DICTIONARY OF

FOOD SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY
Second Edition

Compiled and edited by the

International Food Information Service

A John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., Publication



C International Food Information Service (IFIS Publishing) 2005
Second edition published 2009


C International Food Information Service (IFIS Publishing) 2009

FSTA – Food Science and Technology Abstracts® and Food Science Central® are registered trade marks within Europe and the USA.

IFIS Publishing, Lane End House, Shinfield Road, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9BB, UK
Telephone +44 118 988 3895, email ifis@ifis.org, or visit www.foodsciencecentral.com

ISBN 978-0-86014-186-0 (IFIS Publishing e-Book)

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ISBN: 9781405187404

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Dictionary of food science and technology / compiled and edited by the

International Food Information Service. – 2nd ed.
p. ; cm.
ISBN 978-1-4051-8740-4 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Food industry and trade–Dictionaries. I. International Food Information Service.
[DNLM: 1. Food Technology–Dictionary–English. TP 368.2 D554 2009]

TP368.2.D58 2009
664.003–dc22 2008053562

Typeset by IFIS Publishing

Printed in Singapore

1 2009
 PREFACE AND GUIDE TO
DICTIONARY USAGE

The first edition of the Dictionary of Food Science and Technology was published in 2005
to complement the 2004 edition of the companion Thesaurus to the bibliographic database
FSTA – Food Science and Technology Abstracts® . Since that time, not only has the Thesaurus
been updated several times online and in print1 , but the passing of time has also meant that
many of the terms appearing in the first edition of the Dictionary have become outdated; new
terms have also become apparent. In this second edition of the Dictionary, 763 completely new
terms have been defined for the first time, and all 7,849 existing terms from the first edition
have been checked for accuracy, resulting in over 1,500 term definitions being rewritten. This
second edition of the Dictionary contains 8,612 terms in total.
In keeping with the first edition, the second edition contains a large number of definitions
covering food commodities of every description and also many definitions of terms which are
specific to food science and technology (for example, covering sensory analysis, consumer re-
search, food composition, catering and food safety). It is further augmented with definitions of
terms from cognate disciplines (including biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, economics,
engineering, microbiology, packaging, physics and public health). Whenever appropriate, local
names, synonyms and Latin names also appear. New additions to this edition include over 140
nutrition and health-related terms, reflecting recent increases in the importance and emphasis
placed on nutrition and health by the food industry, academia and the general public. Coverage
of these topics in FSTA has also increased in recent years. Similarly, terms relevant to pet foods
and pet nutrition appear for the first time, since their appearance in the FSTA database from
2006 onwards.
The Dictionary has been designed to be comprehensive, clear and easy to use. Alphabetical
order in the Dictionary is determined on a letter by letter basis (not word by word) as follows:

Acetates
Acetic acid
Acetic acid bacteria
Acetic fermentation
Acetobacter.

Characters such as numbers, hyphens, primes, subscripts and superscripts are ignored when
ordering terms, as are small capitals, hyphenated modifiers and alphabetic Greek characters.
For example, N -Acetylglucosamine, -Amino acids, and 2-Aminobutane all appear under the
letter A. Similarly, ␣-Carotene and ␤-Carotene both appear under the letter C. The Greek
alphabet is given at Appendix A.

1 FSTA Thesaurus, eighth edition, IFIS Publishing 2007; ISBN 978-0-86014-171-6

xi
Preface and Guide to Dictionary Usage xii

Terms in the Dictionary are shown in bold typeface. Cross-references within definitions to
other terms appearing in the Dictionary are also shown in bold. For example,

Ale Historically, a beer type made without hops; in modern usage, a range of
British-style beers, commonly brewed with top-fermenting brewers yeasts

Thus, the entry for ale given above shows that the Dictionary also contains definitions for the
terms beer, hops and brewers yeasts. Similarly, the entry for bacteriocins

Bacteriocins Peptides produced by specific bacteria that possess antibac-

terial activity. Both purified bacteriocins and bacteriocin-producing bacteria
are used in the food industry, applications including inhibition of the growth of
pathogens and spoilage organisms

indicates that the Dictionary also has definitions for the terms peptides, bacteria, antibacterial
activity, pathogens and spoilage.
The definitions in the Dictionary have been compiled and edited by specialist scientific
staff at IFIS Publishing who also produce FSTA and the companion Thesaurus. IFIS is an
acronym for the International Food Information Service which was founded in 1968. The IFIS
mission is to provide information products and services, commission research and provide
education in information science for the international food science, food technology and
nutrition community. IFIS Publishing is a not-for-profit organization (Charity No. 1068176)
and a company limited by guarantee (Company No. 3507902).
The Dictionary has been compiled to appeal to a wide range of readers. It is hoped that this
resource will be a valuable tool for people of all levels working in the fields of food science,
food technology and nutrition, as well as students of these subjects and their teachers, and
anyone who has a general interest in the issues facing the international food sector.
We would be pleased to hear from readers of the Dictionary who may wish to comment
on this edition or suggest candidate terms for future editions. Correspondence concerning the
Dictionary should be addressed to the Head of Publishing, IFIS Publishing, Lane End House,
Shinfield Road, Shinfield, Reading RG2 9BB, UK; e-mail: ifis@ifis.org.
 CONTENTS

