Introduction to Food Science & Technology

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering essential concepts in food composition and nutrition.

Food Composition

Food is anything which, when absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract, provides energy, growth materials, and regulators for metabolic reactions.

Metabolizable Energy

The energy available to the body from the food consumed, calculated as Gross Energy Intake minus energy lost in feces and urine.

Atwater General Factors

Set of values for the caloric content of macronutrients; Protein = 4 kcal/g, Carbohydrate = 4 kcal/g, Fat = 9 kcal/g.

Essential Nutrients

Nutrients that must be obtained from food because the body cannot make them by itself.

Nonessential Nutrients

Nutrients that the body can produce in sufficient quantities and do not need to be obtained from food.

Calories in Food

The measure of potential energy in food; usually reported in kilocalories (kcal), where 1 kcal = 1,000 calories.

Dietary Fiber

Non-digestible carbohydrates that can ferment in the colon and may provide health benefits.

% Daily Values (% DVs)

Recommendations for key nutrients based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet used to determine if a food is high or low in nutrients.

Proximate Composition

The analysis of food components including water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and minerals.