Okuzeka
Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Food Processing

Homogenization

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

/həˌmɑdʒənəˈzeɪʃən/nounCommon term

In food science & technology, homogenization means: 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.

In Turkish: homojenizasyon

How it is used

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.

Example sentences

  1. Homogenization at 200 bar stopped the cream layer forming in the bottles.

  2. The homogenization valve was worn, so the fat globules were larger than normal.

Common collocations

  • homogenization pressure
  • two-stage homogenization
  • homogenized milk
  • fat globule size
  • high-pressure homogenizer
  • emulsifierA substance that helps oil and water mix and stay mixed, as in mayonnaise, margarine, ice cream or chocolate.
  • pasteurizationA 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.
  • viscosityA measure of how thick a liquid is and how strongly it resists flowing; honey has a high viscosity, while water has a low viscosity.
  • heat exchangerA 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.

More terms: Food Processing

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: