Key Terms Glossary Flashcards
5-a-day
The Government recommends that everyone should eat at least five portions of different fruits or vegetables every day to promote good health.
Additive
Something that is added to a food product to improve its properties.
Aeration
When air is added to a mixture to help make it lighter, e.g when making cakes
Allergy
An immune system response to a certain substance (an allergen), e.g in fish, nuts an eggs.
Alternative Protein
A form of protein other than protein from meat which is suitable for vegetarians (e.g tofu, TVP).
Ambient Food
A food that can be safely stored at room temperature.
Anaemia
A condition where you have a reduced number of red blood cells, e.g from iron deficiency.
Antioxidant
A substance that protects our bodies from free radicals. Vitamins A, C and E are examples of antioxidants.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
The minimum amount of energy needed to keep you alive each day.
Basting
Putting the fat that has melted out of food back on top of the food while its cooking.
‘Best Before’ Date
A date mark on the packaging of lower-risk food (e.g dried pasta) that tells you when the food is expected to deteriorate in quality.
Biological Value
A measurement of the amount of essential amino acids a protein-based food contains.
Blanching
A cooking process that involves plunging a food, e.g fruit or vegetables, into boiling water before cooling them in cold / iced water (often used before freezing fruit and vegetables).
Blended Sauce
A sauce made from liquid and a paste of cornflour and water / milk.
Braising
Slow-cooking food in a covered pot that also contains a liquid, herbs and vegetables.
Calorie
A measure of the amount of energy in a food.
Caramelisation
The browning of sugar and the change in its flavour when it’s heated above a certain temperature.
Carbon Footprint
The measure of the impact something has on the environment, based on the harmful greenhouse gases produced.
Climate Change
A gradual change in climate change, e.g due to global warming.
Coagulation
When denatured proteins join together, changing the appearance and texture of food, e.g when egg white turns solid.
Coeliac Disease
When the digestive system is sensitive to gluten and can’t digest it.
Conduction
The transfer of heat energy through solids by the vibration of particles.
Convection
The transfer of heat energy through gases or liquids by circulating currents.
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
A disease caused by the build-up of fatty deposits in coronary arteries.
Cross-Contamination
Transferring potentially harmful bacteria (or other microorganisms) from one thing to another, e.g from raw food to ready-to-eat food via work surfaces, equipment or your hands.
Cuisine
A style of cooking representative of a certain country of region.
