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Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Food Processing

Food processing

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

nounCore term

In food science & technology, food processing means: 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.

In Turkish: gıda işleme

How it is used

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'.

Example sentences

  1. She has ten years of experience in food processing, mainly in dairy and juice plants.

  2. Modern food processing lines are controlled from a single screen in the control room.

Common collocations

  • food processing plant
  • food processing equipment
  • food processing industry
  • minimal processing
  • unit operation
  • raw materialA basic material, such as milk, flour, fruit or meat, that a factory receives and processes to make its products.
  • production lineA connected series of machines and work stations through which a product moves step by step from raw material to packed finished goods.
  • heat treatmentAny process that uses heat to make food safe, extend its shelf life or change its properties, such as pasteurization, sterilization, blanching or cooking.
  • yieldThe amount of finished product obtained from a given amount of raw material, usually shown as a percentage.
  • extrusionA 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.

More terms: Food Processing

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