WBBSE Madhyamik Food Processing (Vocational) key terms

Any deliberate operation that turns raw agricultural material into a safer, longer-lasting, more usable or more attractive food product, such as cleaning, milling, heating, drying, or packaging.

The study of the physical, chemical, biological and engineering properties of food and of the changes it undergoes during handling, processing and storage.

Increasing the market worth of a raw commodity by changing its form, grade, packaging or convenience, for example turning paddy into polished rice or fruit into jam.

The tendency of a food to spoil quickly because of high moisture, high enzyme activity or easy microbial attack; fruits, milk and fish are highly perishable, dry grains far less so.

A single, identifiable step in a processing line, such as cleaning, grading, size reduction, mixing, heating or drying, that can be studied and controlled on its own.

Removing soil, dust, stones, chaff, insects and other foreign matter from raw food material before further processing, usually by sieving, air aspiration or washing.

Sorting food material into lots of similar size, shape, colour, maturity or quality so that each lot can be processed, priced and sold uniformly.

Grinding grain or pulses to break the kernel and separate the edible endosperm from bran and germ, producing flour, semolina or polished dal.

The mass of usable product obtained from a given mass of raw grain, expressed as a percentage; higher yield means less loss of edible material during milling.

Cutting, crushing, grinding or pulverising a food to smaller pieces, which increases surface area and speeds up drying, mixing, extraction or cooking.

Separating particles by passing them through a mesh of known opening size, used to grade flour, remove coarse bran or standardise powder fineness.

The amount of water in a food that is free to support microbial growth and chemical reactions, measured on a scale from 0 to 1; lower values mean better keeping quality.

Brief heating of fruits or vegetables in hot water or steam, then quick cooling, to inactivate enzymes, fix colour and reduce surface microorganisms before freezing or drying.

A mild heat treatment, typically below 100 degrees Celsius, that destroys disease-causing vegetative bacteria and reduces spoilage organisms while keeping the product close to fresh.

A heat treatment intense enough to destroy all viable microorganisms, including heat-resistant spores, so that a properly sealed product keeps for months without refrigeration.

Sealing food in a container and heating it to commercial sterility, so that the sealed package protects the sterile contents from recontamination during storage.

Removing water from a food by evaporation using sun, hot air or other heat, lowering water activity so that spoilage organisms can no longer grow.

Controlled drying of food under measured conditions of temperature, humidity and air flow, giving a more uniform and safer product than open sun drying.

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.

The unbroken series of refrigerated storage, transport and display steps that keeps a perishable product within its required temperature range from processing to the consumer.

A permitted substance such as salt, sugar, vinegar, benzoic acid or sulphur dioxide added to food to slow or prevent microbial growth and undesirable chemical changes.

Any substance added in small quantity to food for a technological purpose such as colour, flavour, preservation, thickening or emulsification, and permitted only within legal limits.

The maximum quantity of an additive or contaminant legally allowed in a specified food, set so that normal consumption stays within safe intake levels.

The condition in which food is free from hazards at levels that could harm the consumer, assured through good hygiene, correct processing and proper storage.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a systematic, preventive system that identifies hazards, sets control points with limits, monitors them and records corrective actions.

The set of documented rules on premises, equipment, personnel, process control and record keeping that a food unit must follow to produce safe, consistent products.

The practical cleaning and disinfecting of food-contact surfaces, equipment, utensils and premises to remove residues and reduce microorganisms to safe levels.

A living being too small to be seen without a microscope, such as bacteria, yeast or mould, some of which spoil food or cause illness while others are useful in fermentation.

Any change that makes food unfit or unacceptable to eat, shown by off-odour, souring, slime, mould growth, discolouration or softening, caused mainly by microbes, enzymes or oxidation.

A controlled microbial process in which yeasts, moulds or bacteria change sugars and other components, producing foods such as curd, idli, pickle, vinegar or bakery products.

A closure so tight that air and microorganisms cannot pass through it, essential in cans, retort pouches and bottles meant to keep sterile or dry contents stable.

The period during which a stored food keeps its expected safety, taste, colour and nutritive value under the stated storage conditions printed on the label.

The printed information on a package, including product name, ingredients, net quantity, nutritional details, storage instructions, batch number, date marking and manufacturer address.

The date up to which a properly stored food keeps its expected quality; it concerns quality rather than immediate safety, unlike a use-by date.

A daily food pattern supplying energy, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fibre in the proportions the body needs for growth, work and health.

The content of energy and essential nutrients in a food, often changed by processing, for example when milling removes bran and germ rich in fibre and vitamins.

The step-by-step work of turning an idea into a marketable food, covering recipe trials, sensory testing, shelf-life checks, costing, packaging and consumer feedback.

Judging food quality by trained or untrained tasters who score appearance, aroma, taste, texture and overall acceptability using a defined scale.

Enclosing food in a material that protects it from moisture, light, oxygen, dirt and damage, carries information and makes handling and sale convenient.

Working out the total expense of producing a food item, including raw material, labour, fuel, packaging, transport and overheads, to fix a selling price.

The amount charged to the buyer, calculated from total cost per unit plus a margin for profit, while staying acceptable against competing products.

The combined decisions on product, price, place and promotion that a small food enterprise uses to reach and satisfy its target customers.

Finding useful saleable applications for residues of processing, such as bran, oil cake, whey or fruit peel, reducing waste and adding income.