How foods are produced, processed, fermented, cured and manufactured, and what those processes change.
Stock is usually built as a cooking foundation and often gets body from bones; broth is generally more seasoned and ready to eat; consommé is a clarified, concentrated soup. These are useful culinary distinctions, not perfectly standardized supermarket categories.
Nitrates and nitrites are curing agents, not decorative additives. Nitrite helps suppress C. botulinum, develops the characteristic pink cured color and flavor, and slows rancidity. Their use is limited because nitrite chemistry can also form nitrosamines under some conditions.
“Enriched” and “fortified” both mean nutrients were added, but they describe different reasons. Enrichment commonly replaces nutrients lost during processing; fortification adds nutrients to improve or standardize the food’s nutritional value.
Whole grain describes the intact grain components—bran, germ, and endosperm—in their original proportions. Whole wheat is the wheat-specific version. So whole wheat is whole grain, but a whole-grain food can use oats, rye, brown rice, corn, or other grains instead of wheat.
“Multigrain” describes variety: more than one grain is used. “Whole grain” describes processing: bran, germ, and endosperm remain in the grain ingredient. A bread can be both, but multigrain on its own does not guarantee that any particular grain is whole.
“GMO” is the common consumer term for organisms whose DNA has been changed using genetic engineering. In U.S. labeling, “bioengineered” is a specific federal disclosure term with a narrower definition, so GMO and a mandatory BE disclosure are related but not identical concepts.
Natural and artificial flavor are regulatory origin categories, not health grades. A natural flavor must derive its flavoring function from source materials listed in FDA rules; an artificial flavor is one whose flavor comes from other sources.
FDA has not created a formal, all-purpose definition of “natural” for food labels. Its longstanding policy focuses on whether artificial or synthetic substances were added where they would not normally be expected; it does not make “natural” a nutrition, organic, non-GMO, or minimally processed certification.
USDA organic production excludes genetic engineering, but “organic” is a broader certified production standard. A non-GMO claim speaks to genetic engineering; by itself it does not tell you whether the food met USDA organic rules for certification, allowed inputs, or other production practices.
“Sugar-free” limits the amount of sugars in a serving to less than 0.5 g. “No added sugar” describes formulation: sugar and ingredients used to add sugar were not added, but naturally occurring sugars can still appear on the Nutrition Facts label.
Monk fruit and stevia are both high-intensity sweeteners used in tiny amounts. Pure extracts can be hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, but most retail packets are diluted with erythritol or other carriers so the label formulation matters more than a raw sweetness ratio.
Miso is made by fermenting soybeans with koji—grain or soy inoculated with Aspergillus oryzae—plus salt and time. It contributes soy protein, isoflavones, and intense umami, but it is concentrated in sodium and is usually eaten as a condiment rather than a primary protein food.