Western Cuisine Industrial Engineer flashcards

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

HACCP critical control point

A step where a control measure is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level, and where a measurable limit can be monitored in real time.

Danger zone temperature range

The 5-60 °C band in which bacteria multiply fastest. Ready-to-eat food held here accumulates time, and the 2-hour/4-hour rule sets discard decisions.

Two-stage cooling rule

Cooked food must fall from 57 °C to 21 °C within two hours, then to 5 °C within four more hours, giving a total cooling window of six hours.

Cold shortening in beef

Toughening that occurs when pre-rigor muscle is chilled below roughly 10 °C, causing strong contraction. Conditioning or electrical stimulation mitigates it.

Myoglobin colour states

Deoxymyoglobin is purple, oxymyoglobin cherry red after oxygen exposure, and metmyoglobin brown when oxidized. These states explain colour changes in displayed meat.

Scombrotoxin fish poisoning

Histamine forms when tuna, mackerel and similar fish are held warm, as bacteria decarboxylate histidine. Rapid chilling to near 0 °C after catch prevents it.

Ethylene producer versus sensitive

Producers such as apples and bananas release ethylene that accelerates ripening. Sensitive items such as leafy greens and cucumbers yellow or spoil faster when stored together.

Maillard reaction conditions

Browning between amino acids and reducing sugars, starting near 140-165 °C and requiring low surface moisture. It creates roasted aromas distinct from sugar caramelization.

Sous-vide time-temperature equivalence

Lower temperatures need longer holding to achieve the same lethality. Poultry core at 60 °C for about 25 minutes approximates 74 °C instantaneous pasteurization.

Blanching to fix colour

Heating produce at 90-100 °C for one to three minutes denatures polyphenol oxidase, stopping enzymatic browning and softening tissue before freezing or drying.

Emulsion break point

A warm emulsion such as hollandaise separates when heated above roughly 70 °C or cooled abruptly, because protein bonds coagulate and fat globules coalesce.

Yield percentage formula

Edible portion weight divided by as-purchased weight, multiplied by 100. It converts purchasing quantities and drives edible-portion costing.

Edible portion cost

As-purchased cost per kilogram divided by the yield percentage. A 70% yield on meat costing 10 per kg gives an edible-portion cost near 14.29 per kg.

Cooking yield definition

Finished cooked weight divided by raw weight. Roasts typically retain 75-85% through moisture and fat loss, while braised items may gain weight from absorbed liquid.

Standardized recipe contents

A document listing exact ingredient weights, procedure, equipment, portion size, total yield, plating instructions and critical control points, enabling consistent repetition across staff and shifts.

Scale-up heat transfer limit

As vessel volume grows, surface area per unit volume falls, so heating and cooling slow. Agitation, scraped-surface exchangers or thinner product layers compensate.

Clean-in-place parameters

CIP relies on caustic concentration near 1-2% at 60-80 °C, adequate contact time and flow above about 1.5 m/s to remove soil without dismantling equipment.

OEE calculation

Overall equipment effectiveness equals availability multiplied by performance multiplied by quality. It quantifies line losses and identifies the binding bottleneck.

Water activity threshold

Most bacteria require aw above 0.91, yeasts above 0.88 and xerophilic moulds above 0.70. Below 0.6 no microbial growth occurs, which is why dried foods keep.

Low-acid versus acidified food

Foods above pH 4.6 are low-acid and need refrigeration or a full botulinum cook. Foods at pH 4.6 or below are acidified and resist Clostridium botulinum.

Modified atmosphere packaging

Gas mixtures replace air in packs. Elevated carbon dioxide suppresses bacteria, reduced oxygen slows oxidation, and residual oxygen above 1% shortens shelf life.

Freezer burn mechanism

Surface dehydration by sublimation of ice in poorly wrapped frozen food. It causes dry, tough patches; vacuum packaging and tight overwrap prevent it.

EU fourteen regulated allergens

Gluten cereals, crustaceans, eggs, fish, peanuts, soybeans, milk, tree nuts, celery, mustard, sesame, sulphites above 10 mg/kg, lupin and molluscs must be declared.

Sodium to salt conversion

Salt in grams equals sodium in grams multiplied by 2.5. Labels declare salt in the EU and sodium in the US, so conversion is needed for comparison.

Atwater energy factors

Energy yields used on labels: carbohydrate 4 kcal/g, protein 4 kcal/g, fat 9 kcal/g, alcohol 7 kcal/g and fibre 2 kcal/g under EU rules.

Allergen cross-contact control

Preventing an allergen from reaching an allergen-free product through shared equipment, hands or air. Validated cleaning and allergen scheduling are the main controls.

Menu engineering quadrants

Stars sell well with high contribution margin, plough horses sell well with low margin, puzzles sell poorly with high margin, and dogs are low on both.

Contribution margin

Selling price minus food cost per portion. It measures each item's cash contribution to fixed costs and profit, and drives menu engineering classification.

Break-even point formula

Fixed costs divided by selling price minus variable cost per unit gives break-even units. Dividing fixed costs by the contribution margin ratio gives break-even revenue.

Triangle sensory test

Three coded samples are presented, two identical and one different. Assessors identify the odd sample; the test detects small differences with modest panel sizes.

Statistical process control

Plotting measured quality attributes against control limits. Points outside limits or clear trends indicate special causes, while variation within limits is common cause.

Traceability one step rule

Operators must record the supplier of each input and the customer of each output, retaining records for at least the product shelf life so recalls can be executed.

Lockout tagout purpose

Isolating energy sources on slicers, mixers and conveyors before cleaning or maintenance, with locks and tags, prevents unexpected start-up injuries to workers.