4. Food Related Terms Definitions I-M
Description
This article is from the Food Science FAQ, bypking123@sympatico.ca (Paul E. J. King) with numerous contributions by others.
4. Food Related Terms Definitions I-M
Improved
Primarily a marketing term, and sometimes used in conjunction with
'new', it may cover a wide variety of circumstances, including minor
cosmetic changes, cost-cutting changes, and formulation changes to make
the product more acceptable to purchasers. It is the latter case that
most properly justifies the use of the term.
Instant
This term is strictly justified only in the cases of dry powders or
mixes which rehydrate instantly, i.e. in a matter of a few seconds (e.g.
instant coffee, instant tea) and should be reserved for such speedy
action. By extension, however, the term has sometimes been misused by
applying it to dry mix products which rehydrate faster than some others
but still take a few minutes rather than a few seconds. For the latter,
a term such as 'rapid' would be more appropriate.
Irradiated
Having been subjected to ionising radiation.
Isotonic
A term applied to a liquid product, e.g. a drink, having osmotic
properties approximating to those of blood serum, i.e. 280 milli-
osmoles per kg. However, the EU Scientific Committee for Food's
February 2001 Report on Sports Drinks
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out64_en.pdf includes
"It has become common to refer to carbohydrate-electrolyte
sports drinks as isotonic drinks, as though the tonicity was
their most important characteristic. The osmolality of
ingested fluids is important as this can influence both the
rates of gastric emptying and of intestinal water flux: both
of these processes together will determine the effectiveness
of rehydration fluids at delivering water for rehydration. An
increasing osmolality of the gastric contents will tend to
delay emptying, and increasing the carbohydrate or electrolyte
content of sports drinks will generally result in an increased
osmolality. The composition of the drinks and the nature of
the solutes is, however, of greater importance than the
osmolality itself\u2026\u2026."
and concludes:
"Although most of the popular sports drinks are formulated to
have as close to that of body fluids [102] and are promoted as
isotonic drinks, there is good evidence that hypotonic solutions
are more effective when rapid rehydration is desired. Although
it is argued that a higher osmolality is inevitable when
adequate amounts of carbohydrate are to be included in sports
drinks, the optimum amount of carbohydrate necessary to improve
exercise performance has not been clearly established."
Junk Food
This term has no specific meaning. It is an invented label
which has, for example, been applied indiscriminately to all fast
food and all snack foods. It has also been applied to any food high
in fat and/or sugar (and so in calories) but low in other nutrients.
However, there is no evidence that such foods are other than
acceptable as part of a balanced diet
Light/Lite
These terms are used to signify a lower energy or lower fat version
of a particular food, [and therefore should comply with conditions
applying to a reduced .... claim. (see Reduced .......)]. That would
imply at least 25% reduction of the norm, but some opinion holds that it
should mean at least 50% reduction.
Low calorie/low energy
A description which may be applied to foods which, when ready for
consumption, have an energy value no greater than 167 kJ (40 kcal) per
100 g (for the purposes of theUK Food Labelling Regulations 1984,
intense sweeteners and similar products are exempted from this limit).
Low in .....
Complying either with a declared or, where existing, a
legally-specified maximum or a legally-specified percentage reduction
compared with a product not making a 'low in' claim for the parameters
involved.
Manufacture
The complete cycle of production of a food product from the
acquisition of all materials, through all stages of subsequent
processing, packaging and storage, to the despatch of the finished
product.
Meat
'Meat' means the flesh, including fat and the skin, rind, gristle
and sinew in amounts naturally associated with the flesh, of any animal
or bird which is normally used for human consumption, but including only
those parts of the carcase listed in Part I of Schedule 2 of the UK Meat
Products and Spreadable Fish Products Regulations 1984.
Note that from 1 January 2003 EU Member States will have to
give effect to a Directive amending Directive 2000/13/EC, limiting
the definition of "meat" to skeletal-attached muscle plus not more
than 25% muscle-adhering fat and connective tissue (not more than
10% in the case of birds and rabbits), requiring systematic
indication of the species from which the meat comes, and excluding
"mechanically separated meat" from the definition.
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