Principles of Food Science & Food Safety Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated from the principles of food science, food contamination hazards, chemistry, nutrition, preservation, and career development material.

food safety concern

A system to ensure that illness or harm will not result from eating food, comprising anything that could cause illness or harm if ingested.

food quality concern

Characteristics of food that make it acceptable for human consumption, including size, shape, color, appearance, consistency, flavor, and texture.

food defense

The protection of food products from intentional contamination by biological, chemical, physical, or radiological agents that are not reasonably likely to occur in the food supply.

biological hazards

Disease-causing microorganisms or toxins found in some plants and animals, including bacteria, viruses, parasites, protozoa, and fungi.

spoilage bacteria

Bacteria that cause changes to the taste, texture, and/or odor of a food without posing a risk of making someone sick.

pathogenic bacteria

Bacteria that lead to foodborne illnesses, such as E. coli, listeria, salmonella, Clostridium botulinum, and Staphylococcus aureus.

zoonotic agents

Biological hazards that cause disease in animals and can be transmitted to and cause disease in humans.

foodborne infection

An illness caused by a person ingesting a number of pathogenic microorganisms sufficient to cause infection as a result of their multiplication.

foodborne intoxication

An illness caused by the ingestion of already formed toxins produced by some bacteria when they multiply in food.

chemical hazard

A chemical that is not allowed in food, such as pesticide residue and cleaning solution, that can cause illness.

physical hazard

Material that is neither biological nor chemical, such as extraneous matter or a foreign object, that might get into a food product.

radiological hazard

The uncontrolled release of radioactive material that can harm people or damage the environment.

unintentional contamination

Accidental contamination where nothing was purposely added to taint the food product.

intentional contamination

Contamination occurring when harmful substances are purposely used to contaminate food to scare, injure, or kill people.

food desert

An area in which residents with low incomes do not have access to a full-service grocery store within 1 mile in urban areas and 10 miles in rural areas.

farm to table

A term that describes the path of food from the growth of raw product, through processing, preparation, and presentation, to the final consumer.

hydroponic crops

Crops grown with their roots suspended in liquid nutrient solutions.

adulteration

The lowered quality and safety of a product caused by adding inferior ingredients that may be toxic.

food science

The study of the nature of food, the causes of deterioration, the principles underlying food processing, and the improvement of foods for the consuming public.

farm to fork

A term that includes the entire path of food production from the farm to the fork entering the mouth.

food scientist

A professional who is trained to know the biology and chemistry of foods and the processes used to improve and preserve them.

nutrition

The study of food components and their use by the body to sustain life and health.

cryogenic liquid

A substance that is in liquid form at an extremely low temperature.

food security

Having access to nutritionally adequate, culturally appropriate, and safe food.

food analogs

Natural or manufactured substances used in place of foods or food components.

organic

A well-defined labeling term regulated by the USDA's National Organic Program that indicates the food was produced through approved methods.

food processing

A term that refers to any deliberate change in food occurring between its point of origin and its availability for consumption.

control

The standard against which all changes are measured in an experiment.

formulation

A term used for recipes in the food industry.

variable

A factor in an experiment that is being changed.

applied science

The process of putting scientific knowledge to practical use.

Erlenmeyer flask

A flat-bottomed, cone-shaped container used to mix and hold liquids.

hypothesis

An educated guess of a possible or tentative solution to a problem based on available evidence.

beaker

A deep, wide-mouthed container with a pouring lip used to hold substances during experiments.

conclusion

An analysis of what data and observations mean and how they could be applied.

graduated cylinder

A tall container used to accurately measure the volume of liquids to the nearest milliliter.

meta-analysis

The results of several individual studies pooled together to yield overall conclusions.

theory

An established and highly reliable explanation that accounts for known facts or phenomena.

variation

Each change made in an experiment.

data

Measurable facts that are collected during an experiment.

buret

A graduated glass tube with a control valve at the bottom.

