Food Science and Technology Definitions

Flashcards for Food Science and Technology Review

Food Science

A multidisciplinary subject involving primarily bacteriology, chemistry, and engineering that deals with the nature of food materials and principles underlying their spoilage, preservation, and modification.

Food Technology (Processing)

Application of physics, chemistry, and engineering to transform food for purposes of preservation or for convenience; the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry.

Food Safety

The causes, prevention, and communication dealing with foodborne illness.

Food Microbiology

The positive and negative interactions between microorganisms and foods.

Food Preservation

The causes and prevention of quality degradation in food.

Food Engineering

The industrial processes used to manufacture food.

Product Development

The invention of new food products.

Sensory Analysis

The study of how food is perceived by the consumer's senses.

Food Chemistry

The molecular composition of food and the involvement of these molecules in chemical reactions.

Food Packaging

The study of how packaging is used to preserve food after it has been processed and contain it through distribution.

Food Physics

The physical aspects of foods (such as viscosity, creaminess, and texture).

Perishable Food Products

Foods with water content above 50%, including fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, and milk.

Stable Food Products

Foods with water content less than 50%, including dried intact grains and other dried products.

Minimally Processed Foods

Sorting, washing, cutting, and packaging leafy vegetables, cutting and packaging meat, washing, peeling, cutting, and packaging fruits

Carbohydrates

Organic compounds with the general formula Cm(H2O)n, consisting only of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

Monosaccharides

Glucose, fructose, and galactose.

Disaccharides

Fructose, lactose, maltose

Oligosaccharides

Stachyose, raffinose in legumes

Polysaccharides

Pectins, starches, and gums.

Reducing Sugars

Sugars that contain a free carbonyl group.

Maillard reaction

Sugars that contain a free carbonyl group gives brown colours to baked goods when they combine with free amino acid groups in a browning reaction.

Sugar Alcohols

Reduction of the carbonyl group to a hydroxyl group gives sugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol.

Lipids

Fats and oils composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen; some have phosphorus and sulfur.

Triglycerides

Glycerols and fatty acids

Proteins

Compounds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. The building blocks are amino acids.

Primary Structure of Proteins

Specific sequence of amino acids joined by peptide bonds along the protein chain.

Secondary Structure of Proteins

Three-dimensional organization of segments of the polypeptide chain.

Tertiary Structure of Proteins

Three-dimensional organization of the complete protein chain.

Quaternary Structure of Proteins

Noncovalent associations of protein chains.

Isoelectric Point

The pH at which the protein is electrically neutral.

Denaturation

Breakdown of the quaternary, tertiary, and secondary structure of protein as a result of heat, pH change, ionic strength change (salt concentrations), freezing, and surface changes.

Enzymes

Proteins formed by the body that act as organic catalysts that speed up desired chemical reactions.

Metabolic Enzymes

Enzymes that your body produces that work in blood, tissues, and organs.

Digestive Enzymes

Enzymes that break down food into usable material.

Food Enzymes

Enzymes that are contained in raw food.

Lipase

Breaks down fats that are found in most dairy products, nuts, oils, and meat.

Lactase

Breaks down lactose (milk sugars).

Protease

Breaks down proteins that are found in meats, nuts, eggs, and cheese.

Amylase

Breaks down carbohydrates, starches, and sugars, prevalent in potatoes, fruits, vegetables, and many snack foods.

Cellulase

Breaks down cellulose, the fibrous structure that makes up most plant cell walls.

Enzymatic Browning

A chemical process which occurs in fruits and vegetables by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase which results in brown pigments.

Food Additives

Any substance or a mixture of substances other than the basic foodstuff which is present in food as a result of any aspect of production, processing, storage, or packaging.

Antioxidants

Chemical additive which when added to food retards or prevents oxidative deterioration of food

Preservatives

Substances added to food to retard, inhibit or arrest the activity of microorganisms.

Food Colors

Substances used to correct loss of colour due to food processing or to correct natural variations in food colour.

Flavoring Agents

Add flavor or correct losses in flavour. Natural flavours are those exclusively obtained by physical processes from vegetables, sometimes animal raw materials, Nature – identical flavouring substances are chemically isolated from raw materials or obtain synthetically. They are chemically identical to the substances present in natural products. Artificial flavouring substances are those which have not been identified in natural product and are chemically synthesized.

Emulsifying and stabilizing agents

Substances capable of facilitating a uniform dispersion of oils and fats in aqueous media or vice versa and / or stabalizing such emulsions.

Sweetening agents

Include calorie sweeteners, low- calorie sweeteners and non-calorie sweeteners (which contain little or no calories).

Anti-caking agents

Anhydrous substances that can pick up moisture without themselves becoming wet and these are added to products such as table salt and dry mixes.

Sequesterants

Substances that form a complex with transition metal ions like copper, iron, cobalt and nickel.

Buffering agents

Materials used to counter acidic and alkaline changes during storage or processing of food, thus improving flavour and increasing stability of foods.

Anti- foaming agents

Reduce foaming on heating, slow down deteriorative changes

Leavening agents

Introduction of gas in batter or dough leading to its expansion, improves appearance, texture and taste of foods.