English for food engineers and food industry staff
Food Science & Technology Vocabulary: 100 Key English Terms
Food engineers, quality staff and production teams use English every day: in specifications, HACCP plans, audit reports, supplier certificates, export labels and research papers. This glossary collects the words a newcomer needs first, from processing and preservation to microbiology, food safety, quality control, additives, packaging, shelf life and regulations. Each entry explains the meaning, shows how people in the food industry really use the word and gives its Turkish equivalent.
100 terms
10 topics
65 core terms
200 example sentences
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Food Processing
raw material
noun
Meaning
A basic material, such as milk, flour, fruit or meat, that a factory receives and processes to make its products.
Where you use it
Used in purchasing, goods-in inspection and specifications. Raw materials are received, inspected, sampled, accepted or rejected, and then stored. Many plants track raw materials separately from packaging materials and finished goods. Common phrases are raw material specification and approved raw material supplier.
Examples
The raw material was rejected at goods-in because the milk temperature was 9 °C.
Raw material costs make up about 60 percent of the product price.
Common phrases
raw material specification · raw material supplier · raw material inspection · incoming raw materials · reject a raw material
A quantity of product made at one time, under the same conditions and from the same materials, so that it can be identified and traced as one unit.
Where you use it
Used every day on the production floor and in the lab. People make, test, release, hold or reject a batch. In batch processing a fixed amount is processed at a time, unlike continuous processing. 'Lot' often means the same thing, and the batch or lot code on the pack makes recalls possible.
Examples
Batch 2417 failed the moisture test, so put it on hold until we re-test it.
Each batch of yogurt is checked for pH before it goes to the cold room.
Common phrases
batch number · batch record · release a batch · batch processing · reject a batch
The methods that turn raw agricultural products into foods that are safer, last longer, are easier to use or are more appealing, from washing and cutting to cooking and packing.
Where you use it
A broad word for both the industry and the activity: food processing plant, food processing equipment. Engineers describe it as a series of unit operations such as mixing, heating, cooling, separation and drying. In the media you also hear 'processed food' and 'ultra-processed food'.
Examples
She has ten years of experience in food processing, mainly in dairy and juice plants.
Modern food processing lines are controlled from a single screen in the control room.
Common phrases
food processing plant · food processing equipment · food processing industry · minimal processing · unit operation
A process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeasts or molds change sugars and other components of food, producing acids, alcohol or gas and new flavors.
Where you use it
Behind yogurt, cheese, bread, beer, wine, pickles, vinegar and sucuk. Producers control fermentation with starter cultures, temperature and time, and follow it by measuring pH or acidity. The verb is 'ferment': the milk is fermented at 42 °C.
Examples
We stop the fermentation when the yogurt reaches pH 4.6 and then cool it quickly.
Slow fermentation of the bread dough often means the yeast was too old.
A process that pushes a liquid such as milk through a narrow gap under high pressure, breaking fat globules into very small ones so that the cream does not separate.
Where you use it
Standard in milk, cream, ice cream mix, juices and sauces. It is done in a homogenizer, for milk typically at about 150–250 bar, and is often combined with pasteurization. It improves stability, mouthfeel and appearance. The verb is 'homogenize'; non-homogenized milk forms a cream layer on top.
Examples
Homogenization at 200 bar stopped the cream layer forming in the bottles.
The homogenization valve was worn, so the fat globules were larger than normal.
A process that forces a food mixture through a shaped opening called a die, often while cooking it with heat and pressure, to make products like pasta, snacks and breakfast cereals.
Where you use it
An extruder has one or two screws (single-screw or twin-screw) inside a heated barrel. In cooking extrusion, the product expands as it leaves the die because its water flashes into steam. Operators control screw speed, temperature, moisture and die pressure. It is also used for textured plant protein and pet food.
Examples
Extrusion lets us make corn snacks in many shapes just by changing the die.
Higher moisture during extrusion gave a denser, less crunchy snack.
A short heat treatment in hot water or steam, followed by quick cooling, used on vegetables and some fruits mainly to inactivate enzymes before freezing, canning or drying.
Where you use it
Blanching stops enzymes that cause off-flavors, color loss and browning during storage. It also cleans the product, lowers the number of microbes and softens it for packing. Plants check it with a peroxidase test. Over-blanching wastes energy and causes vitamin loss and a soft texture.
Examples
Blanching the green beans for two minutes keeps their bright color after freezing.
A positive peroxidase test means the blanching time was too short.
Common phrases
steam blanching · water blanching · blanching time · peroxidase test · blanch and freeze
Removing part of the water from a liquid food by boiling it, usually under vacuum at a lower temperature, to make a concentrate such as tomato paste or juice concentrate.
Where you use it
Done in evaporators, often multiple-effect or falling-film types, which reuse steam to save energy. For juices and pastes, concentration is measured in degrees Brix (°Brix). Used for condensed milk, milk before spray drying, fruit juice concentrates, tomato paste and sugar syrups.
Examples
Evaporation under vacuum lets us concentrate the juice at 60 °C instead of 100 °C.
After evaporation, the double-concentrated tomato paste reaches 28 to 30 °Brix.
Common phrases
vacuum evaporation · multiple-effect evaporator · falling-film evaporator · degrees Brix · concentrate a juice
A drying method that sprays a liquid as very fine droplets into hot air, so that the water evaporates in seconds and a fine powder is collected.
Where you use it
Used for milk powder, instant coffee, whey protein, flavorings and egg powder. The liquid is usually concentrated first by evaporation. Key settings are the inlet and outlet air temperatures and the atomizer, which is either a nozzle or a spinning disc. Engineers talk about powder moisture, bulk density and solubility.
Examples
Spray drying turns the concentrated milk into powder in a few seconds.
During spray drying, the outlet air temperature controls the moisture of the powder.
Common phrases
spray dryer · inlet temperature · outlet temperature · milk powder · spray-dried powder
A piece of equipment that transfers heat between two fluids without mixing them, for example to heat milk with hot water or to cool it with ice water.
Where you use it
Common types are plate heat exchangers (PHE) in milk and juice pasteurizers, tubular ones for thicker products and scraped-surface ones for very viscous foods. In a pasteurizer, the regeneration section uses hot product to preheat cold product and save energy. Tiny cracks in the plates can cause contamination.
Examples
A crack in the plate heat exchanger let cooling water leak into the pasteurized milk.
We open and inspect the heat exchanger plates once a year.
An automatic system that cleans the inside of pipes, tanks, heat exchangers and fillers by circulating water and cleaning chemicals, without taking the equipment apart.
Where you use it
Almost always called CIP. A typical cycle is pre-rinse, hot caustic wash, intermediate rinse, acid wash and final rinse, sometimes followed by sanitizing. Engineers control four factors: time, temperature, chemical concentration and flow. Results are verified with conductivity checks and swabs. Cleaning equipment taken apart is called COP (clean-out-of-place).
Examples
The clean-in-place cycle on the yogurt line takes about 90 minutes.
Low caustic concentration during clean-in-place left a protein film inside the pipes.
Common phrases
CIP cycle · CIP system · caustic wash · acid wash · final rinse
The amount of finished product obtained from a given amount of raw material, usually shown as a percentage.
Where you use it
A key cost figure for production managers. People talk about cheese yield from milk, cooking yield of meat, juice yield from fruit and overall line yield. 'Yield' is also a verb: 100 kg of olives yields about 15–20 kg of oil. Losses lower the yield.
Examples
Our cheese yield dropped because the milk had less protein in summer.
The new peeler improved the yield of the potato line by 4 percent.
A connected series of machines and work stations through which a product moves step by step from raw material to packed finished goods.
Where you use it
In everyday factory talk people just say 'the line': start up the line, stop the line, line speed, line changeover. Supervisors track output, downtime and efficiency (OEE) for each line. A 'line clearance' check removes the previous product's labels and packaging before a new product starts.
Examples
We had to stop the production line for two hours because the labeler broke down.
The new production line can fill 12,000 bottles an hour.
Common phrases
line speed · line changeover · line clearance · stop the line · start up the line
A mild heat treatment that kills most disease-causing and many spoilage microorganisms while keeping the taste and nutrients of the food as unchanged as possible.
