Glossary of Food-Related Terms (Hh)

Glossary of Food-Related Terms (Hh)

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) -

The underlying approach under HACCP for preventing foodborne illness and promoting quality is to identify the danger spots and try to avoid them. Instead of putting the burden on government to discover that a food safety problem exists, HACCP shifts responsibility onto the industry to ensure that the food it produces is safe. Food producers will have to prevent bacterial contamination from occurring in the first place. HACCP works by the following principles:

1. Identify the likely health hazards to consumers in a given product.
2. Identify the critical points in the processing where the hazards may occur.
3. Establish safety measures to prevent the hazard from occurring.
4. Monitor to make sure the safety measures are working.
5. Establish an appropriate remedy if monitoring shows a problem.
6. Establish detailed record keeping documenting monitoring and remedies taken.
7. Verify that the whole system is working.

Health claims -

Claims that link food or food components in the overall diet with a lowered risk of some chronic diseases strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Only health claims supported by scientific evidence are allowed on food labels. Since this information is optional so many foods that meet the criteria don’t carry any health claim on their label.

Helix -

A spiral, staircase-like structure with a repeating pattern described by two simultaneous operations (rotation and translation). It is one of the natural conformations exhibited by biological polymers.

Herbicides -

Herbicides are a class of crop protection and specialty chemicals used to control weeds on farms and in forests, as well as in non-agricultural applications such as golf courses, public tracts of land and residential lawns.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) -

HFCS are formulations generally containing 42 percent, 55 percent or 90 percent fructose (the remaining carbohydrate being primarily glucose) depending on the product application. HCFS are used in products such as soft drinks or cake mixes.

Homeostasis -

The ability or tendency of an organism or cell to maintain internal equilibrium by adjusting its physiological processes.

Hydrogenation -

Hydrogenation is the process of adding hydrogen molecules directly to an unsaturated fatty acid from sources such as vegetable oils to convert it to a semi-solid form such as margarine or shortening. Hydrogenation contributes important textural properties to food. The degree of hydrogenation influences the firmness and spreadability of margarines, flakiness of pie crust and the creaminess of puddings. Hydrogenated oils are sometimes used in place of other fats with higher proportions of saturated fatty acids such as butter or lard.

Hypertension -

Hypertension is the persistently elevated arterial blood pressure. It is the most common public health problem in developed countries. Emphasis on lifestyle modifications has given diet a prominent role for both the primary prevention and management of hypertension.