Table Of ContentDictionary of
Food Science and
Nutrition
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Dictionary of
Food Science and
Nutrition
A & C Black (cid:2) London
www.acblack.com
First published in Great Britain in 2006
A & C Black Publishers Ltd
38 Soho Square, London W1D 3HB
© A & C Black Publishers Ltd 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
in any form or by any means without the permission of the publishers
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0219-0
Text Production and Proofreading
Heather Bateman, Howard Sargeant, Katy McAdam
This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed,
sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable. The logging and
manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country
of origin.
Text typeset by A & C Black
Printed in Italy by Rotolito Lombarda
Preface
This dictionary provides a basic vocabulary of terms used in food science
and nutrition. It is ideal for all students of food technology and related
subjects, as well as those working for the first time in jobs such as catering,
dietetics and public or environmental health.
Each headword is explained in clear, straightforward English. There are also
supplements including nutrient RDAs and sources, a body mass index
calculator, conversion tables for cooking and a guide to food hygiene
procedure, as well as a list of key contacts in the fields of nutrition, health
and food production.
Thanks are due to Emma Parker, Assoc. Nutr., for her valuable help and
advice during the production of this book.
FoodScience.fm Page 1 Wednesday, August 16, 2006 3:56 PM
A
AAA A abbreviation 1. Alcoholics Anonymous 2. arachidonic acid
aabattboirattoir noun a place where animals are slaughtered for their meat
aabdombendomen noun a space inside the body that contains the stomach, intestines, liver and
other vital organs
aabdombinald cavioty minal cavity noun the space in the body below the chest
AABIMBIM abbreviation Association of Bakery Ingredients Manufacturers
aaboyeburoyeur noun same as kitchen clerk
aabrosbiarosia noun abstinence from eating (technical)
aabsolbute aslcohoollute alcohol noun alcohol that contains no water
aabsorbptionsorption noun the process of taking into the body substances such as proteins or fats
that have been digested from food and enter the bloodstream from the stomach and intestines
aabsorbptiosn metohodrption method noun a method of cooking rice in which it is removed from the heat
after a while and allowed to soak up any remaining water (NOTE: Rice cooked in this way is
also known as steamed rice.)
aabstebmiousstemious adjective tending not to eat or drink very much
AABV BV abbreviation alcohol by volume
aa.c..c. abbreviation ante cibos
aacacica guam cia gum noun same as gum arabic
aaçaíçaí noun a berry with very high concentrations of essential fatty acids and anthocyanins,
considered a superfood
aacarbcosearbose noun a drug used for treating type 2 diabetes
aaccelcasecelase noun a mixture of enzymes used for maturing cheese
aaccelceratced freeezel-deryinrgated freeze-drying noun a method of preserving food by heating it for a short
time, then freezing it rapidly and drying it in a vacuum. Abbreviation AFD
AAcceptcablec Dailey Inptaketable Daily Intake noun the amount of an additive that can be eaten without risk.
Abbreviation ADI
aaccomcpanicmentompaniment noun a small helping of food served with a dish, e.g. croutons served
with fish soup or grated Parmesan cheese served with minestrone
AACECE abbreviation angiotensin-converting enzyme
AACE inChibitoEr inhibitor noun same as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor
aacesuclphaeme Ksulphame K noun a type of sweetener
FoodScience.fm Page 2 Wednesday, August 16, 2006 3:56 PM
acetate 2
aacetacteetate noun a salt or ester of acetic acid
aaceticc aceidtic acid noun an acid that turns wine into vinegar (NOTE: Acetic acid is also used as
a preservative in food such as pickles.)
aacetocaceteatetoacetate noun a ketone substance secreted by the liver which indicates a failure of
metabolism
aacetocglyceeridteoglyceride noun a fat with a relatively low melting point, used for compounding
shortening
aacetocinetoin noun a compound in butter
aacetocneetone noun a colourless volatile substance formed in the body after vomiting or during
diabetes. (cid:2) ketone
aacetocnuriea tonuria noun excessive excretion of acetone in the urine, an indicator of diabetic
acidosis
aacetyclchoelinetylcholine noun a substance that is released from the ends of some nerve fibres to
transmit impulses to other nerve cells or to muscles
aacetyclchoelinetsteyraselcholinesterase noun an enzyme, present in blood and some nerve endings, that
aids the breakdown of acetylcholine and suppresses its stimulatory effect on nerves
aacetycl CoeA tyl CoA abbreviation acetyl coenzyme A
aacetycl coeenzymte yA l coenzyme A noun a coenzyme produced during the metabolism of carbohy-
drates, fatty acids, and amino acids. Abbreviation acetyl CoA
AACFMCFM abbreviation Association of Cereal Food Manufacturers
aachalcasiahalasia noun difficulty in swallowing
aachlocrhydhrialorhydria noun an acid deficiency in the digestive system
aacholciaholia noun a bile deficiency in the digestive system
aacidcid noun a chemical substance that is able to dissolve metals
aacidacminuirida aminuria noun an excessive excretion of amino acids in urine
aacid cbrililidant g reben BSrilliant green BS noun (cid:3) E142
aacid ccalciiudm pho spchatealcium phosphate noun the acid ingredient in some types of baking powder
aacid cfoodid food noun any food that leaves an acid residue after being metabolised. Compare
basic food
aacidicc idic adjective referring to acids
aacidicc sailtds coriroscion salts corrosion noun the rusting of a can
aacidicficaitidonification noun the process of adding an acid to a food in order to preserve it (NOTE:
The usual acids are acetic, citric and lactic, although benzoic acid is sometimes used.)