Where you use it
Mostly used for milk, juice, liquid egg and beer. HTST (high temperature, short time) pasteurization of milk is typically 72 °C for 15 seconds. Pasteurized products are not sterile, so they usually need refrigeration. The verb is 'pasteurize'; British English also writes 'pasteurisation'.
Examples
After pasteurization, the milk is cooled immediately to 4 °C and pumped into storage tanks.
The alkaline phosphatase test confirms that pasteurization was carried out correctly.
A treatment, usually with high heat, that destroys microorganisms and their spores so that a food can be stored at room temperature without spoiling or becoming unsafe.
Where you use it
Used for canned foods, ready meals in pouches and equipment. In food plants it usually means 'commercial sterility': the product is not absolutely free of microbes, but nothing can grow in it under normal storage. Low-acid canned foods are typically processed in a retort at about 121 °C.
Examples
Sterilization in the retort takes 40 minutes for the 400 g cans.
We validated the sterilization process with temperature probes placed at the cold spot of the can.
Usage note
Pasteurization reduces the number of microorganisms; sterilization destroys practically all of them, including spores. Do not use the two words as synonyms.
Common phrases
commercial sterilization · retort sterilization · sterilization temperature · sterilize equipment · sterilization value
Any process that uses heat to make food safe, extend its shelf life or change its properties, such as pasteurization, sterilization, blanching or cooking.
Where you use it
Used in process descriptions, HACCP plans and research. A heat treatment is always defined by time and temperature together: 'a heat treatment of 90 °C for 10 minutes'. Engineers also say 'thermal processing'. Too much heat damages color, flavor and vitamins, so the aim is the mildest treatment that is still safe.
Examples
The heat treatment must bring the center of the product to at least 75 °C.
A milder heat treatment kept the fresh color of the strawberry puree.
Keeping food at low temperatures above freezing, usually 0–5 °C, to slow down microbial growth and chemical changes.
Where you use it
Used for chilled storage and the equipment that provides it. Refrigeration slows down spoilage but does not stop it, and some pathogens such as Listeria can still grow. Packs say 'Keep refrigerated' or 'Store below 5 °C'. In everyday speech people say 'fridge'; in industry, 'chiller' and 'cold room'.
Examples
The product needs refrigeration after opening and should be used within three days.
A failure in the refrigeration unit raised the cold room to 11 °C overnight.
Common phrases
under refrigeration · keep refrigerated · refrigeration unit · refrigerated storage · refrigeration system
Lowering the temperature of food until most of its water turns to ice, which stops microbial growth and slows chemical changes for months.
Where you use it
Frozen foods are normally stored at –18 °C or colder. Fast freezing, for example in a blast freezer or by IQF (individually quick frozen), forms small ice crystals and protects texture. Freezing does not kill most bacteria; they become active again after thawing. Typical problems are freezer burn and drip loss.
Examples
Slow freezing formed large ice crystals that damaged the texture of the strawberries.
Freezing stops bacteria from growing, but it doesn't kill them.
Usage note
The past participle of 'freeze' is 'frozen' (frozen peas), not 'freezed'.
Removing water from food, usually with heat and moving air, to lower its water activity so that microorganisms cannot grow and the product keeps for a long time.
Where you use it
One of the oldest preservation methods. Turkey is one of the world's leading producers of sun-dried apricots, figs and raisins. Industry uses hot-air dryers, drum dryers, spray dryers and freeze-drying. 'Dehydration' is a near synonym in technical texts. The product is 'dried', as in dried fruit.
Examples
Drying at a lower temperature took longer but kept more of the apricots' color.
Sun drying is cheap, but the product is exposed to dust and insects.
Common phrases
sun drying · hot-air drying · freeze-drying · drying temperature · drying time
Preserving food by sealing it in airtight containers such as cans or jars and heating it enough to destroy the microorganisms that could grow during storage.
Where you use it
Covers filling, removing air, seaming or capping, retort processing and cooling. Low-acid foods such as beans and meat need a full botulinum cook, while acidic foods such as tomatoes and fruit need milder heat. 'Canned food' is the US and international term; British English often says 'tinned'.
Examples
Canning lets us sell summer vegetables all year round without refrigeration.
Swollen cans are a warning sign of under-processing during canning.
Usage note
Turkish 'konserve' is 'canned food' or 'canned goods' in English. 'Preserves' usually means jam or fruit kept in sugar.
Common phrases
canning line · canned food · retort processing · double seam · home canning
Ultra-high temperature: a heat treatment that heats a liquid food to about 135–150 °C for a few seconds and then packs it aseptically, so it keeps for months without refrigeration.
Where you use it
Mostly used for milk, cream, plant-based drinks and liquid desserts. Heating can be direct, by injecting steam, or indirect, through heat exchangers. UHT milk has a slightly cooked taste compared with pasteurized milk. People say 'UHT milk' or, in the UK, 'long-life milk'.
Examples
UHT milk in cartons can be stored for six months at room temperature until it is opened.
The UHT plant heats the milk to 140 °C for four seconds.
The time needed at a given temperature to kill 90 percent of a population of a particular microorganism, which is a one-log reduction.
Where you use it
A basic number in thermal process design, written with the temperature as a subscript, such as D121. A '12D process' lasts twelve times the D-value. The related z-value is the temperature change that changes the D-value tenfold. Process engineers use both to calculate lethality.
Examples
If the D-value at 121 °C is 0.2 minutes, a 12D process needs 2.4 minutes.
Bacterial spores have a much higher D-value than vegetative cells.
Common phrases
z-value · 12D process · log reduction · thermal death time · decimal reduction time
A microorganism, such as a bacterium, virus or parasite, that can cause disease in people who eat or drink a contaminated product.
Where you use it
Used in microbiology labs, HACCP plans and specifications. Typical food pathogens are Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and Campylobacter. Lab reports state whether a pathogen was 'detected' or 'not detected in 25 g'. The adjective is 'pathogenic'.
Examples
The cooking step must achieve at least a five-log reduction of the target pathogen.
All finished batches are tested for pathogens before release.
Usage note
Not every microorganism is a pathogen: yogurt cultures and baker's yeast are harmless and useful. Spoilage organisms make food unpleasant but usually not dangerous.
Any change that makes food unacceptable to eat, such as off-flavors, bad smells, slime, gas or mold, often caused by microorganisms, enzymes or oxidation.
Where you use it
Used when talking about quality losses, customer complaints and shelf life. Spoilage organisms are different from pathogens: they make the product look, smell or taste bad. Typical signs are swollen packs, sour taste and visible mold. The verb is 'spoil': the yogurt spoiled.
Examples
Yeast spoilage caused the juice bottles to swell in the warehouse.
Most complaints this summer were about early spoilage of the chilled desserts.
Common phrases
microbial spoilage · spoilage organisms · signs of spoilage · prevent spoilage · early spoilage
A living organism too small to see without a microscope, such as a bacterium, yeast or mold; some spoil food, some cause disease and some are useful.
Where you use it
A general scientific word used in textbooks, specifications and lab reports. In speech people often say 'microbes', and 'micro' for the lab or the tests: 'send it to micro'. Microorganisms are grouped into spoilage organisms, pathogens and useful ones such as starter cultures and probiotics.
Examples
The packaging film is a barrier to oxygen, moisture and microorganisms.
Lowering the pH below 4.0 stops most microorganisms in the sauce from growing.
Single-celled microorganisms that multiply quickly in suitable conditions; some cause food poisoning or spoilage, while others are used to make foods like yogurt and cheese.
Where you use it
Bacteria is the plural; the singular is bacterium. Food scientists describe them as Gram-positive or Gram-negative, aerobic or anaerobic, and spore-forming or not. Lab results are given in colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g). In ideal conditions some bacteria can double in about 20 minutes.
Examples
Lactic acid bacteria turn the milk sugar into acid and give yogurt its taste.
Spore-forming bacteria survived pasteurization and spoiled the soup within a week.
Usage note
Turkish speakers often say 'a bacteria' or 'bacterias'. The correct forms are one bacterium, many bacteria. Everyday English sometimes uses 'bacteria' as a singular, but avoid it in reports.
