Chapter 3: The Food Supply

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Chapter 3: The Food Supply, including food security, malnutrition, organic foods, GMOs, food safety, and contaminants.

Food security

Access by all people at all times to enough safe, nutritious food for an active, healthy life; monitored by the USDA.

Food insecurity

Lack of reliable access to sufficient food; often linked to poverty and may involve skipping meals or reduced meal sizes.

Hidden hunger

Micronutrient deficiencies affecting about 2 billion people, with common gaps in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, iodine, iron, zinc, and folate.

Malnutrition

Imbalance or deficiency of nutrition; includes both undernutrition and overnutrition.

Undernutrition

Insufficient energy or nutrients leading to impaired growth, immune function, and development.

Overnutrition / Obesity

Excess energy intake resulting in overweight or obesity; WHO estimates ~2 billion people overweight/obese worldwide; CDC cites ~41.9% of U.S. adults as obese.

Nutrition transition

Shift in developing countries toward diets high in red meat, full-fat dairy, sugar, fat, and processed foods, with fewer whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Spiral of Poverty, Malnutrition, and Disease

A cycle where poverty leads to food insecurity and poor nutrition, which causes disease and reduces ability to work, perpetuating poverty.

Food desert

Geographic area with limited access to affordable, healthy foods.

SNAP

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; USDA program providing food assistance to low-income individuals and families.

WIC

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; supports nutrition for pregnant women, infants, and young children.

National School Lunch Program

USDA program providing free or reduced-price lunches to school children.

School Breakfast Program

USDA program providing school breakfasts, often free or reduced for eligible students.

CACFP

Child and Adult Care Food Program; supports meals in child care and adult care settings.

Meals on Wheels

Senior meal program delivering nutritious meals to homebound older adults.

Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program

Program giving low-income seniors access to fresh fruits and vegetables through farmers' markets.

Congregate meals

Senior meal program offering meals at community sites to improve access to nutrition.

Food banks and pantries

Food distribution programs providing donated or surplus foods to those in need.

Hunger relief charitable programs

Private, nonprofit hunger relief efforts that feed people in need; Feeding America is a major network and contributed billions of meals in recent years.

Feeding America

Largest hunger-relief charity in the U.S., coordinating food banks and pantries and distributing billions of meals.

Agrobiodiversity

Diversity of crops and livestock that supports resilient, nutritious food systems.

Organic foods

Foods produced without synthetic pesticides/fertilizers/hormones/antibiotics/sewage sludge/genetic engineering/irradiation; often more expensive to produce.

Organic farming practices

Biological pest management, composting, manure application, and crop rotation to maintain healthy soils and ecosystems.

Genetic engineering

Direct manipulation of an organism’s genes to create desired traits, using methods such as genetic modification and genome editing.

Selective breeding

Crossing plants or animals to produce offspring with desirable traits such as higher yield or disease resistance.

Mutagenesis

Inducing mutations in genes via radiation or chemicals to achieve desired traits.

Genetic modification (transgenic)

Transferring genes from one organism to another to confer traits such as disease resistance or improved yield.

Genome editing

Precise, targeted changes to the DNA of cells or organisms to create desired traits more quickly and cheaply than older methods.

GM foods

Genetically modified foods produced through genetic modification; regulated by FDA, USDA, and EPA; labeling mandated since 2016.

Food irradiation

Use of controlled radiation (gamma, X-ray, or electron beams) to extend shelf life and reduce pests; irradiated foods are not radioactive and must be labeled.

Food additives

Substances added to processed foods to maintain nutrition, safety, freshness, or appeal; there are over 10,000 additives in use.

Intentional food additives

Additives purposely added to achieve goals like longer shelf life, enhanced nutrition, or color/flavor.

Incidental food additives

Additives unintentionally present in food via cultivation, processing, packaging, or storage; examples include pesticides, arsenic, and BPA.

GRAS

Generally Recognized as Safe; a category of substances deemed safe for use without formal FDA approval.

Prior-sanctioned substances

Additives approved as safe before 1958 by FDA/USDA and still permitted.

Bottled water labeling

FDA-regulated; must disclose water source; may include minerals, vitamins, flavors, and carbonation.

Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)

EPA regulation requiring public water systems to test for contaminants; private wells are not federally regulated.

4 steps to food safety

Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill — fundamental practices to prevent foodborne illness.

Danger zone

Temperature range in which microbes multiply rapidly; typically about 41–135°F (5–57°C).

Norovirus

A common viral cause of foodborne illness; prevent with good sanitation and thorough cooking.

Hepatitis A

A viral cause of foodborne illness; prevent with proper sanitation and cooking.

Lead

A toxic metal damaging multiple organs, especially the developing nervous system in children.

Lead sources

Home plumbing and lead-based paints; lead-containing containers; leaded crystal; some contaminated foods and toys.

EPA, FDA, USDA roles

EPA regulates environmental/chemical safety; FDA regulates food safety of most foods; USDA oversees farming and meat/poultry safety.

Bacteria sources

Common sources include meats, poultry, eggs, fish, shellfish, unpasteurized dairy, and fresh produce.

Temperature effects on microbes

Most bacteria proliferate in the danger zone; heat can kill some bacteria but may not inactivate toxins.