Where to Start

Food - it seems the obvious place to start this blog. I'm sure everyone could improvise a definition for food if pressed, but I'm going to discuss only two here.

Food (fōōd) n. 1. A substance, usually of plant or animal origin, taken in and assimilated by an organism to maintain life and growth: nourishment. That's how Webster's Dictionary defines it, but it isn't the legal definition our industry uses. We use the definition from the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act which defines food as: (1) Articles used for food or drink for man or other animals, (2) Chewing gum, and (3) Articles used for components of any such article (i.e. ingredients).

But what is food really? Essentially it is all of those items you find on a label and nutritional data panel. It is comprised of three main constituents: protein, fat & carbohydrates. Lets start here; there is plenty of time to cover the other organic & inorganic substances found in what we eat. I want you to understand the basics.