A type of fungus that grows as fuzzy threads on food surfaces; it causes visible spoilage, and some types produce harmful toxins called mycotoxins.
Where you use it
Spelled 'mold' in American and 'mould' in British English. Molds tolerate lower water activity and pH than most bacteria, so they spoil bread, cheese, jam and dried fruit. Aflatoxins from Aspergillus molds are a serious export issue for nuts, dried figs and spices. Lab results are reported as 'yeasts and molds'.
Examples
We found mold on the bread after four days, so the stated shelf life is too long.
The yeast and mold count in the cheese was within the limit.
Usage note
'Mold' also means a container that gives a shape to a liquid or soft food, such as a chocolate mold; in Turkish that is 'kalıp'.
A single-celled fungus that ferments sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide; it is used to make bread, beer and wine but can also spoil juices and sweet foods.
Where you use it
Baker's and brewer's yeast is mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In quality reports, yeasts are counted together with molds. Spoilage yeasts can grow at low pH and high sugar levels, causing gas, swollen packs and alcoholic or fruity off-flavors.
Examples
Fresh yeast is kept in the cold room and used within a few weeks.
Wild yeasts in the orange juice produced gas and made the bottles bulge.
Usage note
Turkish 'maya' is wider than 'yeast'. Yogurt 'maya' is a starter culture of bacteria, and cheese 'maya' is usually rennet, an enzyme.
Any illness caused by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with harmful microorganisms, their toxins, chemicals or parasites.
Where you use it
The technical term in public health and food safety; 'food poisoning' is the everyday phrase. Health authorities investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness and trace them to a food and a source. Typical symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and fever. It is also written 'food-borne'.
Examples
The outbreak of foodborne illness was linked to undercooked chicken at a wedding.
Most cases of foodborne illness can be prevented with proper cooking, cooling and handwashing.
Common phrases
outbreak of foodborne illness · cause foodborne illness · foodborne pathogen · food poisoning · foodborne disease
A group of bacteria that cause salmonellosis, a common foodborne illness, often linked to raw or undercooked poultry, eggs and meat, and to some fresh produce.
Where you use it
As a genus name it is written in italics with a capital S. Specifications usually require 'Salmonella: not detected in 25 g'. Proper cooking and pasteurization kill it, but it can survive for a long time in dry foods such as chocolate, spices, tahini and milk powder.
Examples
Salmonella was detected in one sample of tahini, so the whole lot was blocked.
Cooking chicken to 75 °C in the center kills Salmonella.
Common phrases
Salmonella testing · Salmonella outbreak · not detected in 25 g · Salmonella-free · Salmonella contamination
A group of bacteria; the species Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a rare but serious foodborne illness that is especially dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, older people and people with weak immunity.
Where you use it
A major concern in ready-to-eat foods such as soft cheeses, smoked fish, cooked meats and prepared salads, because it can grow at refrigerator temperatures. Factories run environmental monitoring programs, swabbing drains and floors for Listeria. People often say just 'Listeria' when they mean L. monocytogenes.
Examples
Listeria was found in a floor drain, so we increased cleaning and swabbing in that area.
Unlike most pathogens, Listeria keeps growing slowly in the fridge.
A spore-forming bacterium that grows without oxygen and produces botulinum toxin, one of the strongest known poisons, which causes the rare but potentially fatal illness botulism.
Where you use it
The main target of canning: low-acid canned foods (pH above 4.6) get a '12D' botulinum cook, usually at least the equivalent of 3 minutes at 121 °C (an F0 of 3). Risks include home-canned vegetables, poorly processed fish and some vacuum-packed chilled foods. After the first mention it is written 'C. botulinum'.
Examples
The retort process is designed to destroy Clostridium botulinum spores at the cold spot of the can.
Clostridium botulinum cannot grow at pH 4.6 or below, so acidified vegetables need less heat.
Usage note
The illness is called 'botulism', not 'botulinum'. 'Botulinum' refers to the bacterium and its toxin.
Common phrases
botulinum cook · botulinum toxin · C. botulinum spores · low-acid canned food · 12D process
A laboratory count of all the aerobic bacteria in a sample that grow into colonies on an agar plate, used as a general indicator of hygiene and spoilage.
Where you use it
Also called aerobic plate count (APC) or total viable count (TVC). Results are given in colony-forming units per gram or milliliter (cfu/g, cfu/ml), often as logs. A high count does not mean pathogens are present, but it points to poor raw material, hygiene or temperature control.
Examples
The total plate count of the raw milk was 50,000 cfu/ml, well under our limit.
A rising total plate count on the slicer swabs told us the cleaning was not working.
Common phrases
aerobic plate count · total viable count · colony-forming units · cfu per gram · plate count agar
The practices and conditions that keep food free from hazards, so that it does not make people ill when it is prepared and eaten as intended.
Where you use it
The central idea of the whole industry. You hear it in job titles (food safety manager), systems (food safety management system), training, audits and law. People say a product 'poses a food safety risk' or that something is 'a food safety issue, not a quality issue'.
Examples
Every new employee completes a food safety course before starting on the line.
The complaint about undercooked chicken is a food safety issue, not just a quality problem.
Usage note
Do not confuse food safety with food security. Food security means that people have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food.
Common phrases
food safety management system · food safety culture · food safety team · food safety risk · ensure food safety
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points: a preventive system that identifies food safety hazards and controls them at specific steps of production, based on seven principles.
Where you use it
Used in every food factory, kitchen and audit. A HACCP team writes, implements, verifies and reviews the HACCP plan. Most people say it as one word, 'HASS-up'. It is recognized internationally through the Codex Alimentarius and is a legal requirement in many countries.
Examples
We need to update the HACCP plan before the new frying line starts.
The auditor asked to see our HACCP records for the last three months.
Usage note
You can say it as one word, 'HASS-up', or letter by letter; both are understood. In writing, use capitals and no dots.
Common phrases
HACCP plan · HACCP team · HACCP principles · HACCP certification · implement HACCP
The presence or entry of something harmful or unwanted in food, such as microorganisms, chemicals, allergens or pieces of glass, metal or plastic.
Where you use it
A core word in hygiene training, HACCP plans and audit reports. It is classed as microbiological, chemical, physical or allergen contamination. Common verbs are prevent, cause, detect and trace the source of. The adjective 'contaminated' describes the product, surface or water.
Examples
The investigation traced the contamination to a leaking cooling-water pipe above the filler.
Hairnets and beard covers reduce the risk of physical contamination.
Common phrases
microbiological contamination · chemical contamination · physical contamination · prevent contamination · source of contamination
A substance, usually a protein, that can cause an allergic reaction in sensitive people, sometimes a severe one, even in very small amounts.
Where you use it
Allergen management is a major part of food safety. EU and Turkish rules list 14 major allergens, including gluten, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, sesame and soy, which must be emphasized in the ingredient list. Factories control them with separate storage, production order, cleaning checks and 'may contain' warnings.
Examples
We run the hazelnut products last and do a full clean before the next allergen-free run.
The recall happened because milk, a major allergen, was missing from the label.
Usage note
US law lists nine major allergens, and American English often says 'allergen cross-contact' rather than 'cross-contamination'.
A step in a process where a control can be applied and is essential to prevent, remove or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to CCP and numbered in the HACCP plan, for example CCP1 cooking and CCP2 metal detection. Each CCP has critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions and records. Teams often use a decision tree to decide whether a step is a CCP.
Examples
Cooking is the main critical control point on this line because it is the step that kills Salmonella.
The metal detector is a critical control point, so it is checked with test pieces every hour.
Common phrases
identify a critical control point · CCP monitoring · CCP decision tree · CCP record · CCP verification
The conditions and practices, such as cleaning, handwashing and protective clothing, that prevent food from being contaminated by people, equipment or the environment.
Where you use it
Used in training, audits and law: personal hygiene, food hygiene, hygiene rules. 'Hygienic design' means equipment that is easy to clean and has no dead spots. Good hygiene practice (GHP) is one of the basic foundations of HACCP. The adjective is 'hygienic'.
Examples
Personal hygiene rules apply to everyone who enters production, including visitors.
The auditor raised a minor finding because the hygiene station had no paper towels.
