Maharashtra HSC Food Products Technology (Vocational) key terms

The ratio of the vapour pressure of water in a food to that of pure water at the same temperature. It measures the water available for microbial growth and chemical reactions, not the total moisture content.

A non-enzymatic browning reaction between reducing sugars and the amino groups of proteins or amino acids, usually on heating. It produces brown pigments and aroma compounds and can lower the nutritional value of the food.

Spoilage of fats and oils caused by oxygen attacking unsaturated fatty acids, often speeded up by light, heat and metal ions. It produces off-flavours and odours described as stale, painty or cardboard-like.

A mixture of two immiscible liquids, such as oil and water, in which one is dispersed as tiny droplets in the other. Emulsifiers such as lecithin or milk proteins keep the droplets from separating.

A controlled microbial process in which yeasts, moulds or bacteria convert sugars and other substrates into acids, alcohols or gases, changing the flavour, texture and keeping quality of the food.

A known pure or mixed culture of microorganisms deliberately added to a food to begin and control fermentation, for example in curd, cheese, bread or idli. It gives predictable flavour and discourages unwanted organisms.

Live microorganisms that, when eaten in adequate numbers, give a health benefit to the host. Common examples are certain Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains used in fermented milk products.

A group of Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria including Escherichia coli, used as indicator organisms of faecal contamination and poor hygiene in water and food. Their presence suggests possible pathogens.

A mild heat treatment that destroys most vegetative pathogens and spoilage organisms in a food, usually below 100 °C, with minimal change to sensory quality. Milk is typically heated to 63 °C for 30 minutes or 72 °C for 15 seconds.

The condition of a canned or bottled food processed enough to destroy Clostridium botulinum and spoilage organisms able to grow under normal storage, though heat-resistant enzymes or spores may remain.

Preservation in which food is frozen and then the ice is removed as vapour under low pressure. The dry, porous product keeps its shape, rehydrates quickly and stores well without refrigeration.

Partial removal of water from food by soaking it in a concentrated sugar or salt solution. Water leaves the food while solute enters, lowering water activity and giving products such as candied fruit and murabba.

A short heat treatment, usually in hot water or steam, given to fruits and vegetables before freezing, drying or canning. It inactivates enzymes, fixes colour and removes air and surface dirt.

Degrees Brix is the percentage of soluble solids, mainly sugars, in a solution measured with a refractometer at a stated temperature. It is used to check fruit juice strength, jam setting and sugar syrups.

A natural polysaccharide found in the cell walls of fruits, especially citrus peel and apple. With sugar and acid it forms a gel, which is why it is essential for setting jam and jelly.

Forcing milk or another liquid through a narrow valve at high pressure so that fat globules are broken into much smaller ones. This stops cream separating and gives a smoother, whiter product.

Adjusting the fat or solids-not-fat content of milk, usually by separating cream or adding skim milk, so that the product meets a fixed legal or processing specification before sale or manufacture.

An enzyme preparation, traditionally from calf stomach and now often microbial or plant-derived, that coagulates milk protein in cheese making by acting on casein.

The elastic protein complex formed when wheat flour is wetted, made up of glutenin and gliadin. It holds gas in bread dough and gives structure, but must be controlled when making biscuits or cakes.

The final rising of shaped bread dough in a warm, humid place before baking, during which yeast produces gas and the dough becomes light and springy.

A continuous process in which moistened flour or other material is pushed through a screw extruder under heat and pressure, cooking and shaping it into snacks, breakfast cereals or textured products.

A gradual grinding process in which wheat passes through pairs of fluted or smooth steel rollers and sieving stages, separating bran, germ and endosperm to produce maida, semolina and bran.

Preservation of meat or fish by adding salt, nitrate or nitrite, sugar and spices, often with smoking or drying. Curing lowers water activity, develops colour and flavour and slows spoilage bacteria.

The stiffening of muscle that occurs some hours after an animal is slaughtered, as glycogen is used up and muscle proteins lock together. Handling meat during this stage can cause tough, pale or dry defects.

The unbroken series of refrigerated storage, transport and display steps that keeps perishable food between set low temperatures from production to consumption. Any break shortens shelf life and risks food safety.

Packing food in a gas mixture different from air, such as extra carbon dioxide or nitrogen, to slow respiration, microbial growth and oxidation. It is widely used for fresh produce, meat and snack packs.

The period during which a stored food keeps acceptable safety, taste, colour and texture under the conditions stated on the label. It is fixed from laboratory storage trials and must be supported by real data.

Filling commercially sterile food into pre-sterilised containers under sterile conditions, often using UHT milk or juice with multilayer cartons. The sealed pack keeps the product stable for months without refrigeration.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a systematic food safety system that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards, sets control points with critical limits, monitors them and records corrective actions.

Basic operating rules covering buildings, equipment, personnel hygiene, sanitation and records that must be followed during food manufacture so that products are consistently safe and of the stated quality.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, a statutory body set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It sets food standards, licenses food businesses and enforces food safety across the country.

A test in which a diluted food sample is cultured on agar and colonies are counted after incubation, giving an estimate of the total live aerobic bacteria present and an indication of hygiene and spoilage.

The sales volume, in units or value, at which total revenue equals total fixed and variable costs. Below it a food business makes a loss; above it, profit begins.

Money a business needs for day-to-day running, calculated as current assets minus current liabilities. In food enterprises it covers raw material purchase, wages, power and packaging until payment is received.

India's online registration for micro, small and medium enterprises under the Ministry of MSME. It gives a business a unique identity, allowing access to government schemes, subsidies and priority-sector benefits.

A laboratory method for estimating protein content: the sample is digested with acid and a catalyst, made alkaline, and the released ammonia is distilled and titrated; nitrogen is then multiplied by a factor such as 6.25.

A method for measuring fat content, in which solvent repeatedly extracts fat from a dried, ground sample in a Soxhlet apparatus; after evaporating the solvent, the residue is weighed as crude fat.

Comparing an instrument's readings with a known reference standard and adjusting it so that results are reliable, for example a pH meter, thermometer or weighing balance in a food laboratory or processing line.

A pressure vessel that sterilises media, glassware and equipment with saturated steam under pressure, typically at 121 °C for 15–20 minutes, which is the standard condition for microbiological laboratory practice.