Foods II Vocabulary
1.01
1. Food Science – The study of the nature of food and the principles of its production,
processing, preservation, and packaging.
2. Nutrition – A food component necessary to sustain life.
3. Proximate Analysis – quantitative analysis of a mixture (as food) to determine the
percentage of components. Sometimes called product testing.
4. Objective Method – The first type of analytical method commonly used in the food
industry. It involves the process of obtaining reliable and valid quantitative (or
objective) data.
5. Science – The systematic knowledge of natural and physical phenomena.
6. Colorimeter – A device that measures the color of foods in terms of value, hue, and
chroma.
7. Phenomenon – A fact, occurrence, circumstance, or process that can be observed.
8. Applied Science – The process of putting scientific knowledge to practical use.
9. Experiment – A controlled situation that allows a scientist or researcher to determine
what causes a change to occur.
10. Formulation – The term for a recipe used in the food industry.
11. Replicable – Term used to describe an experiment that meets the scientific standard of
being repeatable.
12. International System of Units (SI) –
13. Mass – A measure of the quantity of matter.
14. Gram (g) – The mass of 1 cubic centimeter (cm3) of water at 4°C (39°F).
15. Kilogram (kg) – The mass of 1 liter of water at 4°C (39°F).
16. Weight – The measure of the force of gravity between two objects.
17. Calibrate – The process of adjusting a measuring instrument to a standard.
18. Length – The distance between two points.
19. Meter (m) – The standard unit of length in the metric system.
20. Volume – The amount of space occupied by an object.
21. Liter (L) – A unit of fluid volume in the metric system, which equals the space in an area
1 decimeter high by 1 decimeter wide by 1 decimeter deep (1 cubic decimeter).
22. Beaker – A deep, wide-mouthed container with a pouring lip used to hold substances
during experiments and take inexact volumes measurements.
23. Erlenmeyer Flask – A flat-bottomed, cone-shaped container used to mix and hold
liquids and take inexact volume measurements.
24. Graduated Cylinder – A tall container used to accurately measure the volume of liquids
to the nearest milliliter.
25. Burette – A graduated glass tube with a control valve at the bottom used to pour an
accurate amount of liquid.
26. Meniscus – The curve at the surface of a liquid in a container.
27. Celsius degree – A unit of temperature equal to .01 of the difference between the boiling
(100°C) and freezing points (0°C) of water.
28. Scientific Method – A system of steps used to solve problems.
29. Hypothesis – A possible solution to a problem based on available evidence.
30. Variable – A factor that is being changed in an experiment.
31. Control – The standard against which all changes in an experiment are measured.
32. Variation – Each change that is made in an experiment.
33. Data – Measurable facts that are collected during an experiment.
34. Conclusion – An analysis and application of data is an experiment that answers the
question how, what, where, when, or why and describes what data and observations
mean.
35. Meta-analysis – When the results of several individual studies are pooled to yield overall
conclusions.