Usage note
It is pronounced HY-jeen, with the stress on the first syllable, not 'hi-gi-en'.
Common phrases
personal hygiene · food hygiene · hygiene station · hygienic design · good hygiene practice
The transfer of harmful microorganisms, allergens or other contaminants from one food, surface, tool or person to another food.
Where you use it
A key word in hygiene training and plant design. Classic examples are raw meat juices dripping onto ready-to-eat food, or using the same knife for both. Factories prevent it with separate high-risk and low-risk areas, color-coded tools, a one-way flow of people and materials, and cleaning.
Examples
Use the red boards for raw meat only to avoid cross-contamination.
The new wall between the raw and cooked areas reduced the risk of cross-contamination.
Common phrases
prevent cross-contamination · risk of cross-contamination · allergen cross-contact · color-coded equipment · high-risk area
The cleaning and sanitizing of equipment, surfaces and the whole plant so that dirt, food residues and microorganisms are removed or reduced to safe levels.
Where you use it
Common in North American plants, where a sanitation crew often cleans at night and follows written sanitation procedures (SSOPs). The usual order is: remove debris, rinse, clean with detergent, rinse, then sanitize. To 'sanitize' is to reduce microbes to safe levels; to 'disinfect' is a stronger kill.
Examples
The sanitation team starts at 10 p.m. after the last shift finishes.
Swab results after sanitation showed the filler was still not clean.
Usage note
In British English 'sanitation' more often means sewage and drinking water systems; food plants there usually say 'cleaning and disinfection'.
The first HACCP step, in which a team lists the biological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards at each process step and judges how likely and how severe each one is.
Where you use it
Teams carry out or conduct a hazard analysis, usually on a flow diagram that has been checked on the factory floor. The result shows which hazards are significant and which control measures, prerequisite programs or CCPs control them. Note the difference: a hazard is the danger itself; risk is its likelihood and severity.
Examples
We need to repeat the hazard analysis because the new supplier uses a different drying process.
The hazard analysis identified glass as a physical hazard at the jar-filling step.
Common phrases
conduct a hazard analysis · significant hazard · control measure · flow diagram · risk assessment
The maximum or minimum value, such as a temperature, time or pH, that must be met at a critical control point to keep a hazard under control.
Where you use it
Each CCP has measurable critical limits, for example 'core temperature at least 72 °C for 2 minutes' or 'metal detector rejects the 2.0 mm ferrous test piece'. If a reading is outside the limit, the process is out of control and a corrective action starts. Many plants also set tighter operating limits.
Examples
The critical limit for the pasteurizer is 72 °C; below that, the divert valve sends the milk back.
Every time a critical limit is breached, the shift leader must fill in a deviation report.
Common phrases
set a critical limit · breach a critical limit · operating limit · outside the critical limit · validate critical limits
The steps taken when something goes wrong, such as a missed critical limit or an audit finding, to deal with the affected product and stop the problem from happening again.
Where you use it
Used in HACCP plans, audits and quality systems. A good corrective action includes an immediate correction, a root cause analysis and steps to prevent the problem from coming back. People say 'take corrective action', 'close a corrective action' or talk about CAPA (corrective and preventive action).
Examples
As a corrective action, all product made since the last good check was put on hold.
The auditor gave us 28 days to send evidence of corrective action.
Usage note
A 'correction' fixes the immediate problem; a 'corrective action' removes its cause. Auditors expect you to know the difference.
Common phrases
take corrective action · corrective action plan · root cause analysis · CAPA · close out a corrective action
To check or measure something regularly, such as a temperature at a CCP, and record the results so that problems are noticed and dealt with quickly.
Where you use it
A key HACCP verb: each CCP plan states what is monitored, how, how often and by whom. Monitoring can be continuous, like a temperature recorder, or periodic, like hourly checks. The noun is 'monitoring', as in environmental monitoring and monitoring records.
Examples
Operators monitor the oil temperature in the fryer every 30 minutes.
The cold room is monitored around the clock and sends an alarm if it goes above 5 °C.
Usage note
Do not confuse 'monitor' with 'control'. You monitor a CCP to see whether it is under control; you control it by adjusting the process.
Common phrases
monitor temperature · monitoring frequency · monitoring record · continuous monitoring · environmental monitoring
Any physical object in food that should not be there, such as glass, metal, hard plastic, wood, stones, insects or hair.
Where you use it
A leading cause of customer complaints. Factories prevent foreign bodies with sieves, magnets, metal detectors, X-ray machines, registers of glass and hard plastics, and knife and tool controls. Complaint reports say 'foreign body found in product'. It is also called 'foreign matter' or 'foreign object'.
Examples
The customer found a foreign body in the yogurt; it looks like a piece of blue plastic.
The X-ray machine rejects packs with foreign bodies such as bone, stone or glass.
Common phrases
foreign body complaint · foreign body detection · metal detector · glass and hard plastics register · foreign matter
The planned measures that keep rodents, insects and birds out of food premises and find and deal with any that get in.
Where you use it
Usually done by a licensed contractor with bait stations, insect light traps (electric fly killers), pheromone traps and regular reports. Auditors check the site map, trend analysis and pest activity records. Proofing, such as closing gaps and fitting strip curtains on doors, is the first line of defense.
Examples
The pest control contractor found mouse droppings near the flour store.
Pest control reports must be reviewed every month and signed by the quality manager.
Common phrases
pest control contractor · bait station · insect light trap · pest activity · pest proofing
A basic hygiene or operating condition, such as cleaning, pest control, staff hygiene or maintenance, that must be in place before a HACCP system can work.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to PRP; British English writes 'prerequisite programme'. ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 use the term widely, and ISO/TS 22002-1 lists the PRPs for food manufacturing. People say things like 'that hazard is controlled by a PRP, not a CCP'.
Examples
Allergen control, water quality and supplier approval are part of our prerequisite program.
Without a strong prerequisite program, the HACCP plan would need far too many CCPs.
The checks, measurements and tests carried out on raw materials, products in process and finished goods to make sure they meet the agreed specifications.
Where you use it
Used for both the activity and the department: 'QC found a problem', 'ask QC'. Quality control focuses on finding defects in products, while quality assurance (QA) designs the systems that prevent them. Many food companies have separate QC lab staff and QA managers.
Examples
Quality control takes samples from the line every hour to check weight and seal strength.
The new quality control lab can test fat, protein and moisture in under ten minutes.
Usage note
Quality control (QC) and quality assurance (QA) are often confused. QC checks the product; QA manages the system that makes the product right the first time.
Common phrases
quality control lab · quality control checks · QC release · in-process quality control · pass quality control
The scientific testing of food with the human senses (sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing) by trained panels or by consumers.
Where you use it
Used in R&D, quality control and shelf-life studies. Common methods include the triangle test (can people find the odd sample?), descriptive analysis by trained panelists, and hedonic tests in which consumers rate liking on a 9-point scale. People 'run a sensory panel' or 'do a taste test'.
Examples
Sensory evaluation showed no difference between the old recipe and the reduced-sugar recipe.
We do a quick sensory evaluation of every batch: color, smell, taste and texture.
Taking a small, representative part of a batch or lot for testing, so that the result can be used to judge the whole quantity.
Where you use it
Used for raw materials, finished products, water and environmental swabs. A sampling plan says how many units to take, from where and how often. Microbiological criteria often use n (units tested), c (how many may fall between the limits m and M) and the limits m and M. You take, draw or collect a sample.
Examples
Sampling is done according to the plan: five cans from every pallet.
Poor sampling can miss aflatoxin, because it is not evenly spread through a nut lot.
Common phrases
sampling plan · random sampling · take a sample · representative sample · sampling frequency
A document that sets out the agreed requirements for a raw material, packaging or product, such as composition, chemical and microbiological limits, appearance and packing.
Where you use it
Often shortened to 'spec'. Suppliers and customers agree on and sign specifications, and a product is either 'in spec' or 'out of spec'. Retailers usually require a finished product specification for each item, and buyers compare deliveries against the raw material specification.
Examples
The specification allows a maximum of 0.5 percent foreign matter in the raisins.
This lot does not meet the specification for moisture, so it goes on hold.
