Punjab PSEB Matric NSQF Food Processing key terms

Any deliberate action that turns raw agricultural produce into a safer, longer-lasting or more convenient food. It includes cleaning, grading, milling, heating, cooling, fermenting and packing, and may be done on a small cottage scale or in a large factory.

The study of the physical, chemical, biological and sensory nature of foods and of the changes they undergo during handling and processing. It supplies the scientific reasons behind practical processing decisions.

A food that spoils quickly, usually within days, unless it is refrigerated or otherwise preserved. Milk, fresh fish, meat and most ripe fruits are typical examples because they carry high moisture and easily support microbial growth.

The length of time a properly stored food keeps its expected safety, taste, texture and nutritional value. It is fixed by the processor after testing and is printed on the label as a best-before or use-by date.

A measure from 0 to 1 of how freely water in a food is available to microbes and chemical reactions, rather than the total moisture content. Lowering water activity by drying or adding sugar and salt is a main preservation method.

A single, separate step such as washing, peeling, blanching or filling that is combined with others to make a complete process line. Thinking in unit operations lets the same equipment be reused for many different foods.

A preventive food safety system that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards, sets control points at steps where they can be prevented or reduced, and records monitoring so problems are caught before food is released.

A step in a process where control can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level. A CCP must have a measurable limit, monitoring, corrective action and records.

The practices that keep food clean and safe at every stage, from receiving raw material to serving. It covers personal cleanliness, clean water, pest control, waste handling and cleaning of surfaces, tools and equipment.

The combined cleaning and disinfecting of food-contact surfaces, equipment and premises to remove soil and then reduce microorganisms to a safe level. Effective sanitation always cleans first, because dirt shields microbes from disinfectants.

The transfer of harmful microbes or chemicals from one food, surface or person to another. In a kitchen or plant it commonly happens when raw meat juices drip onto ready-to-eat food, or when the same knife is used without cleaning.

Illness caused by eating food contaminated with harmful bacteria, viruses, toxins or chemicals. Common signs are stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, and prevention depends on safe water, cooking, chilling and clean handling.

The set of methods used to slow or stop spoilage so food stays safe and edible for longer. Methods work by removing microbes, killing them, or making the food too dry, too acidic, too cold or too salty for them to grow.

Brief heating of fruit or vegetables in hot water or steam, followed by quick cooling. It inactivates enzymes that cause browning and off-flavours, fixes colour, removes some air, and helps the product keep quality during freezing or drying.

Sealing food in a container and heating it enough to destroy spoilage and disease-causing microorganisms, so the product keeps for months at room temperature. Correct heat time depends on the food's acidity and on the container size.

The condition in which a canned or bottled food contains no microorganisms able to grow and spoil it, or to cause illness, under normal storage. It is achieved by a planned heat process, not by sterilising every single cell.

Removing moisture from food by sun, hot air or other heat so that water activity falls and microbes can no longer grow. Good drying also needs fast enough moisture removal to stop mould and to keep colour and vitamins.

Preserving food by lowering its temperature well below 0 degrees Celsius so that most water turns to ice and microbial growth and enzyme action almost stop. Quality depends on fast freezing, which makes small ice crystals and limits damage to texture.

Using high concentrations of sugar or salt to draw water out of food and microbes, so that spoilage organisms cannot grow. Jams, pickles and salted fish are traditional examples that keep well without refrigeration once the concentration is high enough.

Controlled action of microorganisms or enzymes that changes food in a useful way, for example turning milk into curd or cabbage into sauerkraut. Fermentation adds flavour, produces acid that discourages spoilage, and can improve keeping quality.

Grinding and separating cereal grains into flour, bran and germ. In wheat milling the aim is to break the grain, separate the bran and germ, and reduce the endosperm to a fine flour of consistent quality for baking.

The amount of finished flour or rice obtained from a given weight of grain, usually expressed as a percentage. Higher yield means less loss but may lower purity and colour, so millers balance yield against the quality buyers expect.

A mild heat treatment that kills disease-causing and spoilage organisms that grow in a food, usually combined with rapid cooling. It extends shelf life and improves safety but does not make the food commercially sterile, so it still needs refrigeration.

Forcing milk under high pressure through a narrow valve so that fat globules break into tiny droplets that stay suspended. The result is a uniform product with no cream layer, which is why most market milk is homogenised.

The unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps that keeps a perishable food within a safe temperature range from production to the consumer. A break anywhere in the chain shortens shelf life and can make the food unsafe.

Packing a food in a gas mixture that differs from normal air, often less oxygen and more carbon dioxide or nitrogen, to slow respiration and microbial growth. It is widely used for fresh-cut vegetables, meat and bakery items.

Removing air from a pack before sealing so that oxygen is largely absent. This slows oxidative rancidity and the growth of aerobic spoilage microbes, but it does not stop anaerobic organisms, so the food must still be chilled and handled safely.

The printed information on a food package that identifies the product, its ingredients, net quantity, manufacturer, date marking and nutrition details as required by food law. It is the main way a buyer learns what is inside a pack.

The use-by or best-before date printed on a pack to tell the buyer how long the food keeps its safety and quality. A use-by date is about safety and must be obeyed, while a best-before date is about quality.

A substance added to food in small amounts for a technological purpose such as colour, preservation, thickening or flavour. Additives must be permitted by law, used within set limits, and declared in the ingredient list.

The routine checks and tests carried out during and after production to confirm that a food meets set specifications for safety, composition, colour, texture and taste. Results are recorded so that faults can be traced and corrected.

The basic operating rules a food business follows to make safe, consistent products: suitable premises, trained staff, clean equipment, controlled processes and proper records. GMP is the foundation on which a HACCP plan is built.

The process of spotting a market need, organising money, materials, equipment and people, and taking the risk of starting a food business. A successful food entrepreneur combines a good product with realistic costing and steady demand.

Working out the total cost of making a food product, including raw material, labour, fuel, packaging, transport and overheads. Accurate costing shows the true cost per unit and is the base for setting a selling price.

The sales level at which total income equals total cost, so the business makes neither profit nor loss. It helps a small producer judge how many units must be sold before earning begins.

Clothing and gear worn to protect the worker from injury or contamination, such as gloves, hairnets, aprons and safety shoes. In food work it protects both the person and the product, so it must be clean and correctly worn.

The practices and safeguards that prevent accidents, injuries and work-related illness in a food workplace. It covers machine guarding, safe lifting, electrical care, first aid and clear emergency exits and procedures.

The planned handling of waste such as peels, trimmings, spoiled stock and packaging so it does not contaminate food or harm the environment. Good practice separates waste, disposes of it hygienically and reuses or recycles where possible.