that allows certain components within a fluid food to pass more easily through the membrane

Back 300

reverse osmosis

Front 301

mild off-flavor developed by refined oils that have become exposed to oxygen

Back 301

reversion flavor

Front 302

science that is concerned with the flow and deformation characteristics of food materials

Back 302

rheology

Front 303

the optimum or peak condition of flavor, color, and texture for a particular fruit

Back 303

ripeness

Front 304

an alternative sweetener that was removed from the GRAS list in 1972

Back 304

Saccharin

Front 305

disease caused by consuming bacterial cells of the genus salmonella

Back 305

salmonellosis

Front 306

fatty acid chain that does not contain any carbon-to-carbon double bonds

Back 306

saturated fat

Front 307

class of 12 toxins produced by the dinoflagellate Gonyaulax, responsible for paralytic shellfish poisoning

Back 307

Saxitoxins

Front 308

Poisoning caused by ingestion of histamine produced by bacteria living in scombroid fish

Back 308

scombroid poisoning

Front 309

unit of measure of the hotness of chiles

Back 309

scoville heat unit

Front 310

hydrogen bonding between -NH- and C=O groups above and below polypeptide helical structure, resulting in areas of regular, repeating patterns such as an alpha-helix or beta-sheet

Back 310

secondary structure of protein

Front 311

a functional grain ingredient obtained by milling hard wheat grains, and especially useful in the processing of pasta

Back 311

semolina

Front 312

quality decline in stored, respiring fruits and vegetables that occurs after harvesting; the phase associated with deterioative process, leading to aging and death of tissue, and with quality decline in fruits

Back 312

senescence

Front 313

additives that act to combine with metal elements, such as copper and iron, to inhibit the development of off-flavors and odors due to oxidation

Back 313

sequestrants

Front 314

the relative motion of one surface with respect to another surface in parallel to it, which creates a zone of shearing action on any subtance (fluid or solid) located between the moving surfaces

Back 314

shear

Front 315

crustaceans with a hard upper shell and a soft under shell or mollusks with two enclosing shells

Back 315

shellfish

Front 316

tempearture at which smoke emanates continuously from the surface of a lipid heated under standard conditions

Back 316

smoke point

Front 317

two-phase system in which a solid is dispersed into a liquid

Back 317

sol

Front 318

proportion of solid fat crystals to liquid oil in a food lipid sample at a particular temperature

Back 318

solid fat index

Front 319

fiber that can be dispersed in water and in general delay intestinal transit time; examples are oat bran, guar gum

Back 319

soluble fiber

Front 320

a recombinant bovine somatotropin (BST) product for increasing milk production in dairy cows

Back 320

sometribove

Front 321

the ratio of the heat capacity of a material to that of water

Back 321

specific heat

Front 322

the loss of food quality as a result of specific biological, chemical, and physical changes

Back 322

spoilage

Front 323

rigid, thickened starch and water mixture that has the properties of a solid

Back 323

starch gel

Front 324

a chemical reaction between carbonyl compounds and proteins to form flavor and aroma compounds

Back 324

Strecker degradation

Front 325

disaccharide composed of one glucose molecule attached to one fructose molecule

Back 325

sucrose

Front 326

highly reactive derivative of oxygen

Back 326

superoxide radical

Front 327

additives that act as wetting agents, lubricants, dispersing agents, and emulsifiers, by affecting the surface tension of materials present in food systems

Back 327

surfactants

Front 328

increased tendency to release water from a gel

Back 328

syneresis

Front 329

molecules that possess the primary sensory characteristics of sweet, bitter, salt, and sour as sensed by the tongue

Back 329

tastants

Front 330

the manipulation of temperature to heat and cool the sample into the desired stable beta crystal form (as in cocoa butter)

Back 330

tempering

Front 331

substance that causes abnormal fetal development and birth defects

Back 331

teratogen

Front 332

a group of compounds that include a variety of lipid flavor molecules from plants, such as limnolene and citral

Back 332

terpenoids

Front 333

compound originating from tropical plants that has been calculated to be 3,000 times sweeter than sucrose

Back 333

thaumatin protein

Front 334

organisms that prefer high temperatures

Back 334

thermophiles

Front 335

plastic material that can be melted and resolidified without degradation

Back 335

thermoplastic

Front 336

compounds containing the SH group

Back 336

thiols

Front 337

measure of the total acidity in a sample, both as free hydrogen ions and as hydrogen ions still bound to undissociated acids

Back 337

titratable acidity

Front 338

the predominant initial armoa or flavor characteristic for a substance

Back 338

top note

Front 339

a process of moisture loss through pores in fruit tissue

Back 339

transpiration

Front 340

sugar that sequesters water for plant cells, allowing them to survive when water is not available

Back 340

trehalose

Front 341

esters of glycerol and three fatty acids

Back 341

triglycerides or triacylglycerols

Front 342

condition in which consumption of muscle tissue, or meat, contaminated with cysts of the roundworm Trichninella spiralis results in germination of the cysts inside the body resulting in severe muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever

Back 342

Trichinosis

Front 343

phospholipid molecule derivative produced by fish or bacterial enzymes, which results in a strong fishy odor

Back 343

trimethylamine

Front 344

the structural rigidity of plant cells due to water content, an important factor in determining the texture of fruit and vegetables

Back 344

turgor

Front 345

detection of a false difference, which means concluding that a difference exists when there is none

Back 345

Type I error

Front 346

missing a difference, and concluding that a difference does not exist when there is none

Back 346

type II error

Front 347

dietary deficit of one or more nutrients, resulting in deficiency diseases

Back 347

undernutrition

Front 348

fatty acid chain that contains carbon-to-carbon double bonds

Back 348

unsaturated fat

Front 349

the outermost orbital (or high-energy level) in which electrons occur

Back 349

valence shell

Front 350

pressure exerted by a vapor in equilibrium with the solid or liquid phase of the same substance; the partial pressure of the substance in the atmosphere above the solid or liquid

Back 350

vapor pressure

Front 351

herbaceous plant containing an edible portion such as a leaf, shoot, root, tuber, flower, or stem

Back 351

vegetable

Front 352

toxins produced by enterohemorrhagic serotypes of E. coli

Back 352

verocytotoxins

Front 353

principal parameter that characterizes the flow properties of foods; the friction within a fluid that prevents it from flowing freely

Back 353

viscosity

Front 354

an unpleasant, stale taste in re-heated meats

Back 354

warmed-over flavor

Front 355

the availability of water molecules to enter into microbial, enzymatic, or chemical reactions

Back 355

water activity

Front 356

esters of fatty acids in even-numbered long carbon chain alcohols, occurring in nature as low melting point solids that coat plant leaves and fruits

Back 356

waxes

Front 357

a component of milk, containing unique proteins: lactalbumin, lactoglobulin, lactoferrin, as well as: lysozyme, and lactoperoxidase

Back 357

whey

Front 358

low-temp treatment of olis to eliminate short-chain or highly unsaturated triglycerides

Back 358

winterizing

Front 359

the liquid resulting after mashing of malted barley and cereal grains in the manufacture of beer

Back 359

wort

Front 360

a type of fungus, unicellular in structure, that does not grow in the form of mycelia but rather as single cells that are spherical or oval

Back 360

yeast