Common phrases
product specification · raw material specification · out of spec · meet the specification · agree a specification
The way a food feels in the hand and mouth, such as hard, soft, crisp, chewy, smooth or creamy, which comes from its physical structure.
Where you use it
Assessed by sensory panels and measured with instruments such as a texture analyzer, which records hardness, springiness or crispness. Texture changes are often the first sign of a shelf-life problem: crackers go soft, bread goes stale and ice cream gets icy.
Examples
Customers complained that the texture of the new burger was too soft.
We use a texture analyzer to measure the hardness of the cookies after baking.
A measure of how thick a liquid is and how strongly it resists flowing; honey has a high viscosity, while water has a low viscosity.
Where you use it
Measured with a viscometer or rheometer and given in pascal-seconds (Pa·s) or centipoise (cP). Important for sauces, yogurt and syrups, and for pump and pipe design. Many foods are non-Newtonian: ketchup, for example, flows more easily when it is shaken or pumped. The adjective is 'viscous'.
Examples
If the viscosity of the sauce is too high, the filling machine cannot dose it accurately.
Adding 0.2 percent xanthan gum clearly increased the viscosity of the dressing.
A document from a supplier or laboratory that shows the test results for a specific batch and confirms that it meets the agreed specification.
Where you use it
Almost always called a CoA or COA. Raw material deliveries usually come with a CoA for each batch, and customers often ask for one with export shipments. Quality teams compare CoA results with the specification and run their own tests from time to time to verify the supplier.
Examples
The delivery was held at goods-in because the certificate of analysis was missing.
Can you send the certificate of analysis for lot 0923 with the aflatoxin results?
Common phrases
CoA · request a certificate of analysis · batch-specific CoA · supplier CoA · issue a CoA
A failure to meet a requirement, such as a specification, a procedure, a standard or the law, found in a product, a process or during an audit.
Where you use it
Used in ISO-based systems and audits. Auditors grade nonconformities as critical, major or minor. A nonconformity report (NCR) records what happened, the root cause and the corrective action. Nonconforming product must be identified and kept apart. Also written 'non-conformity'; 'nonconformance' is common in the US.
Examples
The auditor raised a major nonconformity because the metal detector checks were not recorded.
Every nonconformity found in the lab must be logged in the system within 24 hours.
Common phrases
major nonconformity · minor nonconformity · nonconformity report (NCR) · raise a nonconformity · close a nonconformity
A measure from 0 to 1, written aw, of how much of the water in a food is free for microorganisms and chemical reactions; pure water has a value of 1.0.
Where you use it
One of the most important numbers for shelf life and safety. Most bacteria cannot grow below about 0.90, many molds still grow around 0.80, and almost no microbe grows below 0.60. It is measured with a water activity meter and lowered by drying or by adding salt or sugar. It is not the same as moisture content.
Examples
The dried apricots have a water activity of 0.65, so they are stable at room temperature.
Adding more sugar lowered the water activity of the filling and solved the mold problem.
Usage note
In English the decimal separator is a point: 0.85. Turkish uses a comma, so be careful when you copy numbers into reports.
Common phrases
low water activity · measure water activity · water activity meter · reduce water activity · aw value
The amount of water in a food, usually given as a percentage of its weight and measured by drying a sample and weighing the loss.
Where you use it
A routine test for flour, grains, nuts, dried fruit, cheese and snacks. Labs use oven drying, often at about 105 °C until constant weight, or faster moisture analyzers. Specifications give a maximum, for example 'moisture: max. 14%'. Results can be on a wet basis or a dry basis, so always say which.
Examples
The moisture content of the hazelnut kernels is above the limit in our specification, so we cannot accept the lot.
Higher moisture content made the crackers go soft after two weeks.
A scale from 0 to 14 that shows how acidic or alkaline a food or solution is; 7 is neutral, lower values are acidic and higher values are alkaline.
Where you use it
Measured with a pH meter that must be calibrated with buffer solutions. pH 4.6 is a key safety limit: Clostridium botulinum cannot grow at or below it, so foods are classed as low-acid (above 4.6) or acid. Say 'a pH of 4.2' or 'at pH 4.2', and write it with a small p and a capital H.
Examples
The pH of the pickles must be below 4.0 before they leave the factory.
Calibrate the pH meter every morning with the 4.0 and 7.0 buffers.
Usage note
Say it letter by letter: 'pee-AYCH'. If you say 'pe-ha' as in Turkish, English speakers will not understand you.
Common phrases
low pH · measure the pH · pH meter · adjust the pH · final pH
The amount of acid in a food, often measured by titration and expressed as a percentage of the main acid, such as lactic, citric or acetic acid.
Where you use it
Titratable acidity tells you how much acid is present, while pH tells you how strong it is; you often need both. Used for milk freshness, juice quality and vinegar strength. In olive oil, 'free acidity', expressed as oleic acid, decides the quality grade.
Examples
The acidity of the raw milk was 0.16 percent lactic acid, which is normal for fresh milk.
Extra virgin olive oil must have a free acidity of no more than 0.8 percent.
A large molecule made of amino acids that is a key nutrient and also gives many foods their structure, for example in meat, cheese, bread dough and egg white.
Where you use it
Food labs usually measure protein by the Kjeldahl or Dumas method, which measures nitrogen and multiplies it by a factor, often 6.25. Protein provides 4 kcal per gram. Engineers talk about protein content, heat denaturation, whey protein and plant-based protein.
Examples
The new oat drink has only 1 gram of protein per 100 ml.
Heating above 70 °C denatures the whey protein and changes the texture of the yogurt.
Common phrases
protein content · high-protein · whey protein · plant-based protein · protein denaturation
One of the main groups of nutrients, including sugars, starch and fiber, made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen; it is the main source of energy in most diets.
Where you use it
On EU and Turkish nutrition labels, 'carbohydrate' is followed by 'of which sugars', and fiber is listed separately. Most carbohydrates give 4 kcal per gram. Food engineers care about starch gelatinization, sugar crystallization and reducing sugars, which take part in browning. In everyday speech people say 'carbs'.
Examples
The label shows 60 grams of carbohydrate, of which 12 grams are sugars.
Starch is the main carbohydrate in flour, potatoes and rice.
Common phrases
complex carbohydrate · total carbohydrate · of which sugars · low-carbohydrate · carbohydrate content
A chemical reaction between fats or oils and oxygen that breaks them down and produces stale, rancid flavors and smells.
Where you use it
A main cause of quality loss in oils, nuts, snacks, fish and milk powder. Light, heat, oxygen and metals such as copper and iron speed it up. Labs follow it with the peroxide value and other tests. Antioxidants, nitrogen flushing, vacuum packaging and dark, cool storage slow it down.
Examples
Lipid oxidation was the main reason the walnut snack failed the shelf-life test.
Flushing the bags with nitrogen slows lipid oxidation in the potato chips.
A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars during heating that creates the brown colors and typical flavors of bread crust, roasted coffee and grilled meat.
Where you use it
A type of non-enzymatic browning. It is wanted in baking, roasting and frying but unwanted in stored milk powder or UHT milk. It can also form acrylamide in fried potatoes and biscuits, so producers control temperature, time and sugar levels. It is named after the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard.
Examples
The Maillard reaction gives the biscuits their golden color, but we lowered the oven temperature to reduce acrylamide.
Storing milk powder in a hot warehouse speeds up the Maillard reaction and turns it brown.
Usage note
In English it is pronounced roughly 'my-YAR', as in French. Do not confuse it with caramelization, which is the browning of sugar alone.
The browning of cut or bruised fruits and vegetables when enzymes, mainly polyphenol oxidase, react with natural phenolic compounds and oxygen from the air.
Where you use it
A common problem in fresh-cut apples, potatoes, bananas and avocados, and in juice processing. It is controlled by blanching, lowering the pH with citric acid, adding ascorbic acid, using sulfites where they are allowed, or keeping oxygen out. It is different from Maillard browning, which needs heat.
Examples
A dip in ascorbic acid solution prevents enzymatic browning on the apple slices for several days.
Enzymatic browning started within minutes after the potatoes were peeled.
A substance that is not normally eaten as a food by itself but is added in small amounts for a technical purpose, such as preserving, coloring, thickening or sweetening.
