Glossary
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Mushroom Spawn
Mushroom spawn is grain or another carrier material inoculated with pure mushroom mycelium, used to seed a growing substrate and…
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Mushroom Substrate
Mushroom substrate is the composted or pasteurised organic medium on which cultivated mushrooms grow, typically based on straw, hardwood sawdust…
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Mushroom Trimming
Mushroom trimming is the removal of the substrate-covered stem base and any damaged tissue from harvested fruiting bodies before packing…
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Nectar Flow
Nectar flow is the period when forage plants in an area secrete abundant nectar, enabling bees to collect and store…
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Net Quantity
Net quantity is the amount of food contained in a prepackage, expressed in mass for solids and volume for liquids,…
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Net Weight
Net weight is the weight of the product itself, excluding all packaging materials, and serves as the legally declared quantity…
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Neutralization
Neutralization is the refining stage in which free fatty acids in degummed crude oil are reacted with an alkali solution…
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NFC Juice
NFC juice, meaning not-from-concentrate juice, is pasteurised fruit juice that has never been concentrated, retaining a flavour profile closer to…
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NIR Analysis
NIR analysis is a rapid near-infrared spectroscopic technique that measures compositional parameters such as moisture, protein and sugars by detecting…
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No-Till Farming
No-till farming is a cultivation method that sows crops directly into undisturbed soil without ploughing, conserving moisture, reducing erosion and…
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Non-Disclosure Agreement
A non-disclosure agreement is a legally binding contract that restricts the parties from sharing confidential information exchanged during commercial negotiations,…
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Non-GMO Certification
Non-GMO certification verifies that a product has been produced without genetically modified organisms and that supply-chain segregation controls prevent adventitious…
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Novel Food Regulation
Novel Food Regulation refers to Regulation (EU) 2015/2283, which governs foods not consumed to a significant degree in the EU…
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Nut Blanching
Nut blanching is a thermal process that loosens and removes the thin skin, or pellicle, from kernels such as almonds…
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Nut Butter
Nut butter is a spreadable product made by grinding roasted nuts to a smooth consistency, sometimes with added salt, sugar…
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Nut Cleaning
Nut cleaning is the removal of foreign matter including sticks, stones, husk fragments, dust and empty shells from in-shell nuts…
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Nut Dehulling
Nut dehulling is the mechanical removal of the outer green husk or hull from nuts such as walnuts and almonds…
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Nut Drying
Nut drying is the controlled reduction of moisture in in-shell or shelled nuts using forced air or heat to reach…
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Nut Flour
Nut flour is a gluten-free ingredient milled from raw, blanched or partially defatted kernels, used in bakery and confectionery, where…
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Nut Grading
Nut grading is the classification of kernels into commercial grades based on size, colour, whole-to-piece ratio and defect levels, directly…
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Nut Harvesting
Nut harvesting is the collection of mature nuts once hulls split or nuts fall naturally, using mechanical shakers, sweepers and…
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Nut Moisture
Nut moisture is the water content of in-shell nuts or kernels, a critical quality parameter that governs storage stability, mould…
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Nut Oil
Nut oil is an edible oil pressed from kernels such as walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, valued for its flavour and…
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Nut Packaging
Nut packaging is the selection and application of materials and formats that protect kernel quality from oxygen, moisture and light…
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Nut Paste
Nut paste is a semi-fluid mass produced by grinding roasted or raw kernels to a fine particle size, used as…
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Nut Rancidity
Nut rancidity is the oxidative or hydrolytic deterioration of unsaturated fats in kernels, producing off-flavours and odours that render product…
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Nut Roasting
Nut roasting applies controlled dry heat or oil to kernels to develop flavour, colour and texture while reducing moisture, and…
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Nut Shelling
Nut shelling is the mechanical cracking of the hard shell to release the kernel, using centrifugal, shear or compression crackers…
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Nut Slicing
Nut slicing is the mechanical cutting of blanched kernels into slices, slivers, halves or dice of defined dimensions for use…
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Nut Storage
Nut storage is the controlled holding of in-shell nuts or kernels under conditions of low temperature, low relative humidity and…
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Nutrition Declaration
Nutrition declaration is the mandatory tabular statement on prepacked food showing energy value and the amounts of fat, saturates, carbohydrate,…
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Ochratoxin A
Ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus and Penicillium moulds on inadequately dried or stored grains, dried fruit,…
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Official Controls Regulation
Official Controls Regulation (EU) 2017/625 establishes the EU framework for official controls across the agri-food chain, including at Border Control…
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Oil Bleaching
Oil bleaching is a refining stage in which crude or neutralised vegetable oil is treated with bleaching earth or activated…
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Oil Refining
Oil refining is the sequence of industrial treatments, typically degumming, neutralisation, bleaching and deodorisation, that converts crude vegetable oil into…
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Oil Yield
Oil yield is the quantity of oil recovered from a given mass of oilseed, expressed as a percentage, and serves…
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Oilseed Cleaning
Oilseed cleaning is the mechanical removal of foreign matter, including dust, stones, weed seeds, stems and damaged kernels, from rapeseed,…
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Oilseed Conditioning
Oilseed conditioning is the controlled adjustment of seed moisture and temperature prior to pressing or flaking, optimising cell rupture for…
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Oilseed Meal
Oilseed meal is the protein-rich solid left after oil is extracted from oilseeds by pressing and solvent extraction, such as…
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Oleoresin
Oleoresin is a solvent-extracted spice concentrate containing both volatile aroma compounds and non-volatile constituents such as pungency principles and pigments,…