Food Technology Glossary

Filling a commercially sterile product into a sterilised container in a sterile environment, sealing without further heat.

A short heat treatment, usually 70–100 °C, applied before freezing, drying or canning, primarily to inactivate enzymes.

A preservation method in which food is sealed in an airtight can or jar and then heated to destroy microbes, so it stays safe for a long time.

Adding a permitted chemical preservative to food to stop or slow down the growth of microbes, instead of relying only on heat, cold, or drying.

Fruit showing a sharp rise in respiration and ethylene production at the onset of ripening — banana, mango, apple, tomato — and able to ripen after harvest.

Removing part of the water from a liquid food, usually by evaporation, to make it thicker and reduce its volume for storage or transport.

Bulk storage in which gas composition is continuously monitored and actively corrected, used mainly for fruit such as apples.

Preserving meat or fish by adding salt, sugar, or nitrite, which draws out water and stops harmful microbes from growing.

Removing most of the water from a food, usually by sun, hot air, or machines, so microbes cannot grow easily and the food lasts longer.

A gaseous plant hormone that triggers and accelerates ripening and senescence, active at parts-per-million concentrations.

Dehydration by freezing the food and subliming the ice under vacuum below the triple point of water, followed by desorption of bound water.

Preserving food by lowering its temperature below 0°C so that water in the food turns to ice, which stops most microbial growth.