Where you use it
Food additives must be approved, and regulations list the foods they may be used in and their maximum levels. In the EU and Turkey they carry E numbers on labels. Common classes are preservatives, antioxidants, colors, emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners and sweeteners. People often just say 'additives'.
Examples
The customer wants a clean label, so we are trying to replace two food additives with natural ingredients.
Check the maximum permitted level of this food additive in soft drinks before you change the formula.
Usage note
An additive is a special kind of ingredient. Sugar, flour and milk are ingredients but not additives, while potassium sorbate and lecithin are additives. On the label, additives also appear in the ingredient list.
Common phrases
permitted food additive · maximum permitted level · additive-free · functional class · use a food additive
A food additive that slows down the growth of bacteria, yeasts and molds, helping the product stay safe and acceptable for longer.
Where you use it
Common preservatives include potassium sorbate (E202), sodium benzoate (E211) and sodium nitrite (E250) in cured meats. Marketing teams often want claims like 'no added preservatives', and then the product needs other hurdles such as lower water activity, higher acidity or cold storage.
Examples
The sauce contains no preservatives, so it must be kept in the fridge after opening.
Sodium benzoate works best as a preservative in acidic drinks.
Usage note
Do not say 'conservative' or 'conservant' for a preservative. In English 'conservative' means traditional or careful.
Common phrases
natural preservative · no added preservatives · preservative-free · add a preservative · chemical preservative
Any substance, including additives, that is used to make a food and is still present in the finished product, even if in a changed form.
Where you use it
Used in recipes, formulations, specifications and labels. R&D teams source, replace and approve ingredients, and purchasing works with ingredient suppliers. On packs, 'Ingredients:' starts the ingredient list. In product development people also talk about 'key ingredients' and 'functional ingredients'.
Examples
We had to find a new supplier for one ingredient after the price of cocoa butter doubled.
Every new ingredient must be approved by the quality team before it enters the factory.
Common phrases
key ingredient · functional ingredient · ingredient supplier · replace an ingredient · list of ingredients
A substance that helps oil and water mix and stay mixed, as in mayonnaise, margarine, ice cream or chocolate.
Where you use it
An emulsifier molecule has one water-loving end and one fat-loving end. Common examples are lecithin (E322), often from soy or sunflower, and mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids (E471). Egg yolk is a natural emulsifier. People say an emulsifier stabilizes an emulsion and prevents separation.
Examples
Sunflower lecithin replaced soy lecithin as the emulsifier, so we no longer declare soy.
Without an emulsifier, the dressing separates into oil and vinegar within an hour.
Common phrases
natural emulsifier · add an emulsifier · emulsifiers and stabilizers · oil-in-water emulsion · prevent separation
A substance that keeps the physical state of a food stable, for example stopping ingredients from separating, settling or forming crystals during storage.
Where you use it
Used in dairy products, ice cream, drinks and sauces. Many stabilizers are hydrocolloids such as pectin, guar gum, carrageenan and xanthan gum, which also thicken. On ingredient lists they appear by function and name, for example 'stabilizer (pectin)'. The British spelling is 'stabiliser'.
Examples
The stabilizer stops the whey from separating in the drinking yogurt.
Ice cream without a stabilizer forms large ice crystals after a few weeks in the freezer.
Common phrases
stabilizer blend · add a stabilizer · hydrocolloid stabilizer · emulsifiers and stabilizers
A code made of the letter E and a number, such as E330 for citric acid, that identifies a food additive approved for use in the European Union.
Where you use it
Used on ingredient lists in the EU, Turkey and many other countries: 'acidity regulator (E330)' or 'acidity regulator: citric acid'. The ranges roughly follow function: E100s colors, E200s preservatives, E300s antioxidants and acidity regulators, E400s thickeners, stabilizers and emulsifiers. Elsewhere the same INS numbers are used without the E.
Examples
The retailer asked us to remove E numbers from the label and write the full names instead.
Every E number in the recipe must be checked against the export country's additive list.
Usage note
Many consumers think every E number is artificial or harmful, but E300 is vitamin C and E948 is oxygen. Explain this carefully when you talk to customers.
Common phrases
declare the E number · E number on the label · INS number · approved additive · additive code
A substance used to give food a sweet taste; it often means intense sweeteners such as sucralose or stevia, which are much sweeter than sugar and add few or no calories.
Where you use it
Food engineers separate intense sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame K, sucralose, steviol glycosides) from bulk sweeteners or polyols (sorbitol, maltitol, erythritol), which also add body. Replacing sugar often needs extra ingredients for texture. Products with a high level of polyols may need a laxative-effect warning.
Examples
We replaced half the sugar with a stevia-based sweetener, but the panel noticed a bitter aftertaste.
Each sweetener has its own approved uses and maximum levels.
A substance that increases the viscosity of a liquid food, making sauces, soups, desserts and drinks thicker without greatly changing their other properties.
Where you use it
Common thickeners are native and modified starches, xanthan gum (E415), guar gum (E412), carrageenan (E407) and pectin (E440). Many also act as stabilizers or gelling agents. On labels they appear as 'thickener (xanthan gum)'. They must be dispersed well to avoid lumps.
Examples
Modified starch is the main thickener in our instant soup.
Add the thickener slowly while mixing, or it will form lumps.
A substance that slows down oxidation in food, helping to prevent rancidity in fats and color changes in fruits, vegetables and meat.
Where you use it
As food additives, common antioxidants are ascorbic acid (E300), tocopherols (E306–E309), rosemary extract (E392) and the synthetic BHA and BHT. They are added to oils, snacks, nuts and meat products. In nutrition the same word describes compounds in the diet, so make clear which meaning you use.
Examples
Adding a natural antioxidant like rosemary extract extended the shelf life of the frying oil.
The antioxidant must be added to the oil before it is exposed to air.
A product added to food to give or change its smell and taste, such as vanilla extract, smoke flavoring or a strawberry flavor preparation.
Where you use it
Spelled 'flavouring' in British English. EU and Turkish rules separate types such as natural flavorings, flavoring substances and smoke flavorings, and set conditions for using the word 'natural' on labels. R&D works with flavor houses on dosage and stability. People say a flavor is 'heat-stable' or 'fades during storage'.
Examples
The lemon flavoring faded after three months, so the supplier sent a more stable version.
We can only label it 'natural vanilla flavoring' if at least 95 percent of the flavor comes from vanilla.
The materials and containers that hold and protect a food product, and also the process of putting the product into them.
Where you use it
Used for both the materials (packaging material) and the activity (packaging line). People separate primary packaging, which touches the food, secondary packaging such as cartons, and tertiary packaging for transport, like pallets and stretch film. It is uncountable: say 'the packaging', not 'a packaging'.
Examples
The new packaging uses 30 percent less plastic but still keeps oxygen out.
Packaging defects such as leaking seals are recorded on the line check sheet.
Usage note
A 'package' (US) or 'pack' (UK) is a single unit you can count; 'packaging' is the general, uncountable word.
Common phrases
primary packaging · packaging material · packaging line · packaging defect · flexible packaging
The printed information on a food package, such as the product name, ingredients, allergens, net quantity, date mark, storage instructions and producer details.
Where you use it
Labels are designed, checked, approved and printed, and must follow the labeling law of the country of sale. Regulatory staff do a label review before launch, and a wrong label, especially one with a missing allergen, is a common cause of recalls. 'Label' is also a verb: the product must be labeled in Turkish.
Examples
The export label needs both English and Arabic text for the Gulf market.
Please check the label proof carefully; last time the net weight was wrong.
Usage note
American English writes 'labeled' and 'labeling'; British English writes 'labelled' and 'labelling'.
The date on a perishable food after which it should not be eaten, because it may no longer be safe even if it looks and smells fine.
Where you use it
Used for foods that spoil quickly from a microbiological point of view, such as fresh meat, fish, ready meals and chilled dairy desserts. It is about safety, so selling food after its use-by date is not allowed. Packs show 'Use by' followed by a day and month.
Examples
Chicken breast past its use-by date must be removed from the shelves and destroyed.
We set the use-by date at nine days based on the challenge test results.
