Glossary
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Aerobic Plate Count
The aerobic plate count estimates the total number of viable aerobic microorganisms in a sample by culturing dilutions on agar.…
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Aflatoxin
Aflatoxins are toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus on nuts, dried fruit and grains…
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Aflatoxin Testing
Aflatoxin testing quantifies aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2, potent carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus moulds. EU maximum levels apply…
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Aflatoxins in Nuts
Aflatoxins are toxic metabolites produced by moulds that can contaminate nuts in the field and in storage. The EU sets…
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Agroecology
Agroecology applies ecological principles to farming, designing production systems that work with natural processes such as nutrient cycling, biological pest…
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Air Freight
Air freight is the transport of cargo by aircraft. It is the fastest but most expensive mode and is used…
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Air-Blast Freezing
Air-blast freezing is a method in which cold air, typically at −30 to −40 °C, is blown at high velocity…
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Allergen Control
Allergen control is the set of measures preventing unintended presence of allergenic substances, such as gluten, nuts or sesame, in…
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Allergen Labelling
Allergen labelling highlights the fourteen listed allergens present in a food, which must be emphasised in the ingredients list, for…
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Alveograph
The Chopin alveograph inflates a dough bubble and records its resistance and extensibility, producing parameters such as tenacity (P), extensibility…
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Ambient Storage
Ambient storage means keeping product at normal surrounding temperature without active cooling, typically around 15–25 °C. It suits shelf-stable products…
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American Foulbrood
American foulbrood is a highly contagious bacterial disease of bee brood caused by Paenibacillus larvae, destroying larvae and producing spores…
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Anaerobic Digestion
Anaerobic digestion breaks down organic waste in sealed vessels without oxygen, producing biogas for energy and digestate for use as…
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Antinutritional Factors
Antinutritional factors are naturally occurring compounds in pulses, such as phytates, tannins, lectins and trypsin inhibitors, that reduce nutrient availability…
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Apiary
An apiary is a site where beehives are kept, ranging from a few colonies in a farmyard to large commercial…
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Arbitration Clause
An arbitration clause commits disputes to arbitration rather than court proceedings, specifying the institution, seat, language and number of arbitrators.…
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Aroma Recovery
Aroma recovery captures volatile flavour compounds stripped off during evaporation and returns them to the concentrate or stores them separately.…
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Aseptic Bag-in-Box
Aseptic bag-in-box packs juices and purees into sterile multilayer bags inside protective boxes or drums, typically from 20 to 1000…
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Aseptic Processing
Aseptic processing sterilises a liquid product by short high-heat treatment and fills it into pre-sterilised containers under sterile conditions. It…
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Ash Content Testing
Ash content testing determines the mineral residue remaining after incinerating a sample at high temperature. In flours, sugars and fruit…
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ASTA Colour Value
The ASTA colour value quantifies the colour intensity of paprika by spectrophotometric measurement of its carotenoid pigments. Higher values indicate…
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Automated Storage and Retrieval
Automated storage and retrieval systems use cranes, shuttles or conveyors controlled by software to store and retrieve loads without manual…
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Backhaul
Backhaul is the return journey of a vehicle after delivering its primary load. Using backhaul capacity for compatible cargo reduces…
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Baker’s Honey
Baker’s honey is the EU legal designation for honey that does not fully meet the table-honey composition criteria, for example…
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Batch Management
Batch management records and tracks goods in defined production or receipt batches, each with its own identifiers, dates and quality…
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Bee Colony
A bee colony is the social unit of honey bees living in one hive, comprising a single queen, tens of…
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Bee Feeding
Bee feeding supplies colonies with sugar syrup or fondant when natural forage is insufficient, typically in early spring, after harvest…
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Bee Forage
Bee forage is the nectar and pollen source available to bees in the landscape around an apiary. Forage diversity and…
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Bee Pollen Collection
Bee pollen collection uses entrance traps that strip pollen pellets from returning forager bees, which are then gathered, cleaned and…
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Bee Swarming
Swarming is the natural reproduction of a bee colony in which the old queen leaves with a portion of the…
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Beehive
A beehive is the manufactured structure housing a bee colony, most commonly a movable-frame design such as the Langstroth or…
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Beetroot Powder
Beetroot powder is produced by drying cooked or raw beetroot and milling it to a fine particle size. It is…
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Beetroot Processing
Beetroot processing covers washing, cooking, peeling and packing of beetroot into formats such as vacuum-packed cooked beetroot, cubes and slices.…
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Belt Freezing
Belt freezing is a continuous IQF process in which product is conveyed on a mesh belt through an insulated freezing…
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Best Before Date
The best-before date indicates the date until which a food retains its specific properties when properly stored. Food may still…
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Bill of Lading
The bill of lading (B/L) is the key document in sea freight: it is issued by the carrier, confirms receipt…
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Bill of Lading
A bill of lading is the key document in sea freight, issued by the carrier to confirm receipt of cargo…
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in an ecosystem, including plants, animals and microorganisms. Agricultural practices that protect habitats,…
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Bioeconomy
The bioeconomy describes economic activity based on renewable biological resources, including food production and the conversion of biomass and by-products…