Food

Food is any substance consumed by living organisms, including liquid drinks{{fn|1}}. Food is the main source of energy and of nutrition for animals, and is usually of animal or plant origin.

Food preparation

Whilst some food can be eaten without preparation, many foods undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability, or flavor. At the simplest level this may involve washing, cutting, trimming or adding other foods or ingredients, such as spices. It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, pressure cooking, fermentation, or combination with other food. Most food preparation takes place in a kitchen.

Related Topics:
Flavor - Washing - Cutting - Spice - Pressure cooking - Fermentation - Kitchen

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The preparation of animal-based food will usually involve slaughter, evisceration, hanging, portioning and rendering.

Related Topics:
Slaughter - Evisceration - Portion - Rendering

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:See also: Barbecue, Eating utensils, Frankfurt kitchen, Hangi, Oven, Microwave oven, Refrigeration, Food preparation utensils.

Related Topics:
Barbecue - Eating utensils - Frankfurt kitchen - Hangi - Oven - Microwave oven - Refrigeration - Food preparation utensils

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Food manufacture

Early food processing techniques were limited by the available food preservation, packaging and transportation. Early food processing mainly involved salting, curing, curdling, drying, pickling and smoking. An early processed food product was cheese.

Related Topics:
Food preservation - Transportation - Salting - Curing - Drying - Pickling - Smoking - Cheese

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During the industrialisation era in the 19th century, food manufacturing arose. This development took advantage of new mass markets and emerging new technology, such as milling, preservation, packaging and labelling and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time saving food to the bulk of ordinary people who did not employ domestic servants.

Related Topics:
Industrialisation era - 19th century - Mass markets - Milling - Packaging and labelling - Domestic servant

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At the start of the 21st century, a two-tier structure has arisen, with a few international food processing giants controlling a wide range of well known food brands; with a populous number of small local or national food processing companies.

Related Topics:
21st century - Brand

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:See also: Best before, Canning, Coloring, Food quality, Snap freezing, Additives, Flavoring, Enzymes, Genetically modified food, Pasteurization, Shelf-life, Ultra-high temperature processing.

Related Topics:
Best before - Canning - Coloring - Food quality - Snap freezing - Additive - Flavoring - Enzyme - Genetically modified food - Pasteurization - Shelf-life - Ultra-high temperature processing

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Types of manufactured food

• Drinks: beer, juice, soft drink, squash, wine.
• Bread is a staple food for many nations, being made of risen dough of wheat or other cereals.
• Cakes and cookies
• Cheese is a curdled milk product, of which many varieties exist.
• Dessert is a course, usually sweet, and generally served after the main course, e.g. Ice cream.
• French fries, Chips
• Functional food
• Jam and Jelly
• Pasta
• Pie
• Pizza
• Processed meats
• Sandwiches
• Salad
• Sauce
• Sausage
• Snack food: Confectionery, Potato chips, Chocolate, Hardtack, candy bars, junk food
• Soup
• Sugar
• Therapeutic foods
• Yoghurt