Usage note
'Expiry date' (UK) and 'expiration date' (US) are common general words, but on EU-style labels the legal terms are 'use by' for safety and 'best before' for quality.
Common phrases
past its use-by date · set a use-by date · use-by date label · within the use-by date
The date until which a food keeps its full expected quality, such as taste, texture and color, when stored correctly; after it, the food may still be safe to eat.
Where you use it
Used for shelf-stable and frozen foods such as pasta, biscuits, canned goods and coffee. It is a quality date, not a safety date, so the rules on selling food after it differ between countries. Packs say 'Best before' with day, month and year, or 'Best before end' with only month and year.
Examples
Flour has a best before date, not a use-by date, because it does not support microbial growth.
The biscuits were two weeks past their best before date but still crisp.
Common phrases
best before end · past the best before date · date coding · print the best before date
The table on a food package that shows the energy and nutrients, such as fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt, in a set amount of the product.
Where you use it
In the US it is called 'Nutrition Facts' and gives values per serving; in EU and Turkish law it is the 'nutrition declaration' and gives values per 100 g or 100 ml. Values come from lab analysis or are calculated from the recipe. Energy is shown in kJ and kcal. Front-of-pack labels such as traffic lights summarize it.
Examples
The nutrition label shows 22 grams of sugar per 100 grams.
When we reduced the salt, we had to update the nutrition label as well.
Common phrases
Nutrition Facts panel · nutrition declaration · per 100 g · front-of-pack label · update the nutrition label
The part of a food label that names all the ingredients, including additives, in descending order of weight at the time they were used.
Where you use it
It starts with the word 'Ingredients:'. Allergens are emphasized, for example in bold. When an ingredient appears in the product name or picture, EU and Turkish rules require its percentage (QUID), as in 'strawberries 30%'. Compound ingredients list their own components in brackets.
Examples
Sugar is first in the ingredient list, so it is the main ingredient by weight.
The supplier changed the chocolate chips, so the ingredient list on our cookies must change too.
Usage note
American English often says 'ingredient statement' for the same thing.
Common phrases
full ingredient list · descending order of weight · emphasize allergens · compound ingredient · QUID declaration
Filling a commercially sterile product into sterilized containers in a sterile environment and sealing them, so that the food stays safe at room temperature.
Where you use it
Used after UHT treatment for milk, juice, soups and sauces, usually in multi-layer cartons, bottles or bags. The packaging material is often sterilized with hydrogen peroxide. Engineers talk about aseptic fillers, sterile zones and integrity tests on finished packs.
Examples
With aseptic packaging, the juice needs no preservatives and no refrigeration.
A fault on the aseptic packaging line caused a whole batch of swollen cartons.
Packaging in which the air inside the pack is replaced with a gas mixture, usually of nitrogen, carbon dioxide and sometimes oxygen, to slow down spoilage.
Where you use it
Usually shortened to MAP. Used for fresh meat, cheese, salads, bakery products and snacks. Carbon dioxide slows bacteria and molds, nitrogen fills the space and stops the pack collapsing, and high oxygen keeps red meat bright. Labs check the gas mix with a headspace analyzer. MAP does not replace chilling.
Examples
Modified atmosphere packaging with 30 percent carbon dioxide doubled the shelf life of the sliced cheese.
The minced beef is sold in modified atmosphere packaging to keep its red color.
Common phrases
gas mixture · headspace analysis · MAP tray · gas flushing · high-oxygen MAP
Packaging in which the air is removed from the pack before it is sealed, so that the film fits tightly around the product and oxygen is kept away.
Where you use it
Common for cheese, cured meats, fresh meat cuts, coffee and nuts. It slows lipid oxidation and spoilage by bacteria that need oxygen, but anaerobic bacteria can still grow, including Clostridium botulinum in some chilled foods, so temperature control is still essential. Also called 'vacuum packing'.
Examples
Vacuum packaging extends the shelf life of sliced pastırma to several weeks in the fridge.
A leaking seal in vacuum packaging shows up as loose film around the product.
Common phrases
vacuum-packed · vacuum pouch · vacuum sealer · skin packaging · loss of vacuum
Any material that touches food during production, storage, packaging or serving, such as packaging, conveyor belts, gloves, tanks and kitchen tools.
Where you use it
Often shortened to FCM. These materials must not transfer harmful substances to food or change its taste or smell. In the EU and Turkey suppliers issue a declaration of compliance, and products may show the glass-and-fork symbol. Plastic FCMs have specific migration rules. People also call suitable materials 'food-grade'.
Examples
Every supplier of food contact material must send us a declaration of compliance.
The blue gloves are not approved as a food contact material, so they cannot be used on the line.
Common phrases
food-grade · declaration of compliance · glass-and-fork symbol · food contact surface · FCM regulation
The transfer of substances from packaging or other food contact materials into the food, for example plasticizers, monomers or components of printing ink.
Where you use it
Packaging suppliers test migration with food simulants, such as dilute ethanol or acetic acid, under set times and temperatures. EU rules set an overall migration limit of 10 mg per dm² for plastics and specific migration limits (SMLs) for certain substances. Fatty foods and high temperatures increase migration.
Examples
The migration test on the new tray passed, even at 70 °C for two hours.
Ink migration from the printed outer film gave the biscuits a chemical taste.
Common phrases
overall migration · specific migration limit · migration test · food simulant · ink migration
The length of time a food stays safe and keeps its expected quality when it is stored under the stated conditions.
Where you use it
A key number for every product. R&D and quality teams determine, validate and try to extend shelf life, and sales teams always ask about it for export. People say 'a 12-month shelf life' and 'the product is still within its shelf life'. Use a hyphen before a noun: shelf-life study.
Examples
Switching to modified atmosphere packaging extended the shelf life of the sliced cheese from 30 to 60 days.
What is the remaining shelf life on the pallets going to Germany?
Common phrases
extend shelf life · shelf-life study · remaining shelf life · short shelf life · determine the shelf life
The unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps that keeps chilled or frozen food at the right temperature from production to the consumer.
Where you use it
Used in logistics, retail and quality discussions. Chilled products are usually kept at 0–4 °C and frozen products at –18 °C or below. People talk about maintaining the cold chain and about a 'break in the cold chain'; data loggers record temperatures during transport.
Examples
The data logger showed a break in the cold chain during the six-hour wait at customs.
Fresh fish needs a strict cold chain from the boat to the supermarket.
Common phrases
maintain the cold chain · break in the cold chain · cold chain logistics · cold chain monitoring
The unpleasant sharp, soapy or stale taste and smell that develops when fats and oils break down through oxidation or through the action of enzymes and water.
Where you use it
Food scientists separate oxidative rancidity, caused by oxygen, from hydrolytic rancidity, in which lipase enzymes and water release free fatty acids. It is typical in nuts, crisps, butter, flour and cooking oil. The adjective is 'rancid': the hazelnuts taste rancid.
Examples
Rancidity in the roasted hazelnuts was the most common complaint from our German customer.
Oxygen absorbers in the pack delay rancidity in the walnuts.
A faster way of estimating shelf life by storing a product under harsher conditions, usually higher temperature or humidity, and using models to predict how long it will last normally.
Where you use it
Often shortened to ASLT. Common for shelf-stable foods such as snacks, oils, powders and confectionery, where real-time studies would take a year or more. Calculations use the Arrhenius equation or a Q10 value. Results should be confirmed by a real-time study, and the method does not work well for microbial shelf life.
Examples
Accelerated shelf-life testing at 40 °C suggested the crackers would last about nine months.
We use accelerated shelf-life testing for a quick answer and real-time storage to confirm it.
Common phrases
ASLT · real-time study · Q10 value · Arrhenius model · storage trial
The temperature, humidity, light and other conditions under which a food must be kept to stay safe and reach its stated shelf life.
Where you use it
Stated on labels ('Store in a cool, dry place', 'Keep frozen at –18 °C'), in specifications and in warehouse instructions. A shelf life is only valid under the stated storage conditions. Labels often add instructions for after opening, such as 'Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within 3 days'.
Examples
The storage conditions on the label say 'below 25 °C', but the warehouse was 35 °C in August.
Please add the storage conditions after opening to the new label.
