Glossary
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Expeller Press
An expeller press is a continuous screw press that compresses oilseeds under high pressure to expel oil, leaving a pressed…
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Extraction Rate
Extraction rate is the percentage of flour obtained from a given quantity of grain after milling. Wholemeal flour is close…
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Extraneous Matter
Extraneous matter is any material in a product lot that does not belong there, such as plant debris, soil, insects,…
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EXW (Ex Works)
EXW is an Incoterms 2020 rule under which the seller’s only obligation is to make the goods available at its…
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Fairtrade
Fairtrade is an ethical certification that guarantees producers minimum prices and a social premium, and sets social, environmental and labour…
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Falling Number
The falling number, or Hagberg falling number, measures alpha-amylase activity in wheat flour by timing the fall of a plunger…
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FCL (Full Container Load)
FCL, or Full Container Load, is a shipping term meaning that the cargo occupies an entire container dedicated to one…
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FEFO
FEFO, first expired first out, dispatches stock according to expiry or best-before date rather than arrival date. For food products…
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Fermentation (Honey)
Honey fermentation is spoilage caused by osmophilic yeasts that multiply when moisture content is too high, generally above 18–20 percent,…
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Fertigation
Fertigation injects soluble fertilisers into an irrigation system so nutrients are delivered with the water directly to the root zone.…
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Field of Vision
The field of vision rule requires certain particulars, including the name of the food, net quantity and alcoholic strength where…
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FIFO
FIFO, first in first out, is a stock rotation rule in which the earliest received goods are dispatched first. It…
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Filtered Honey
Filtered honey is honey processed by filtration that removes significant amounts of pollen along with fine particles. Under the EU…
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Flaking
Flaking rolls conditioned oilseeds into thin flakes between smooth rollers to rupture cell structure and increase surface area. It is…
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Flash Freezing
Flash freezing is the rapid freezing of product at very low temperatures so that ice crystals remain small and cell…
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Flash Pasteurization
Flash pasteurization heats juice briefly at relatively high temperature, typically for seconds, then cools it rapidly. The short exposure preserves…
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Flavourings Regulation
Regulation (EC) No 1334/2008 governs flavourings and food ingredients with flavouring properties in the EU, maintaining a Union list of…
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Flexible Packaging
Flexible packaging refers to bags, pouches and films made of plastic, foil or paper-based laminates. It is lightweight, cost-efficient and…
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Flotation Washing
Flotation washing cleans berries and stone fruit in water baths where agitation and air bubbles loosen soil and debris. It…
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Flour Ash
Flour ash is the mineral residue left after incinerating a flour sample, expressed as a percentage of dry matter. Because…
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Flour Maturation
Flour maturation is the resting period after milling during which flour properties stabilise and improve for baking. Controlled storage allows…
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Flour Protein
Flour protein is the total protein content of flour, measured by Kjeldahl or Dumas and reported as a percentage on…
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Flour Sifting
Flour sifting, or bolting, passes milled flour through fine sieves to remove coarse particles and achieve the required particle size…
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Fluidized Bed Freezing
Fluidized bed freezing is an IQF technology in which a strong upward stream of cold air lifts small pieces of…
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FOB (Free On Board)
FOB is an Incoterms 2020 rule for sea transport under which the seller delivers the goods on board the vessel…
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Food Additives Regulation
Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 governs food additives in the EU, permitting only additives on the Union list that are safe,…
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Food Business Operator
A food business operator is the natural or legal person responsible for ensuring that a food business under their control…
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Food Contact Material
Food contact materials are any materials intended to come into contact with food, including packaging, liners, containers and processing equipment…
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Food Contact Regulation
Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 establishes the framework for materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, requiring that…
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Food Enzymes Regulation
Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 establishes a Union list of authorised food enzymes and the conditions for their use, based on…
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Food Fraud
Food fraud is the deliberate misrepresentation of food for economic gain, such as diluting honey with sugar syrup, mislabelling origin…
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Food Hygiene Regulation
The EU hygiene package, centred on Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, sets general hygiene rules for food businesses based on HACCP…
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Food Information Regulation
Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 governs the provision of food information to consumers, setting mandatory particulars, allergen rules, the nutrition declaration…
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Food Waste Reduction
Food waste reduction targets the loss of edible product across the supply chain, from field to consumer. Processing techniques such…
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Force Majeure
A force majeure clause suspends or excuses a party’s performance when extraordinary events beyond its control, such as war, natural…
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Framework Contract
A framework contract establishes the general terms governing a series of future transactions between parties, with individual deliveries triggered by…
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Free Acidity
Free acidity expresses the content of free acids in honey, measured in milliequivalents per kilogram. Codex and the EU Honey…
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Free Circulation
Release for free circulation is the customs procedure that gives non-Union goods Union status, allowing them to move freely within…
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Free Time
Free time is the number of days a container may be used at the terminal or by the consignee without…