Glossary
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Soil Health
Soil health describes the biological, chemical and physical condition of soil and its capacity to sustain productive crops. Indicators include…
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Soil Preparation
Soil preparation readies the seedbed through ploughing, cultivating and levelling so that crops establish evenly. It includes managing soil moisture,…
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Solvent Extraction
Solvent extraction recovers oil from prepared oilseed flakes by washing them with a solvent, typically hexane, which dissolves the oil.…
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Soup Mixes
Soup mixes are vegetable blends designed for soup production, combining roots, brassicas, alliums and legumes in application-specific recipes. They are…
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Soxhlet Extraction
Soxhlet extraction determines fat content by repeatedly washing a dried sample with a solvent that dissolves the lipids, then weighing…
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Spice Adulteration
Spice adulteration is the fraudulent addition of foreign matter, exhausted plant material, fillers or unauthorised dyes to increase weight or…
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Spice Blending
Spice blending mixes individual herbs and spices into defined recipes for retail or industrial use. Homogeneity, matched particle sizes, accurate…
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Spice Grinding
Spice grinding mills whole spices into powder using hammer, pin or plate mills fitted with sieves of the required mesh.…
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Spice Irradiation
Spice irradiation uses ionising radiation to decontaminate dried herbs and spices and is permitted in the EU for this category.…
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Spice Moisture
Spice moisture is the water content of dried herbs and spices, generally required to be below 10–12 percent. It determines…
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Spice Sterilization
Spice sterilization reduces the naturally high microbial load carried by dried herbs and spices. Accepted methods include steam treatment and…
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Spray Drift
Spray drift is the movement of pesticide droplets away from the target crop during application, potentially contaminating neighbouring fields, water…
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Starch Extraction
Starch extraction separates starch granules from crushed plant tissue using water, sieves and hydrocyclones. The process recovers starch from potatoes…
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Steam Blanching
Steam blanching exposes vegetables to saturated steam for a defined time to inactivate enzymes before freezing or drying. Compared with…
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Steam Peeling
Steam peeling exposes fruit or vegetables briefly to pressurised steam, loosening the skin so it can be removed by rollers…
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Steam Sterilization
Steam sterilization treats spices with saturated steam under controlled pressure, temperature and time to reduce bacteria, yeasts and moulds. It…
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Stir-Fry Mixes
Stir-fry mixes combine vegetables cut for quick, high-heat cooking, typically peppers, onions, carrots, beans and brassicas. Cut sizes are chosen…
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Stock Keeping Unit
A stock keeping unit is a unique code identifying a distinct product variant for inventory purposes, combining product, format, processing…
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Stocktaking
Stocktaking is the physical verification of inventory against system records, performed periodically or continuously. It confirms actual stock positions, identifies…
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Stone Detection
Even after pitting, small stone fragments may remain in the product. Lines therefore use X-ray or laser inspection combined with…
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Stone Milling
Stone milling grinds grain between two millstones, producing wholemeal flour that retains the bran, germ and endosperm together. It is…
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Storage Instructions
Storage instructions tell the consumer or professional user how a food must be kept to remain safe and retain its…
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Storage Temperature
Storage temperature is the specified temperature range at which a product must be kept to retain safety and quality. Quick-frozen…
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Stretch Wrap
Stretch wrap is an elastic plastic film wound around palletised loads to hold cartons and bags firmly in place during…
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Sucrose
Sucrose is a disaccharide present in small amounts in ripe honey. The EU Honey Directive limits it to a maximum…
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Sugar Beet
Sugar beet is grown for industrial sugar production, with roots washed, sliced into cossettes and extracted with hot water in…
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Sugar Profile Analysis
Sugar profile analysis quantifies individual sugars such as glucose, fructose and sucrose, typically by HPLC. In honey it verifies authenticity…
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Superchilling
Superchilling (deep chilling) stores fresh product slightly below its initial freezing point, typically between −1 and −4 °C, without fully…
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Sustainability Reporting
Sustainability reporting is the disclosure of environmental, social and governance performance by companies, increasingly under EU frameworks such as the…
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Sustainable Sourcing
Sustainable sourcing procures raw materials in ways that consider environmental, social and economic impacts, often verified through standards or supplier…
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Table Honey
Table honey is honey intended for direct human consumption that meets all composition criteria of the EU Honey Directive, as…
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TARIC
TARIC is the EU’s Integrated Tariff, extending the Combined Nomenclature to ten digits and listing every measure that applies to…
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Temperature Abuse
Temperature abuse is any deviation of the product beyond its specified temperature range during storage or transport, such as a…
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Temperature Excursion
A temperature excursion is a recorded event in which temperature moved outside the specified range for a defined period. Quick-frozen…
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Temperature Logger
Temperature logger (data logger) is an electronic device that records temperature at set intervals throughout storage or transport. Loggers travel…
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Temperature Mapping
Temperature mapping is the validation exercise in which multiple sensors are placed throughout a cold store, reefer container or vehicle…
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Tillage
Tillage is the mechanical working of soil to prepare seedbeds, control weeds and incorporate residues or fertiliser. Depth and intensity…
