Cameroon GCE A-Level Food Science & Nutrition key terms

The ratio of the vapour pressure of water in a food to that of pure water at the same temperature. It indicates how much water is available for microbial growth and chemical reactions.

A non-enzymatic browning reaction between reducing sugars and amino groups of proteins that produces brown pigments and flavour compounds, typically during heating or prolonged storage.

Amino acids that the human body cannot synthesise in sufficient amounts and must obtain from food. There are nine for adults: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine.

A ranking of carbohydrate-containing foods based on how quickly they raise blood glucose compared with a reference food (usually glucose or white bread), measured over two hours.

A systematic preventive approach to food safety that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards, establishes control measures at critical points, and monitors them to prevent unsafe food reaching consumers.

A step in a food production process where a control measure can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

A microorganism (bacterium, virus, parasite or fungus) that causes illness in humans. In food, common examples include Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7.

A dormant, highly resistant structure formed by certain bacteria (e.g. Clostridium, Bacillus) that enables survival through heat, drying and disinfectants, and can germinate into a vegetative cell.

A heat treatment that kills most vegetative pathogens and reduces spoilage organisms in a food, usually by heating to a specified temperature for a set time followed by rapid cooling.

A brief heat treatment of fruits or vegetables in hot water or steam, mainly to inactivate enzymes that cause browning and off-flavours before freezing, drying or canning.

A preservation method in which a frozen food is placed under vacuum so that ice sublimes directly to vapour, removing water while retaining shape, colour and nutrients better than many other drying methods.

The controlled breakdown of carbohydrates by microorganisms or enzymes to produce acids, alcohols or gases, used to preserve foods and develop flavours, textures and aromas.

A mixture of two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, in which one is dispersed as small droplets in the other; it requires an emulsifier to remain stable.

A substance with both water-loving and fat-loving parts that helps oil and water mix and stay mixed, for example lecithin in egg yolk or monoglycerides in processed foods.

The non-digestible carbohydrates and lignin naturally present in plant foods, including cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and resistant starch, which promote bowel health and help control blood glucose and cholesterol.

The proportion of a nutrient consumed that is absorbed and used by the body for normal physiological functions. It depends on food form, other meal components and the person's nutritional status.

A naturally occurring compound in food that reduces the absorption or use of a nutrient, such as phytate binding minerals or trypsin inhibitors blocking protein digestion.

A screening measure calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. It is used to classify underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity in adults.

A dietary assessment method in which an interviewer asks a person to list all foods and drinks consumed in the previous 24 hours, including amounts and preparation methods.

A dietary assessment tool that asks how often and in what portion sizes a person usually consumes a list of specified foods over a defined period, often used in large epidemiological studies.

The scientific measurement of how foods are perceived through the senses of sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing, using trained or consumer panels under controlled conditions.

A sensory testing scale on which panellists rate how much they like or dislike a product, often from 1 (dislike extremely) to 9 (like extremely).

A discrimination test in sensory evaluation in which panellists receive three coded samples, two identical and one different, and must identify the odd one out.

The period during which a food product remains safe, retains acceptable sensory quality and meets its declared nutritional and labelling claims when stored under specified conditions.

A date mark indicating the last day a highly perishable food may be safely eaten, after which it may pose an immediate health risk and should not be consumed.

A date mark showing the end of the period for which a food retains its expected quality when stored correctly; it relates to quality rather than immediate safety.

A situation in which all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

The physical presence of sufficient quantities of appropriate food in a country or region, determined by domestic production, imports, stocks and distribution systems.

The ability of individuals or households to obtain adequate food, which depends on income, prices, transport, markets and entitlement to food through formal or informal channels.

The process of increasing the economic worth of a raw agricultural commodity through processing, packaging, branding or improved presentation so that it sells for a higher price.

The set of controllable elements a business uses to promote its product, commonly summarised as product, price, place and promotion (the four Ps).

The specific group of consumers a business aims its product or service at, defined by characteristics such as age, income, location, lifestyle or dietary needs.

The systematic process of creating a new or improved food product, from idea generation and concept testing through prototype formulation, sensory testing, scale-up and launch.

The planned and systematic activities implemented within a food business to ensure that products consistently meet defined quality and safety requirements.

The operational techniques and tests used to check that raw materials and finished products meet specified standards, with results used to accept, reject or adjust production.

The decrease in quantity or quality of food along the supply chain before it reaches the consumer, often caused by poor harvesting, storage, transport or processing practices.

Food that is fit for human consumption but is discarded at retail, food service or household level, often because of overbuying, date-label confusion or cosmetic standards.

Meeting present food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs, balancing environmental, economic and social considerations across production and consumption.

The shift in dietary patterns and physical activity that accompanies economic development, typically away from traditional plant-based diets towards energy-dense processed foods, linked to rising obesity and non-communicable diseases.