aacidicfyidify verb to make a substance more acid, or to become more acid
aacidicmeteirdimeter noun a device for measuring the acidity of a liquid
aacidictyidity noun the concentration of acid in a substance, of which pH is a measure
aacidicty riegdulatoirty regulator noun an additive used for controlling the pH of food
aacidocgeniicdogenic adjective producing acids, or promoting the production of acids
aacidocphiliusd milkophilus milk noun a cultured milk made from fresh milk that is allowed to go sour
in a controlled way, of which yoghurt is a type
aacidocsisidosis noun 1. a medical condition in which there are more acid waste products than
usual in the blood because of a lack of alkali 2. same as acidity
aacid cprotieadse protease noun a protein-digesting enzyme activated in stomach acid
FoodScience.fm Page 3 Wednesday, August 16, 2006 3:56 PM
3 ADA deficiency
aacid crefliuxd reflux noun the regurgitation of gastric juices into the oesophagus, where the acid
causes irritation and the burning sensation commonly referred to as heartburn
aacid csaltid salt noun a chemical salt in which some of the acidic hydrogen atoms of the original
acid have been replaced
aacid-csensiitdive-sensitive adjective used for describing bacteria that are made inactive by acidic
conditions
aaciduclantidulant noun an additive such as phosphoric acid which is added to food to lower its pH
aaciduclateidulate verb to make a substance slightly acid, or to become slightly acid
AACMSFCMSF abbreviation Advisory Committee on Microbiological Safety of Food
aacnecne noun an inflammation of the sebaceous glands during puberty which makes black-
heads appear on the skin, which often then become infected and produce red raised spots
AACNFPCNFP abbreviation Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
aacridcrid adjective having a strong bitter smell or taste
aacrodcermartitois endteropeathircamatitis enteropathica noun zinc deficiency
aacrolceinrolein noun the acrid-smelling chemical produced by overheated fat, which causes eye
and throat irritation
aacrylcamidreylamide noun a chemical found in baked and fried foods, thought to increase the risk
of cancer in humans
aactivcatedt doiugvh deaveloptmeentd dough development noun a method of speeding up the first rising of
dough by adding small quantities of other substances, e.g. ascorbic acid or cysteine (NOTE:
These substances modify the properties of the gluten in the dough.)
aactivcatortivator noun any compound that stimulates enzymes
aactivce oxtygein vmetheod oxygen method noun a method of measuring the susceptibility of fats to
damage by oxidation
aactivce patckaigivnge packaging noun food packaging that interacts chemically or biologically with its
contents to extend shelf-life or to modify the product during storage
aactivce sitteive site noun the region of an enzyme molecule where a substance (substrate) is
bound and acted upon by the enzyme
aactivce trtansipovrte transport noun a transfer of substances across a cell membrane for which energy
is required
aactivcity tlevielvity level noun a measurement of the number and function of enzymes in the digestive
tract
aacutecute adjective used for describing pain that is sharp and intense
aacutec benuign htydreocep hablusenign hydrocephalus noun a short-lived reaction to a large overdose of vita-
mins A and D in small infants, causing extreme bulging of the fontanelle
aacutec choulecysttiteis cholecystitis noun inflammation of the gallbladder caused by a gallstone
blocking the biliary duct
aacutec intuermitttenet po rphiyrniatermittent porphyria noun a type of porphyria that causes abdominal pain
and nausea, treated with a high-glucose diet. Abbreviation AIP
aacutec toxuicityte toxicity noun a concentration of a toxic substance that is high enough to make
people seriously ill
AADA DA abbreviation adenosine deaminase
AADA deDficieAncy deficiency noun a genetic disease resulting from the deficiency of the metabolic
enzyme adenosine deaminase, causing increased susceptibility to lymphomas and chronic
infections