Foreword ix

Preface and Guide to Dictionary Usage xi

The Dictionary 1

Appendix A Greek Alphabet 465

Appendix B Scientific Societies and Organisations in the Food Sciences 467

Appendix C Web Resources in the Food Sciences 471

vii
 A
AAS Abbreviation for atomic absorption spec-
troscopy.
Abalones Marine gastropod molluscs belonging to
the family Haliotidae, which contains around 70 spe-
cies; widely distributed, but found mainly in the West-
ern Pacific (Japan and Australia), and also off Califor-
nia and Southern Africa. Only the adductor muscle is
edible, having a mild sweet flavour; this muscle is
normally tenderized to soften the naturally tough, rub-
bery texture. Marketed in a variety of forms, including
powdered, brined and canned products.
Abate Alternative term for the pesticide temephos.
Abattoirs Types of slaughterhouses where animals
are slaughtered for meat and offal. Abattoirs usually
include lairage (a holding area for live animals), a
slaughtering line and cold stores. Facilities for process-
ing of by-products (blood, intestines, skins, fat, bristle,
unusable waste products), and treatment of waste water
and air are often included.
Abondance cheese French semi-hard mountain
cheese made from milk of cows of the breeds Abon-
dance, Montbeliard and Tarine. Characterized by a
strong aroma and a complex flavour. The crust and a
grey layer beneath are removed before consumption.
Abreh Alternative term for abrey.
Abrey Sudanese, non-alcoholic, fermented bever-
ages made from sorghum.
Abscisic acid Plant growth regulator, important in
ripening of fruits and cereals.
Absidia Genus of fungi of the class Zygomycetes.
Occur as saprotrophs on decaying vegetable matter,
grains, soil or dung, and meat, or as parasites or
pathogens of plants or animals. Some species may
be used in the production of chitosan (e.g. Absidia
coerulea, A. glauca and A. atrospora). Other applica-
tions include the production of enzymes for use in
the food industry (e.g. Į-galactosidases).
Absinthe Spirits flavoured with aniseed and
wormwood. Widely believed to exhibit neurotoxic-
ity as a result of thujone derived from wormwood.
The spirit was prohibited in many countries early in the
20th century. However, legal manufacture and sale of
the beverage have become more widespread since the
1990s.
Absorbents Materials or substances that are capable
of absorption. Uses of absorbents include incorpora-
tion within food packaging (to absorb oxygen as a
preservation technique, to control humidity, and to
manage aroma and flavour problems in packaged
foods) and for purification of foods and beverages,
such as drinking water and liquid foods.
Absorption Process involving molecules of one sub-
stance being taken directly into another substance. Ab-
sorption may be either a physical or a chemical proc-
ess, physical absorption involving such factors as solu-
bility and vapour-pressure relationships, and chemical
absorption involving chemical reactions between the
absorbed substance and the absorbing medium. Ab-
sorption includes such processes as the passage of nu-
trients and other substances from the gastrointesti-
nal tract into the blood and lymph, and also the up-
take of water, fats and other substances into foods.
Acacia Plants of the genus Acacia (family Fabaceae),
mostly tropical shrubs and trees. Acacia seeds are used
as foods, and shoots may be used in soups, curries,
omelettes and stir fries. Acacia honey has a mild flow-
ery flavour. Several species of Acacia yield gums, such
as gum acacia which is also known as gum arabic.
Acai Small, dark purple fruits from the palms Eu-
terpe oleraceae. The pulps and juices may be used in
beverages, as well as in functional foods. Rich in
dietary fibre and fatty acids, and have strong anti-
oxidative activity.
Acanthamoeba Genus of free-living amoebae
which occur in soil and fresh water. Some species
may be opportunistic pathogens.
Acaricides Pesticides used to control mites and
ticks (family Acaridae), many of which are responsible
for animal diseases and spoilage of stored crops.
Examples include amitraz, bromopropylate, couma-
phos and fluvalinate. Residues in foods may repre-
sent a health hazard to consumers.
ACC Abbreviation for the plant growth regulator, 1-
aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid.
Acceptability The degree to which the quality of a
food is regarded as satisfactory.
Acceptable daily intake A safety level for sub-
stances used as food additives. Usually calculated as