meniscus

A curve at the surface of a liquid in a measuring container.

consistency

The thinness or thickness of a product.

graininess

The size of the particles in a food product.

firmness

A food's resistance to pressure.

olfactory bulb

A bundle of nerve fibers located at the base of the brain behind the bridge of the nose.

astringency

The ability of a substance to draw up the muscles in the mouth.

sensory evaluation

The human analysis of the taste, smell, sound, feel, and appearance of food.

taste test panel

A group of people who evaluate the flavor, texture, appearance, and aroma of food products.

taste bias

The like or dislike of a food based on a positive or negative experience with the food.

colorimeter

A device that measures the color of foods in terms of hue, value, and chroma.

brittleness

The quality of how easily a food shatters or breaks apart.

consumer taste panel

Consumers representing the buying public that evaluate food products to determine what the average consumer will prefer.

chewiness

The quality of how well one part of a food slides past another without breaking.

volatile

Substances containing particles that evaporate or become gaseous quickly.

texture

The way a food product feels to the fingers, tongue, teeth, and palate (roof of the mouth).

homogeneous mixture

A mixture with a uniform distribution of particles throughout the sample.

chemical bond

The force that holds two atoms together.

solute

The material that is dissolved in a solution.

product

A substance formed by a chemical reaction; found on the right side of a chemical equation.

molecule

The basic unit of any compound.

atomic mass unit (AMU)

The mass of a proton or neutron.

compound

A substance in which two or more elements have chemically combined.

atomic mass

The sum of the masses of protons and neutrons in an atom.

proton

A subatomic particle that has a positive electrical charge.

inorganic compound

A substance containing either no carbon or having only a single carbon atom.

neutron

A subatomic particle that is electrically neutral.

orbital

The space occupied by a pair of electrons in an atom.

solvent

The material that does the dissolving in a solution.

organic compound

A substance containing chains or rings of carbon.

solution

A homogeneous mixture of one material dissolved in another.

electrical energy

Energy produced by the movement of electrons.

conduction

The transfer of heat through matter from particle-to-particle collisions.

potential energy

Energy that is stored.

metabolism

The physical and chemical reactions that constantly occur within cells.

temperature

The measure of the average kinetic energy of a group of individual molecules.

catabolism

The breaking down of compounds into smaller parts; an exothermic reaction.

latent heat

The energy required to complete a phase change without a change in temperature.

radiation

The transfer of heat by electromagnetic waves.

mechanical energy

The total kinetic and potential energy of a system.

kinetic energy

The energy of motion.

energy

The ability to do work.

endothermic reaction

A reaction in which the products have less total heat than the reactants.

calorie

The heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius.

anabolism

The bonding of nutrients to make new compounds, an endothermic reaction.

microwave

A low-frequency electromagnetic wave of radiant energy.

neutralization

The point at which all ions in a solution have combined chemically.

mole

Avogadro's number of particles ($6.02 \times 10^{23}$) of any substance.

ionization

The process of forming ions.

chemical leavening agent

An ingredient that is added to baked goods to lighten or aerate the finished product.

hydroxide ion

A negatively charged oxygen and hydrogen group, symbolized as $\text{OH}^-$.

hydronium ion

A hydrogen atom bonded to a water molecule, symbolized as $\text{H}_3\text{O}^+$.

hydrogen ion

A positively charged hydrogen atom, symbolized as $\text{H}^+$.

concentration

The measure of parts of one substance to the known volume of another.

organic dye

A naturally occurring color pigment that changes color when exposed to acids or bases.

acid

A substance that produces hydrogen or hydronium ions in water-based solutions.

molarity (M)

The measure of solute concentration expressed as moles per liter.

salt

A compound formed with ionic bonds from acids and bases.

base

A substance that produces hydroxide ions in water-based solutions, also called an alkali.

buffer

A compound that helps stabilize pH by absorbing excess acids or bases in a solution.