Glossary of the food sector

Food enzyme preparation

Formulation consisting of one or more food enzymes into which substances such as food additives and/or other food ingredients are incorporated to facilitate their preservation, sale, standardization, dilution, or dissolution.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 1332/2008, Art. 3(2)(b)

Food Facility (US term)

Any facility that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food for consumption in the United States.

— Source: FSMA 21 USC 350d

Food for early childhood

Food intended to meet the specific needs of healthy infants during the weaning period and healthy young children, as a supplement to their diet and/or to gradually accustom them to a normal diet, excluding:

i) processed cereal-based foods; and

ii) milk-based drinks and similar products intended for young children.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 609/2013, Art. 2(2)(f)

Food for special medical purposes

A food product specifically processed or formulated for the dietary management of patients, including infants, to be used under medical supervision; it is intended for the complete or partial nutrition of patients with a limited, impaired, or impaired capacity to consume, digest, absorb, metabolize, or excrete common foods or certain nutrients or metabolites contained therein, or with other nutritional needs determined by medical conditions and whose dietary management cannot be achieved solely by modifying their normal diet.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 609/2013, Art. 2(2)(g)

Food hygiene

The measures and conditions necessary to control hazards and ensure the fitness for human consumption of a foodstuff, taking into account its intended use.

—Source: Reg. (EC) 852/2004, Art. 2(1)(a)

Food Information

Information concerning a food made available to the final consumer through a label, other accompanying materials, or any other means, including modern technology or verbal communication.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Art. 2(2)(a)

Food information regulations

Union provisions governing food information, in particular labelling, including general rules applicable to all foods in particular circumstances or to certain categories of foods and rules that apply only to specific foods.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, Art. 2(2)(b)

Food ingredient with flavoring properties

A food ingredient, other than flavourings, which may be added to foods for the primary purpose of adding or modifying their flavour and which contributes significantly to the presence of certain naturally occurring undesirable substances in foods.

— Source: Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, Art. 3(2)(i)

Food integrity

The state of a food that guarantees its authenticity, safety, absence of adulteration, and production in compliance with applicable regulations, quality standards, and ethical norms. Integrity ensures that the product is indeed what it claims to be, free from fraud, falsification, or the intentional or inadvertent addition of unauthorized substances. [Summary definition of various principles and guidelines found in different parts of the Codex Alimentarius]

— Source: Codex Alimentarius Commission, Procedural Manual, 28th edition

Food law (food regulation)

The body of laws, regulations, and administrative provisions relating to food in general and food safety in particular, both within the Community and at national level; it includes all stages of production, processing, and distribution of food, as well as feed produced for or fed to food-producing animals.

— Source: Regulation (EC) 178/2002, Art. 3(1)

Food legislation

(Synonym: "food law") The laws, regulations, and administrative provisions relating to food in general, and food safety in particular, both at Community and national level; this includes all stages of production, processing, and distribution of food, including feed produced for or fed to food-producing animals.

— Source: Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, Art. 3(1)

Food legislation

Laws, regulations, and administrative provisions relating to food in general, and food safety in particular, both at Community and national level; this includes all stages of production, processing, and distribution of food, including feed produced for or fed to food-producing animals.

— Source: Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, Art. 3(1)

Food safety criterion

A criterion that defines the acceptability of a product or batch of food, applicable to products placed on the market.

—Source: Reg. (EC) 2073/2005, Art. 2(c)

Food simulant

Test medium that mimics the food product; the behavior of the food simulant simulates migration from materials intended to come into contact with food.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 10/2011, Art. 3(12)

Food supplement

Foodstuffs intended to supplement the normal diet and which constitute a concentrated source of nutrients or other substances having a nutritional or physiological effect, whether single or combined, in dosage forms, i.e., in forms such as capsules, pastilles, tablets, pills, and similar forms, powders in sachets, liquid ampoules, dropper bottles, and other similar forms of liquids and powders intended to be taken in small individual quantities.

— Source: Directive 2002/46/EC, Art. 2(a)