Comprehensive Food Science & Technology Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from Introduction to Food Science, sugar technology, dairy, fruits & vegetables, meat, beverages, and related food-science topics.

Food Science

The study of the chemical, physical, microbiological and sensory attributes of food from production to consumption.

Food Quality

Overall acceptability of food based on appearance, taste, nutrition, safety and consumer perception.

Nutritional Quality

Measurement of essential nutrients in food—water, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

Digestibility

Ease with which food is broken down and absorbed by the body.

Palatability

Pleasantness of food determined by color, odor, taste, flavor, mouthfeel and sound.

Economic Use (of food)

Evaluation of food in terms of cost, time, labor and equipment required.

Sanitary Quality

Degree to which food is free from harmful contaminants and pathogens.

Food Intoxication

Illness caused by ingesting toxins produced by microorganisms in food.

Food Infection

Illness caused by ingesting a large number of viable pathogenic microorganisms.

Water Activity (aw)

Ratio of vapor pressure of water in food to vapor pressure of pure water at the same temperature; pure water aw = 1.0.

Monosaccharide

Simplest carbohydrate containing one sugar unit, e.g., glucose, fructose, galactose.

Glucose

“Physiologic sugar”; hydrolyzed from maltose, lactose or sucrose and used as sweetener in wine and pharmaceuticals.

Fructose

Fruit sugar; sweetest of all natural sugars, abundant in fruits and honey.

Galactose

Monosaccharide derived from lactose; rarely found free in nature.

Disaccharide

Carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides, e.g., sucrose, lactose, maltose.

Sucrose

Table sugar; hydrolyzes to glucose + fructose.

Lactose

Milk sugar; hydrolyzes to glucose + galactose.

Maltose

Malt sugar; hydrolyzes to two glucose units.

Polysaccharide

Complex carbohydrate with more than 10 sugar units, e.g., starch, cellulose, pectin.

Starch

Most abundant plant storage polysaccharide found in grains, tubers and roots.

Cellulose

Structural polysaccharide of plant cell walls responsible for rigidity and crispness.

Pectin

Cementing substance between fruit cell walls; forms gel with sugar and acid during jam making.

Dietary Fiber

Indigestible plant polysaccharides such as cellulose, pectin, hemicellulose and lignin.

Beta Linkage

Chemical bond in certain polysaccharides that human digestive enzymes cannot break.

Fat

Concentrated energy source yielding 9 kcal per gram; composed mainly of triglycerides.

Palmitic Acid

Common saturated fatty acid found in foods and human tissues.

Oleic Acid

Monounsaturated fatty acid abundant in olive oil.

Protein

Macromolecule made of amino‐acid chains (polypeptides); functions in body structure and regulation.

Amino Acid

Building block of proteins; 8 are essential for adults, 9 for children.

Denaturation

Alteration of a protein’s native structure by heat, acid, alcohol or agitation without breaking peptide bonds.

Proteolysis

Hydrolytic breakdown of proteins into peptides or amino acids, often by peptidase enzymes.

Maillard Reaction

Non-enzymatic browning between reducing sugars and amino acids producing flavor and dark pigments.

Water-Soluble Vitamins

B-complex vitamins and vitamin C that dissolve in water and are not stored extensively in the body.

Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamins A, D, E and K that dissolve in fat and can be stored in body tissues.

Mineral Ash

Inorganic residue remaining after food combustion; indicator of total mineral content.

Macrominerals

Minerals required in amounts >0.005 % body weight (e.g., Ca, P, K, Na, Mg).

Microminerals (Trace)

Minerals required in minute amounts (e.g., Fe, Zn, Se, I).

Carotenoids

Yellow-to-orange pigments in plants and some animal products.

Chlorophyll

Green plant pigment essential for photosynthesis.

Anthocyanins

Water-soluble pigments giving red, blue or purple colors to fruits and vegetables.

Anthoxanthins

Flavonoid pigments producing white to yellow coloration.

Myoglobin

Muscle pigment that carries oxygen; color ranges from purplish red to brown depending on state.

Bromelain

Proteolytic enzyme from pineapple used as meat tenderizer.

Papain

Proteolytic enzyme from papaya used to tenderize meats.

Invertase

Enzyme that hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructose (invert sugar) for candy and syrup.

Amylase

Enzyme that hydrolyzes starch into sugars; important in bread making.

Pectinase

Enzyme that converts protopectin to pectin and pectic acid, softening ripening fruit.

Volatile Acids

Flavor compounds that vaporize on heating, e.g., acetic, butyric, formic acids.

Non-Volatile Acids

Flavor acids that remain in liquid phase during cooking, e.g., citric, malic, oxalic.

Granulated Sugar

Refined crystalline sucrose obtained from cane or beet.

