CDACC Food Production flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Mise en place

French term meaning everything in its place: all ingredients measured, cut, and arranged before cooking begins so service runs without interruption.

Standard recipe yield

The number of portions or total mass a standard recipe produces under defined conditions; it is the basis for portion control and purchasing calculations.

Temperature danger zone

The range between 5 °C and 60 °C in which bacteria multiply most rapidly; food should spend minimal cumulative time within it.

Two-hour four-hour rule

Food held in the danger zone under two hours may be chilled again; two to four hours must be used at once; beyond four hours it is discarded.

Cooling requirement

Cooked food must fall from 60 °C to 21 °C within two hours, then to 5 °C within four more hours, using shallow pans or blast chilling.

Hot holding minimum

Ready-to-eat food kept for service must be held at 63 °C or above, checked with a probe thermometer and recorded at intervals.

Maillard reaction

Browning between amino acids and reducing sugars at high dry heat, producing colour and savoury flavour; it requires a dry surface.

Caramelisation

Thermal breakdown of sugars alone at roughly 160 °C and above, producing brown colour and sweet-bitter notes without protein involvement.

Braising method

A combined method: sear the item, add liquid to part height, cover, and cook gently so collagen converts to gelatine and tough cuts become tender.

Blanching and ice-shock

Brief boiling followed by immediate immersion in ice water; it sets colour, stops enzymatic browning, and partially cooks vegetables before final service.

Water activity

The availability of water for microbial growth; values below 0.85 inhibit most bacteria and below 0.60 inhibit yeasts and moulds.

pH 4.6 threshold

Below this acidity level Clostridium botulinum cannot grow, so high-acid foods may be processed in boiling water rather than a pressure retort.

Blanching before freezing

Heating vegetables briefly before freezing deactivates enzymes that otherwise cause off-flavours, colour loss, and texture breakdown during frozen storage.

Vacuum packaging risk

Removing oxygen favours anaerobic pathogens such as Listeria and botulinum, so vacuum-packed chilled foods need strict temperature and shelf-life controls.

Atwater energy factors

Energy values used in nutrition calculation: carbohydrate 4 kcal per gram, protein 4 kcal per gram, fat 9 kcal per gram, alcohol 7 kcal per gram.

Limiting amino acid

The essential amino acid present in shortest supply relative to need; it caps the protein quality of that food, as lysine does in cereals.

Protein complementation

Combining foods with different limiting amino acids, such as cereals with legumes, to produce a mixture of higher biological value.

Regulated allergens

Fourteen food groups that must be declared on menus and labels, including gluten cereals, egg, milk, fish, crustaceans, peanuts, soy, and sulphites.

Menu engineering matrix

A tool classifying dishes by popularity and contribution margin into stars, plough horses, puzzles, and dogs to guide menu decisions.

Contribution margin

Selling price minus food cost for a dish; it shows cash generated per cover and is preferred over food cost percentage for ranking items.

Food cost percentage

Food cost divided by food sales, multiplied by 100; it measures cost efficiency within a comparable category of menu items.

Sensory evaluation

Structured assessment of appearance, aroma, texture, flavour, and aftertaste using a defined scoring scale and trained panel rather than personal opinion.

Honing versus sharpening

Honing realigns a knife edge and is done frequently; sharpening removes metal to create a new edge and is done far less often.

Probe thermometer calibration

Verifying accuracy in ice water at 0 °C and boiling water at 100 °C, adjusting the device, and recording the check at defined intervals.

Combi oven modes

A single appliance operating in convection, steam, or combined mode; steam accelerates heat transfer and reduces shrinkage during cooking.

Colour-coded boards

Chopping boards assigned by food type, such as raw meat, ready-to-eat, fish, and vegetables, to prevent cross-contamination during preparation.

Food cost calculation

Opening inventory plus purchases minus closing inventory gives the cost of food consumed during the period, used for cost reporting.

Edible portion cost

As-purchased price per kilogram divided by the yield percentage; it gives the true cost of the usable part of an ingredient.

FIFO and FEFO

First in, first out rotates stock by receipt date; first expired, first out rotates by expiry date, which is stricter for perishable and short-life items.

Par level

The minimum stock quantity plus safety stock that should trigger reordering, calculated from usage rate, lead time, and buffer needs.

Class F fire

A fire involving cooking oils and fats; it requires a wet chemical extinguisher, and water must never be applied.

Manual handling technique

Lift with the legs, keep the load close to the body, avoid twisting, and use trolleys or team lifts for heavy or awkward loads.

Used cooking oil disposal

Oil is cooled, stored in a labelled container, and collected for recycling or biodiesel; it must never be poured into drains.