definition
strict definition
food processing
Industrial facilities converting edible materials into consumer-ready food products or packaging them.
A food processing plant is a place where any kinds of edible materials are converted into consumer-ready food products. These include processing of raw harvested materials, industrial cooking plants and industrial bakeries, canneries, and food packaging plants.
The operation can prepare the food, package it, or do both. Industrial baking and canning are examples of distinct processes within the same broader food use.
An industrial packaging facility for inedible goods has a separate scope. A food warehouse that only holds finished products is also distinct from a processing plant.
More specific definitions
7 sub-definitions-
bottling plant
An industrial facility producing and bottling beverages, or a separate area used for bottling them. -
brewery
An industrial facility producing beer on a medium or large scale, usually with bottling operations. -
cannery
A food-processing facility sealing products into cans or jars for distribution to consumers. -
creamery
An industrial facility processing raw milk into consumable dairy products and usually packaging them. -
gristmill
An industrial or agricultural facility grinding food grains into flour for people or animal feed. -
sugar mill
An industrial site where raw plant sugar is refined or processed to prepare it for the consumer. -
winery
A facility producing wine in quantities sufficient for commercial distribution to consumers.
Related definitions
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concrete plant
A facility where quarried aggregates and other ingredients are converted into concrete. -
foundry
A place where raw metals are poured into molds to produce finished products or parts. -
packaging facility
Industrial space where goods are placed in packages for further distribution. -
smelting
Industrial facilities that extract metals from ores through chemical processes at high temperatures. -
wood processing
Industrial facilities turning forestry materials into usable wood products or commodities.