Brown Sugar

Partially purified sucrose retaining molasses, giving moist texture and caramel flavor.

Raw Sugar (Muscovado)

Coarse dark unrefined cane sugar with high molasses content.

Panutsa

Traditional Filipino cane sugar dried in coconut shells, forming hard discs.

Powdered Sugar

Finely ground sucrose mixed with cornstarch to prevent caking.

Cane Syrup

Concentrated, heat-treated cane juice containing sucrose and flavor compounds.

Maple Syrup

Boiled sap of sugar maple trees containing ~64–68 % sugars (mostly sucrose).

Corn Syrup

Viscous syrup rich in glucose produced by hydrolyzing cornstarch.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

Corn syrup enzymatically isomerized to increase fructose content and sweetness.

Molasses

Residue after sugar crystallization; light, dark and blackstrap varieties with increasing bitterness and minerals.

Honey

Natural syrup of ~35 % glucose and 40 % fructose produced by bees from floral nectar.

Sweetness Scale

Relative ranking of sugars: fructose > sucrose > glucose > maltose > lactose.

Crystallization (Sugar)

Process by which dissolved sugar forms solid crystals—crucial in candy making.

Hygroscopicity

Ability of a substance to absorb moisture from air, common in sugars and salts.

Inversion (Sugar)

Hydrolysis of sucrose into equal parts glucose and fructose, increasing solubility and humidity retention.

Caramelization

Thermal decomposition of sugars above their melting point, producing brown color and flavor.

Crystalline Candy

Candy with fine sugar crystals producing smooth texture, e.g., fudge, fondant.

Non-Crystalline Candy

Amorphous candy without sugar crystals, e.g., caramel, toffee, taffy.

Soft Ball Stage

Sugar syrup at 112–116 °C (234–240 °F) forming a soft ball in cold water; used for fudge.

Hard Crack Stage

Sugar syrup at 149–154 °C (300–310 °F) forming brittle threads; used for brittles.

Invert Sugar

Mixture of glucose and fructose resulting from sucrose hydrolysis; resists crystallization in candy.

Ice Cream

Frozen dairy dessert containing ≥10 % milk fat in the U.S.; churned during freezing.

Frozen Custard

French-style ice cream with ≥1.4 % egg yolk solids; rich and creamy.

Light Ice Cream

Product with 50 % less fat or 33 % fewer calories than regular ice cream.

Sherbet

Iced dessert with fruit juice/purée, 1–2 % milk fat, and often egg white or gelatin.

Sorbet

Fat-free frozen dessert of fruit purée and sugar syrup; contains no dairy or eggs.

Mellorine

Imitation ice cream where milk fat is replaced by vegetable fat.

Water Ices

Frozen desserts of sweetened water and fruit juices, e.g., popsicles, granitas.

Casein

Phosphoprotein making up the majority of milk protein; coagulates with acid or rennet.

Lactose

Disaccharide unique to milk; primary carbohydrate in dairy products.

Homogenization

Mechanical process that reduces milk fat globule size to prevent cream separation.

Pasteurization

Heat treatment (e.g., 72 °C for 15 s) that destroys pathogenic microbes in milk.

Ultra-High Temperature (UHT)

Sterilization of milk at ~135–150 °C for 2–5 s producing shelf-stable product.

Evaporated Milk

Concentrated milk with 50–60 % water removed, canned and heat sterilized.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Evaporated milk with ~40 % added sucrose, canned and thick.

Scum Formation (Milk)

Skin of concentrated protein and fat that forms on milk surface during heating.

Curdling (Milk)

Coagulation of milk proteins caused by acid, salts or high heat—basis of cheese making.

Cheese

Curdled milk product consisting mainly of casein gel with whey removed.

Soft Cheese

High-moisture (55–80 %) cheeses such as cottage, mozzarella, kesong puti.

Hard Cheese

Low-moisture (13–34 %) cheeses such as cheddar, parmesan, gouda.

Processed Cheese

Product made by blending natural cheeses with emulsifiers and heat to create uniform texture.

Half and Half

Cream product containing 10–12 % fat, often used in coffee.

Heavy Cream

Cream with 36–40 % fat ideal for whipping and sauces.

Butter

Dairy product with ≥80 % milk fat made by churning cream.

Buttermilk

Liquid remaining after butter churning; cultured versions are tangy and low-fat.

Yogurt

Fermented milk product produced by Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus cultures.

Parenchyma Cells

Thin-walled plant cells responsible for storage and the bulk of edible plant tissue.

Xylem

Plant vascular tissue that transports water and minerals from roots upward.

Phloem

Plant vascular tissue that transports sugars and other metabolites from leaves.

Protopectin

Insoluble precursor of pectin found in unripe fruits.

Pectinic Acid

Water-soluble form of pectin in ripe fruit that forms gels in jam.