Glossary
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Order Picking
Order picking retrieves the specific items and quantities needed to fulfil customer orders from storage locations. Picking accuracy, speed and…
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Organic Certification
Organic certification confirms compliance with organic production rules, in the EU Regulation (EU) 2018/848: no synthetic pesticides or mineral fertilisers,…
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Organic Regulation
Regulation (EU) 2018/848 sets the rules for organic production and labelling of organic products in the EU, covering production methods,…
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Organoleptic Analysis
Organoleptic, or sensory, analysis evaluates a product using sight, smell, taste and touch: colour, odour, flavour, texture and appearance. Trained…
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Pallet
A pallet is a flat platform, usually wooden or plastic, on which cartons or bags are stacked and secured for…
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Pallet Racking
Pallet racking is the structural system of uprights and beams that stores palletised goods in vertical levels. Racking configuration determines…
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Palletization
Palletization is the stacking and securing of packed goods on pallets for efficient handling, storage and transport. Good palletization uses…
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Par-Frying
Par-frying partially fries blanched potato strips for a short time before freezing. It sets the crust, develops initial colour and…
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Particle Size
Particle size describes the dimensions of pieces or powder particles in a product, such as cut size of dried fruit,…
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Patulin Testing
Patulin testing measures the mycotoxin produced by Penicillium and other moulds in damaged fruit, with apple and apple-derived products the…
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Payment Terms
Payment terms define when and how the buyer pays: advance payment, payment against documents, letter of credit, or deferred payment…
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PCR Testing
PCR, polymerase chain reaction, amplifies specific DNA sequences and is used in food testing for species identification, authenticity verification and…
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Pea Vining
Pea vining separates green peas from their pods using vining machines, typically in the field or immediately after harvest. Rapid…
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Peroxidase Test
The peroxidase test verifies that blanching was sufficient: peroxidase is the most heat-stable vegetable enzyme, so if it is inactivated,…
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Peroxide Value
Peroxide value measures primary oxidation products in fats and oils, expressed in milliequivalents of active oxygen per kilogram. It is…
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Pesticide Residue
Pesticide residues are traces of plant-protection chemicals remaining on or in harvested product. EU buyers require multi-residue screening by accredited…
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Pesticide Residues Regulation
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 establishes maximum residue levels for pesticides in food and feed of plant and animal origin in…
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Pfund Scale
The Pfund scale grades honey colour from water-white to dark amber, measured in millimetres by comparing the honey against a…
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pH Value
pH measures the acidity or alkalinity of a product on a 0–14 scale. Most fruits are acidic (pH roughly 2.5–4.5)…
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Physical Check
A physical check involves direct examination of the goods, which may include inspection of the product, its packaging and labelling,…
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Phytic Acid
Phytic acid is the main phosphorus storage form in pulse seeds and chelates minerals such as iron and zinc, reducing…
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Phytosanitary Certificate
A phytosanitary certificate is an official document issued by the plant-protection authority of the exporting country confirming that the consignment…
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Pitting
Pitting removes stones from cherries, sour cherries, plums and apricots using pitting machines. Pitted fruit is subsequently checked for remaining…
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Plant Protection Products
Plant protection products are substances used to protect crops from pests, diseases and weeds, including fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Their…
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Plate Freezing
Plate freezing presses product between hollow metal plates through which refrigerant circulates. It freezes product into uniform blocks or bricks…
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Pollinator Protection
Pollinator protection covers measures that safeguard bees and other pollinators in agricultural landscapes, including habitat provision, responsible pesticide use and…
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Polyethylene Bag
A polyethylene (PE) bag is a food-grade plastic bag used as an inner liner inside cartons for frozen fruit and…
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Polyphenols
Polyphenols are a large group of plant compounds with antioxidant properties, abundant in berries, dark honeys, herbs and some grains.…
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Port of Discharge
The port of discharge is the port where cargo is unloaded from the vessel. It determines onward transport arrangements and…
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Port of Loading
The port of loading is the port where cargo is loaded onto the vessel, as stated on the bill of…
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Post-Harvest Handling
Post-harvest handling covers all operations between harvest and processing or sale, including cooling, cleaning, sorting, grading and packing. Rapid removal…
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Potato Blanching
Potato blanching applies hot water or steam to cut potatoes before drying or frying. It inactivates enzymes, removes surface sugars…
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Potato Curing
Potato curing holds freshly harvested tubers at moderate temperature and high humidity for one to two weeks so that skin…
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Potato Cutting
Potato cutting shapes peeled tubers into strips, cubes, slices or wedges using blade arrays set to the required dimensions. Cut…
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Potato Defects
Potato defects include hollow heart, black spot, scab, greening, rot and growth cracks. Defect tolerances are defined per grade and…
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Potato Flakes
Potato flakes are produced by cooking, mashing and drum-drying potatoes into thin sheets that are broken into flakes. They rehydrate…
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Potato Grading
Potato grading sorts tubers by size, typically in millimetre ranges, and removes undersized, oversized and defective tubers. Uniform sizing is…
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Potato Starch
Potato starch is extracted by rasping potatoes, washing the starch out of the pulp and drying the starch milk. It…
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Potato Storage
Potato storage keeps tubers in dark, ventilated stores at controlled temperature to suppress sprouting and disease. Temperature is set per…
