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“Ten years ago, the company that bought most of my crops came to me with a contract. They told me they wanted my lands to grow only fine beans and insisted I use certain fertil- izers and pesticides which were expensive for me to buy. “They also wanted me to guarantee that I would supply a certain tonnage of the crop or face penalties. I had no choice but to sign the contract and accept their loan for the expensive chemicals.

Words to Understand in This Chapter

blanch— to put food items in boiling water or steam for a short time. convenience food— any packaged food, dish, or meal that can be prepared quickly and easily, as by thawing or heating. deteriorate— to become worse as time passes. enzyme— a chemical substance in animals and plants that helps to cause natural processes, such as digestion. fermentation— a chemical breaking down of a substance, such as sugar, that is controlled by an enzyme and usually does not require oxygen. Fermentation typically results in the production of alcohol and carbon dioxide. food science— the study of the physical, biological, and chemical makeup of food. food technology— the application of food science to the selection, preservation, processing, packaging, distribution, and use of safe food. microorganism— an extremely small living thing that can only be seen with a microscope. pasteurize— a process in which a liquid, such as milk, is heated to a temperature high enough to kill many harmful germs, then cooled rapidly. pesticide— a chemical that is used to kill animals or insects that damage plants or crops.

sterilize— to clean something by destroying germs or bacteria. tonnage— the total weight or amount of something in tons.

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Food Technology