Food Processing Vocab

Question 1

Calorie

Answer 1

A measure of energy. Dietary calories refer to the amount of energy available in food or the amount
of energy the body uses. People expend calories during breathing, pumping blood, digesting food,
exercise and other activities; excess calories are generally stored as fat.

Question 2

Climate Change

Answer 2

A significant, lasting change in temperature, precipitation, humidity or other measures of climate.
1
The term often refers to the current trend toward higher average global temperatures (global
warming) alongside increased frequency and severity of droughts, heat waves, flooding, hurricanes
and other weather events. See greenhouse gases.

Question 3

Compost

Answer 3

A form of waste treatment that uses fungi, bacteria and other microorganisms to decompose
organic matter, such as animal manure and food waste. Composting can reduce or eliminate
pathogens, harmful chemicals, plant diseases, odors and air pollution. The end product is a
nutrient-rich fertilizer.
2 See compost.

Question 4

Convenience of food

Answer 4

Food that has been processed to require little or no preparation on the part of consumers.
Examples include canned foods, frozen pizzas and instant noodles.3,4

Question 5

Dietary Nutrient

Answer 5

Materials obtained through food that are used by the body for energy, growth and maintenance (in
this curriculum, dietary nutrients refer to those consumed by humans). These include water,
carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber.5 See nutrient, nutrient-dense and
nutrient-poor.

Question 6

Enrichment

Answer 6

The restoration of some of the dietary nutrients that are lost during certain forms of processing.4
See fortification.

Question 7

Food Procesing

Answer 7

The practices used by food industries to transform raw plant and animal materials, such as grains,
produce, meat and dairy, into products for consumers.
6-8 Examples include freezing vegetables,
milling wheat into flour and frying potato chips. Slaughtering animals is sometimes considered a
form of food processing.

Question 8

Food-borne illness

Answer 8

Illness caused by eating foods contaminated by pathogens, poisonous chemicals or other harmful
substances.9

Question 9

Fortification

Answer 9

The addition of certain dietary nutrients above the levels that naturally occur in a food.4
Fortification is also used more broadly to refer to any addition of dietary nutrients to a food.10 See
enrichment

Question 10

Greenhouse gases

Answer 10

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) 
Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. The accumulation of these gases causes global warming, an 
increase in average global temperatures. Greenhouse gases from human activities and natural 
processes include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). See climate and 
climate change.

Question 11

Industry Concentration

Answer 11

The extent to which a small number of corporations control most of the sales in an industry. Greater
industry concentration means that fewer corporations control the majority of sales.11 For example,
the U.S. beef slaughtering, processing, packaging and distribution industries are highly
concentrated; over 80 percent of these industries is owned by just four corporations.12

Question 12

Industry Consolidation

Answer 12

The shift toward fewer and larger facilities.11 The historic trend toward fewer and larger farms is an
example of consolidation in the food system.

Question 13

Local Food

Answer 13

Food that was produced within roughly 100 to 250 miles of where the consumer lives, or food that
is sold directly from a farmer to a consumer or nearby retailer.13 The term is not strictly defined.

Question 14

Nutrient

Answer 14

A substance used by an organism for energy, growth or maintenance.

Question 15

Nutrient-dense

Answer 15

Containing a large amount of certain key dietary nutrients—typically protein, fiber and a range of
essential vitamins and minerals—relative to the amount of calories. Vegetables are generally
considered the most nutrient-dense foods because they offer the most key vitamins and minerals
per calorie14,15 See nutrient-poor

Question 16

Nutrient-poor

Answer 16

Containing a large amount of calories relative to the amount of protein, vitamins and certain other
key dietary nutrients. Foods generally considered nutrient-poor include cakes, cookies, candy, soft
drinks, chips, ice cream and other products made with large amounts of sugars, fats, oils or refined
grains.14,15 See nutrient-dense.

Question 17

Pasteurization

Answer 17

A process that uses controlled amounts of heat to extend the shelf life of milk, juice and other
products by inhibiting the growth of pathogens.
16,17

Question 18

Pathogens

Answer 18

Microorganisms that cause disease upon infecting a host organism. Pathogens include certain
viruses, bacteria and fungi.

Question 19

Refined grains

Answer 19

Grains that have been processed to remove the bran and germ, which contain important dietary
nutrients like B vitamins, iron and fiber.18 Examples include wheat flour, enriched bread and white
rice.

Question 20

Regional Food

Answer 20

Food that was produced within the same region as where the consumer lives. A region can be
defined by geographic, cultural or political boundaries—for example, the Chesapeake Bay
Watershed, New England and the Northeast19—rather than size. Regional food systems include, but
are not limited to, local food systems.

Question 21

Shelf Life

Answer 21

The amount of time a food can be stored before it is considered unsuitable for selling or eating

Question 22

Spoil

Answer 22

To become unfit for consumption. Certain bacteria and fungi are usually responsible for foods
spoiling or “going bad.” Perishable foods such as produce and animal products are particularly
susceptible to spoiling, especially if they are not properly stored.

Question 23

Supply Chain

Answer 23

The people, activities and resources involved in getting food from farms, ranches, rivers, oceans and
other sources to consumers’ plates. Major stages along the supply chain include production,
processing, distribution, retail and consumption. The term food system sometimes refers to the
supply chain

Question 24

Whole grains

Answer 24

Unrefined grains that still contain the bran and germ.
18 Examples include whole-wheat flour,
oatmeal and brown rice.
Unrefined grains that still contain the bran and germ.
18 Examples include whole-wheat flour,
oatmeal and brown rice.