Food Technology Glossary

The natural breakdown of food, usually caused by microbes, enzymes, or oxidation, that makes it unsafe or unpleasant to eat.

Atomising a liquid feed into a hot air stream so droplets dry almost instantly into powder.

The World Trade Organization's Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, which sets rules for food safety and animal or plant health measures that affect international trade.

The irreversible swelling of starch granules when heated in water above a characteristic temperature, in which the crystalline structure is lost, amylose leaches out and viscosity rises sharply.

A small, controlled batch of live microbes added to a food on purpose to start and guide fermentation in a predictable way.

An annual FSSAI ranking that scores Indian states and union territories on how well they perform on food safety, based on set parameters.

A heat process severe enough to destroy all microorganisms including spores, typically above 100 °C under pressure.

The relation giving the settling velocity of a sphere in a fluid, proportional to the square of particle diameter and the density difference, and inversely proportional to viscosity.

The direct transition of a solid to vapour without passing through the liquid phase, occurring below the triple point of water — 0.0098 °C and 611 Pa.

Treating fruit with sulphur dioxide gas or a sulphite solution before drying, to keep its colour bright and protect it from microbes and browning.

The spontaneous expulsion of liquid from a gel as its network contracts.

A fake milk-like liquid made from urea, detergent, oil, and water, made to look like real milk but with no real nutrition and possible health risk.