Glossary
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Net Quantity
The net quantity is the amount of food in a package, expressed in volume for liquids and mass for other…
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Net Weight
Net weight is the weight of the product alone, excluding all packaging. It is the legally declared quantity on labels…
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Neutralization
Neutralization removes free fatty acids from degummed oil by treating it with an alkali solution, forming soapstock that is separated…
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NFC Juice
NFC (not from concentrate) juice is pasteurised juice that has never been concentrated, retaining a flavour profile close to fresh…
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NIR Analysis
NIR (near-infrared) analysis is a rapid spectroscopic method used to measure composition — moisture, sugars, protein — and to screen…
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No-Till Farming
No-till farming sows crops directly into undisturbed soil without ploughing, leaving previous crop residues on the surface. It conserves moisture,…
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Non-Disclosure Agreement
A non-disclosure agreement protects confidential information exchanged during negotiations, such as pricing structures, customer lists, recipes and production capacities. In…
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Non-GMO Certification
Non-GMO certification verifies that a product is produced without genetically modified organisms and that supply-chain segregation prevents contamination. Schemes such…
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Novel Food Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 governs novel foods, defined as foods not consumed to a significant degree in the EU before May…
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Nut Blanching
Nut blanching loosens and removes the thin skin, or pellicle, from kernels such as almonds by brief exposure to hot…
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Nut Butter
Nut butter is a spreadable product ground from roasted nuts, sometimes with added salt, sugar or stabilisers. Oil separation, texture,…
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Nut Cleaning
Nut cleaning removes sticks, stones, husk fragments, dust and empty shells from in-shell nuts using sieves, air separation and destoners.…
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Nut Dehulling
Nut dehulling removes the outer green husk or hull from nuts such as walnuts and almonds shortly after harvest. Prompt…
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Nut Drying
Nut drying reduces the moisture of in-shell nuts to safe storage levels, typically below 8 percent for walnuts and below…
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Nut Flour
Nut flour is milled from raw, blanched or partially defatted kernels and is a gluten-free ingredient for bakery and confectionery.…
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Nut Grading
Nut grading classifies kernels into commercial grades based on size, colour, whole-to-piece ratio and defect levels. Grade definitions are agreed…
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Nut Harvesting
Nut harvesting collects mature nuts once the hull splits or the nuts fall naturally, using tree shakers, sweepers and harvesters…
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Nut Moisture
Nut moisture is the water content of in-shell nuts or kernels and is one of the first parameters checked at…
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Nut Oil
Nut oil is pressed from kernels such as walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, with cold pressing preferred for premium culinary oils.…
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Nut Packaging
Nut packaging protects kernels from oxygen, moisture and light to preserve freshness. Vacuum packing, nitrogen flushing and barrier films are…
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Nut Paste
Nut paste is produced by grinding roasted or raw kernels into a smooth mass, with particle size reduced to a…
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Nut Rancidity
Nut rancidity is the oxidative deterioration of the high unsaturated fat content of kernels, producing off-flavours and odours. Peroxide value…
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Nut Roasting
Nut roasting applies dry heat or oil to kernels to develop flavour, colour and crunch while reducing moisture. Roast degree,…
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Nut Shelling
Nut shelling cracks the hard shell and separates the kernel using centrifugal, shear or compression crackers adjusted per size fraction.…
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Nut Slicing
Nut slicing and dicing cuts blanched kernels into slices, slivers, halves or dice of defined dimensions for bakery and food…
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Nut Storage
Nut storage keeps in-shell nuts or kernels in cool, dry and dark conditions, ideally below 15 degrees Celsius and at…
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Nutrition Declaration
The nutrition declaration presents the energy value and the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein and salt per 100…
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Ochratoxin A
Ochratoxin A is a mycotoxin produced by certain Aspergillus and Penicillium moulds on improperly dried or stored grains, dried fruit,…
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Official Controls Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2017/625 establishes the framework for official controls along the agri-food chain, covering food safety, animal and plant health…
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Oil Bleaching
Oil bleaching removes colour pigments, residual soaps and oxidation products by treating the oil with bleaching earth or activated carbon,…
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Oil Refining
Oil refining is the sequence of treatments that converts crude oil into edible oil, typically degumming, neutralization, bleaching and deodorization.…
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Oil Yield
Oil yield is the amount of oil recovered from a given quantity of oilseed, expressed as a percentage. It depends…
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Oilseed Cleaning
Oilseed cleaning removes impurities such as dust, stones, stems, weed seeds and damaged seeds from rapeseed, sunflower, soybean or linseed…
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Oilseed Conditioning
Oilseed conditioning heats and moistens seeds before pressing or flaking to optimise moisture and temperature for oil release. Proper conditioning…
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Oilseed Meal
Oilseed meal is the defatted solid remaining after oil extraction, ground to a specified particle size. It is a high-protein…
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Oleoresin
Oleoresin is the solvent-extracted concentrate of a spice containing both volatile aroma compounds and non-volatile components such as pungency principles…
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Onion Peeling
Onion peeling removes dry outer skins, usually by compressed air after topping and tailing. Peeled onions are inspected for remaining…
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Optical Sorting
Optical sorting uses cameras and lasers to detect colour, shape and defects, ejecting substandard pieces with precise air jets. Widely…
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Order Confirmation
An order confirmation is the seller’s written acceptance of a purchase order, fixing the agreed quantity, price and delivery details.…
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Order Lead Time
Order lead time is the period between placing an order and receiving the goods, covering production, packing, documentation and transport.…