Food Preparation and Nutrition key terms

A type of dietary fibre that slows carbohydrate digestion and absorption and can help reduce blood cholesterol and glucose levels.

A substance that helps maintain a food's texture or consistency, for example by preventing a mixture from separating.

An emulsion whose dispersed droplets remain distributed through the other liquid rather than readily separating into layers.

A food eaten regularly that forms an important part of a population’s diet, such as potatoes, rice or maize.

A digestible polysaccharide found in foods such as cereals, bread, rice, pasta and potatoes.

Selected microorganisms added to food to bring about a controlled fermentation, for example bacteria used to make yoghurt.

Water in its gaseous state; it can raise moist mixtures when heating turns their water into steam.

Cooking food in steam above heated water, without immersing the food in the water.

A heat treatment that makes food free from microorganisms capable of growing under its intended storage conditions. In-container sterilisation of milk involves heating it in its sealed container.

Cooking small pieces of food quickly over a high heat in a wok, using a little oil and moving the food frequently.

Using older food supplies before newer ones so that food is less likely to spoil before it is used.

A carbohydrate that provides sweetness and can undergo caramelisation when heated sufficiently.

Meeting present needs while protecting resources and the environment so that future generations can also meet their needs.

Fishing that maintains fish stocks for the future while protecting marine ecosystems and supporting fishing communities.

A North African earthenware cooking pot with a lid; also the name of the stew cooked in it.

A scale function that resets the reading to zero with a container or previously weighed ingredients on the platform, so the next reading shows only the newly added ingredient.

A structure containing sensory cells whose receptors respond to taste substances and trigger messages to the brain.

A group of people who assess food samples under organised testing conditions.

Keeping food at suitable temperatures during storage, preparation and cooking to limit bacterial growth or destroy harmful bacteria.

The temperature range of 5–63°C in which harmful bacteria can grow and multiply in food.

A food thermometer with a probe inserted into food to measure its internal temperature.

Making food, particularly meat, less tough and easier to chew.

Browning food using dry heat to develop its flavour, aroma and texture.

Damage to teeth caused by acids produced when bacteria in dental plaque use sugars.

Red, amber and green colour coding showing whether a food is high, medium or low in fat, saturates, sugars or salt.

A discrimination test in which a tester identifies the different sample from three samples, two of which are identical.

A type of molecule making up fats and oils. Different triglycerides contain different fatty acids and have different melting temperatures.