Common phrases
recommended storage conditions · store in a cool, dry place · keep refrigerated · once opened · storage temperature
First in, first out: a stock rotation rule saying that the oldest stock received should be used or shipped first.
Where you use it
Used in warehouses, kitchens and raw material stores. Many food companies prefer FEFO (first expired, first out), which ships the product with the nearest expiry date first. Clear labeling of pallets with receiving dates and batch codes makes FIFO possible, and auditors check it on warehouse walks.
Examples
The old flour at the back of the store shows that we are not following FIFO.
Our warehouse system works on FIFO for raw materials and FEFO for finished goods.
Common phrases
FEFO · stock rotation · follow FIFO · first in, first out · rotate stock
Exposure of a food to temperatures outside its safe range, for example leaving chilled food warm for too long, which allows microorganisms to grow.
Where you use it
Used by quality and logistics teams when a delivery arrives warm or a cold room fails. The 'danger zone' for bacterial growth is roughly 5–60 °C, though definitions vary by country. After temperature abuse, the team decides whether to release the product, shorten its shelf life or destroy it.
Examples
The truck's cooling failed, and the data logger confirmed six hours of temperature abuse.
Swollen packs in the shop are usually a sign of temperature abuse, not a production fault.
Common phrases
evidence of temperature abuse · danger zone · temperature excursion · data logger · time and temperature control
The ability to follow a food and its ingredients through every stage of production, processing and distribution, one step back to the supplier and one step forward to the customer.
Where you use it
A legal requirement in the EU and Turkey and a key audit topic. Companies run traceability exercises, also called mock recalls, linking the batch codes of raw materials and packaging to finished products and customers. A good result traces 100 percent of the quantity within a few hours.
Examples
The traceability exercise took three hours and accounted for all 4,200 kg of sugar.
Without proper traceability, we would have to recall every product made that week.
Common phrases
traceability system · traceability exercise · full traceability · one step back, one step forward · ensure traceability
A set of basic rules and procedures for buildings, equipment, staff, hygiene and documentation that make sure food is produced consistently and safely.
Where you use it
Almost always shortened to GMP and often used in the plural: good manufacturing practices. GMP covers things like handwashing, jewelry rules, glass control, maintenance and record keeping, and forms the base that HACCP stands on. People say 'GMP audit', 'GMP training' or 'that's not GMP'.
Examples
Good manufacturing practice does not allow watches or rings in the production area.
All new operators receive good manufacturing practice training in their first week.
Common phrases
GMP audit · GMP training · GMP requirements · follow GMP · current good manufacturing practice (cGMP)
The removal of an unsafe or illegal product from the market, including from consumers, after it has already been sold or distributed.
Where you use it
Used both as a noun (a product recall) and as a verb (recall a product). Common reasons are undeclared allergens, pathogens and foreign bodies. A 'withdrawal' removes product from the supply chain before it reaches consumers. Companies test their procedure with mock recalls.
Examples
The company issued a recall after Listeria was found in two batches of smoked salmon.
Thanks to good traceability, we recalled only one day's production.
Usage note
As a noun the stress is often on the first syllable (REE-call); as a verb it is on the second (re-CALL).
A planned, systematic check of a factory, its documents and its practices by an auditor to see whether they meet a standard, a customer's requirements or the law.
Where you use it
Food plants face internal audits, supplier audits, customer audits and certification audits against standards such as BRCGS, IFS, FSSC 22000 or ISO 22000. Auditors raise findings or nonconformities, which the site must close with corrective actions. Audits can be announced or unannounced.
Examples
We passed the BRCGS audit with an AA grade and only three minor nonconformities.
The customer audit is next Tuesday, so please make sure all records are complete.
The collection of international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice created by the FAO and the WHO to protect consumers' health and support fair food trade.
Where you use it
Often just called 'Codex'. Its texts cover food hygiene (including the HACCP guidelines), additives, contaminants, pesticide residues and labeling. Countries use them as a reference for national law, and the World Trade Organization refers to them in trade disputes. The name is Latin for 'food code'.
Examples
If the importing country has no rule for this contaminant, we follow the Codex Alimentarius limit.
Our HACCP system follows the Codex Alimentarius general principles of food hygiene.
Common phrases
Codex standard · Codex Alimentarius Commission · Codex guidelines · code of practice · Codex limit
The highest legally allowed level of a pesticide or veterinary drug residue in or on a food when the substance is used correctly.
Where you use it
Shortened to MRL and given in mg/kg. Exporters of fruit, vegetables, spices and tea check MRLs carefully, because the limits differ between countries and a single exceedance can lead to rejection at the border. The EU officially says 'maximum residue level'; Codex uses 'maximum residue limit'.
Examples
The lemons were rejected at the border because one pesticide exceeded the maximum residue limit.
Check the maximum residue limit in the destination country before the grower sprays the crop.
Common phrases
exceed the MRL · MRL exceedance · pesticide residues · maximum residue level · residue analysis
Deliberately changing, mislabeling or replacing food or ingredients for economic gain, such as mixing cheaper oils into olive oil, adding sugar syrup to honey or selling cheap fish under another name.
Where you use it
Includes adulteration, substitution, counterfeiting and false claims about origin or production method. Standards such as BRCGS and FSSC 22000 require a vulnerability assessment of raw materials. Labs detect it with methods such as DNA testing and isotope analysis. It is different from food defense, which deals with deliberate harm.
Examples
Saffron and honey are high on our list of materials at risk of food fraud.
The isotope test proved food fraud: sugar syrup had been added to the 'pure' honey.
Ten questions from this glossary. Pick the right meaning for each term and see your score.
How to learn food science & technology vocabulary
Learn each word together with the verbs food professionals use with it: pasteurize milk, carry out a hazard analysis, take a sample, extend shelf life, issue a recall, raise a nonconformity. These partnerships make your English sound professional much faster than single words.
Read real texts from the industry in English, such as product specifications, certificates of analysis, HACCP plans, audit reports, Codex standards and articles in food science journals, and notice how temperatures, times, limits and test results are written.
Practise saying numbers and units aloud: '72 degrees Celsius for 15 seconds', 'a water activity of zero point eight five', 'less than ten colony-forming units per gram', 'a five-log reduction'. Remember that English uses a decimal point, not a comma.
Learn the common abbreviations and how people say them: HACCP (HASS-up), CCP, GMP, PRP, CIP, UHT, MAP, CoA, MRL and FIFO. In audits, emails and meetings they are used far more often than the full forms.
Choose one spelling system and keep to it within a document: American English writes pasteurization, mold, color and flavor, while British English writes pasteurisation, mould, colour and flavour.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between food science, food technology and food engineering?
Food science studies what food is made of and how it changes: its chemistry, microbiology and physical properties. Food technology applies this knowledge to making, preserving and packaging products. Food engineering focuses on processes and equipment, such as heat transfer, fluid flow, drying and plant design. In practice the three overlap, and in Turkey graduates of all three paths usually work under the title 'gıda mühendisi'.
Is 'food safety' the same as 'food security'?
No. Food safety means that food will not harm the people who eat it, because hazards such as pathogens, chemicals, allergens and foreign bodies are controlled. Food security means that people have reliable access to enough affordable and nutritious food. Food engineers mostly work on food safety; food security is a topic of agriculture, economics and public policy.
How do you pronounce HACCP?
Most people in the industry say it as one word, 'HASS-up', and some spell it out letter by letter. Both are understood in meetings and audits. It stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, a preventive food safety system based on seven principles and described in the Codex Alimentarius.
What is the difference between a use-by date and a best before date?
A use-by date is about safety. It is used on perishable foods such as fresh meat or chilled ready meals, which should not be eaten after that date. A best before date is about quality. After it, a food such as pasta or biscuits may lose some taste or texture but can still be safe if it was stored correctly. In Turkish, they are 'son tüketim tarihi' and 'tavsiye edilen tüketim tarihi'.
How can I improve my English for a job in the food industry?
Read real industry texts in English every week: specifications, certificates of analysis, audit standards, HACCP guidance from the Codex Alimentarius and short articles in food science journals. Practise describing your own production line out loud, step by step, with times, temperatures and controls. Before an audit or customer visit, prepare short answers to typical questions about your HACCP plan, allergens, traceability and corrective actions.
