Food Science Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Food Science distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/food-science/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Maillard Reaction

A complex set of non-enzymatic browning reactions between reducing sugars and amino acids that occurs when food is heated, producing hundreds of flavor and aroma compounds as well as brown pigments called melanoidins.

Water Activity (aw)

A measure of the availability of water in a food for chemical reactions and microbial growth, expressed as the ratio of the vapor pressure of water in the food to the vapor pressure of pure water. Values range from 0 to 1.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points)

A systematic preventive approach to food safety that identifies physical, chemical, and biological hazards in production processes and designs critical control points to reduce or eliminate those hazards.

Emulsification

The process of dispersing one immiscible liquid into another in the form of small droplets, stabilized by emulsifying agents that reduce interfacial tension and prevent phase separation.

Pasteurization

A heat treatment process designed to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and reduce spoilage organisms in food without significantly altering its nutritional value or sensory qualities.

Gelatinization

The irreversible process in which starch granules absorb water and swell when heated in the presence of moisture, causing the granules to lose their crystalline structure and form a viscous gel.

Fermentation

A metabolic process in which microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, or molds convert sugars and other substrates into acids, gases, or alcohol under anaerobic or partially anaerobic conditions, transforming food flavor, texture, and preservation.

Denaturation

The alteration of a protein's native three-dimensional structure by external factors such as heat, acid, mechanical agitation, or chemical agents, which changes its functional properties without breaking peptide bonds.

Food Rheology

The study of the flow and deformation behavior of food materials under applied forces, encompassing viscosity, elasticity, and viscoelastic properties that determine texture and mouthfeel.

Hurdle Technology

A food preservation approach that combines multiple mild preservation factors (hurdles) such as reduced water activity, low pH, mild heat, and preservatives to synergistically inhibit microbial growth while maintaining food quality.

Key Terms at a Glance

Blanching:Brief heat treatment (steam or boiling water) applied to fruits and vegetables to inactivate enzymes, set color, and reduce microbial load before freezing or drying.

Botulism:A potentially fatal illness caused by Clostridium botulinum toxin, associated with improperly canned low-acid foods.

Caramelization:Non-enzymatic browning of sugars at high temperatures, producing brown color and characteristic flavors.

Codex Alimentarius:An international collection of food standards, guidelines, and codes of practice established by FAO and WHO to protect consumer health and ensure fair food trade.

Colloidal Dispersion:A system in which fine particles of one substance are dispersed throughout another, such as emulsions, foams, and gels in food.

Critical Control Point (CCP):A step in food processing where control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

D-value:The time required at a given temperature to destroy 90 percent of a specific microorganism population.

Emulsifier:A surface-active substance that stabilizes emulsions by reducing interfacial tension between immiscible phases.

Enzymatic Browning:Browning caused by polyphenol oxidase catalyzing the oxidation of phenolic compounds to brown melanin pigments.

Food Additive:Any substance intentionally added to food for a specific technological purpose, such as preservation, coloring, flavoring, or texturizing.

Gelatinization:The swelling and disruption of starch granule crystalline structure in the presence of heat and water, forming a viscous paste.

GRAS:Generally Recognized as Safe. A U.S. FDA designation for food substances considered safe based on a long history of use or scientific evidence.

Homogenization:A mechanical process that reduces the size of fat globules in a liquid (e.g., milk) to create a uniform, stable dispersion.

Hydrocolloid:A substance that forms a gel or thickens a solution when dispersed in water. Commonly used as food thickeners and stabilizers.

Lipid Oxidation:A chain reaction in which unsaturated fatty acids react with oxygen, producing off-flavors, rancidity, and degradation of nutritional quality.

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