Glossary of Terms


A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M

N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z


A

Anhydrous: Containing no water.


B

Benchtop formulation: Working at the laboratory scale on the lab bench, helping clients redesign their recipes (formulations) to work in an industrial context using industrial ingredients.


C

Casein: A protein found in milk and which is the main ingredient of cheese.

Churn: Container or machine in which butter is made from cream or milk by beating and shaking.

Co-Packer sourcing: When a manufacturer or entrepreneur has a product but nowhere to manufacture it, facilities are found; these facilities are called co-packers, since they are partners in preparing the product for the marketplace.

Coagulation: The act of changing from liquid form into a thickened mass.

Coagulum: Substance that changes from its liquid form into a thickened mass.

Coliform: Any of various bacteria found in colon of vertebrates and excreted in the feces; coliform bacteria from human and animal feces may contaminate water and cause disease.

Crude protein: Crude protein, sometimes called total protein, is estimated from measuring the total nitrogen content of milk. Nitrogen is multiplied by 6.38 to express the results on a protein equivalent basis.



D

Diafiltration: General term for "through filtration"; filter is not refined in any particular way.



E

Electrodialysis: Separation of components of a substance speeded by the application of an electric current over a membrane.

Emulsification: The process of dispersing one liquid in other immiscible liquid(s).

Equipment sourcing: Helping clients find the equipment they need for their plants.



F

Functional foods: Food that affects beneficially one or more target functions in the body, beyond adequate nutritional effects in a way which is relevant to either an improved state of health and well-being, or reduction of risk of disease.



G

Globulin: Group of proteins that are soluble in salt solution, but insoluble in water.

Good manufacturing practices (GMP): The quality system regulation that includes requirements related to the methods used in, and the facilities and controls used for, designing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, installing, or servicing devices.



H

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point System Source (HACCP): Internationally recognized system for ensuring safe food production.

Homogenization: Process of breaking up the fat globules of whole milk into extremely small particles so that the fat remains emulsified and does not rise to the top to form cream.



I

Ingredient sourcing: Finding the right ingredient(s) when producing a benchtop formulation.

Ion-exchange technologies: Technology concerning the process by which certain anions in water are replaced by other ions by passage through a bed of ion-exchange material.



L

Lactalbumin: A soluble milk protein concentrate.

Lactose: White, odourless crystalline sugar present in milk.

Lecithin: A fatty substance that is present in plant and animal tissue.

Listeria: A bacteria that causes an infectious disease transmitted through contaminated food, including raw meat, poultry and milk.



M

Maillard reaction: Lactose and proteins in milk react with other reducing sugars during baking or cooking to produce a desirable browning coloration and caramel flavoring.

Mesophilic bacteria: Bacteria that thrive under high humidity.



N

Nutraceutical: Food having pharmaceutical benefits.



P

Pasteurization: Process of heating a liquid to a high temperature and chilling it quickly to destroy harmful bacteria without causing a major chemical change to the liquid itself.

Pathogen: Disease-causing agent.

Psychrotrophic: Said of an organism capable of growing at temperatures close to freezing, or having an optimum temperature that is low.



S

Salmonella: Any of various bacteria causing food poisoning, typhoid, and other infectious diseases.

Standard Plate Count: Determination of the degree of bacterial contamination of a sample made by enumeration of the colonies appearing in a plate.

Staphylococcus aureus: Bacteria of genus Staphylococcus, which are pathogenic.



T

True protein: True protein reflects only the nitrogen associated with protein and does not include the nitrogen from non-protein sources.



U

Ultrafiltration: Extremely fine filtration.