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{{Short description|Substance consumed for nutrition}}
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[[File:Good Food Display - NCI Visuals Online.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Display of various foods|alt=Table set with red meat, bread, pasta, vegetables, fruit, fish, and beans]]

'''Food''' is any substance consumed by an [[organism]] for [[Nutrient|nutritional]] support. Food usually consists of plant, animal, or [[Fungus|fungal]] origin and contains essential nutrients such as [[carbohydrate]]s, [[fat]]s, [[protein (nutrient)|proteins]], [[vitamin]]s, or [[Mineral (nutrient)|minerals]]. The substance is [[Ingestion|ingested]] by an organism and assimilated by the organism's [[Cell (biology)|cells]] to provide energy, maintain life, or support growth. Different species of animals have different [[List of feeding behaviours|feeding behaviours]] that satisfy the needs of their [[metabolism]]s and have evolved to fill specific [[ecological niche]]s within specific geographical contexts.

[[Omnivore|Omnivorous]] humans are highly adaptable and have adapted to obtaining food in many different ecosystems. Humans generally use [[cooking]] to prepare food for consumption. The majority of the [[food energy]] required is supplied by the industrial [[food industry]], which produces food through [[Intensive farming|intensive agriculture]] and distributes it through complex [[food processing]] and [[food distribution]] systems. This system of conventional agriculture relies heavily on [[fossil fuel]]s, which means that the food and agricultural systems are one of the [[Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture|major contributors to climate change]], accounting for as much as 37% of total [[Greenhouse-gas emissions|greenhouse gas emissions]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.sapea.info/wp-content/uploads/sustainable-food-system-report.pdf |title=A sustainable food system for the European Union |publisher=Science Advice for Policy by European Academies |year=2020 |isbn=978-3-9820301-7-3 |location=Berlin |page=39 |doi=10.26356/sustainablefood |access-date=14 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418105107/https://www.sapea.info/wp-content/uploads/sustainable-food-system-report.pdf |archive-date=18 April 2020 |doi-access=free|author1=SAPEA }}</ref>

The food system has a significant impact on a wide range of other social and political issues, including [[sustainability]], [[biological diversity]], [[nutritional economics|economics]], [[population growth]], [[water supply]], and [[food security]]. [[Food safety]] and security are monitored by international agencies, like the [[International Association for Food Protection]], the [[World Resources Institute]], the [[World Food Programme]], the [[Food and Agriculture Organization]], and the [[International Food Information Council]].

==Definition and classification==
Food is any substance consumed to provide [[Nutrient|nutritional]] support and energy to an [[organism]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Food definition and meaning |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/food |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501034215/https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/food |archive-date=1 May 2021 |access-date=21 August 2021 |website=Collins English Dictionary |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6" /> It can be raw, processed, or formulated and is consumed orally by animals for growth, health, or pleasure. Food is mainly composed of water, [[lipid]]s, [[protein]]s, and [[carbohydrate]]s. Other organic substances (e.g., [[vitamin]]s) and minerals (e.g., salts) can also be found in food.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Rahman |first1=M. Shafiur |last2=McCarthy |first2=Owen J. |date=July 1999 |title=A classification of food properties |journal=International Journal of Food Properties |language=en |volume=2 |issue=2 |pages=93–99 |doi=10.1080/10942919909524593 |issn=1094-2912|doi-access=free }}</ref> Plants, [[algae]], and some microorganisms use [[photosynthesis]] to make some of their own nutrients.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 April 2017 |title=What is Photosynthesis |url=https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/what-photosynthesis |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203164642/https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/what-photosynthesis |archive-date=3 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |website=Smithsonian Science Education Center |language=en}}</ref> Water is found in nearly all foods and has been defined as food by itself.<ref>{{Cite web |date=11 February 2020 |title=CPG Sec 555.875 Water in Food Products (Ingredient or Adulterant) |url=https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/cpg-sec-555875-water-food-products-ingredient-or-adulterant |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211203164643/https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/cpg-sec-555875-water-food-products-ingredient-or-adulterant |archive-date=3 December 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |website=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |language=en}}</ref> Water has no food energy, and [[Dietary fiber|fiber]]s have low energy densities, or food energy relative to volume, some providing none, while fat is the most energy-dense component.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Low-Energy-Dense Foods and Weight Management: Cutting Calories While Controlling Hunger |url=https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/r2p_energy_density.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118001657/https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/r2p_energy_density.pdf |archive-date=18 November 2021 |access-date=3 December 2021 |website=[[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]]}}</ref> Some inorganic substances are also essential for plant and animal functioning.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Zoroddu |first1=Maria Antonietta |last2=Aaseth |first2=Jan |last3=Crisponi |first3=Guido |last4=Medici |first4=Serenella |last5=Peana |first5=Massimiliano |last6=Nurchi |first6=Valeria Marina |date=1 June 2019 |title=The essential metals for humans: a brief overview |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0162013418306846 |url-status=live |journal=Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry |language=en |volume=195 |pages=120–129 |doi=10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2019.03.013 |issn=0162-0134 |pmid=30939379 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411181017/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0162013418306846 |archive-date=11 April 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022 |s2cid=92997696}}</ref>

Human food can be classified in various ways, either by related content or by how it is processed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sadler |first1=Christina R. |last2=Grassby |first2=Terri |last3=Hart |first3=Kathryn |last4=Raats |first4=Monique |last5=Sokolović |first5=Milka |last6=Timotijevic |first6=Lada |date=1 June 2021 |title=Processed food classification: Conceptualisation and challenges |journal=Trends in Food Science & Technology |language=en |volume=112 |pages=149–162 |doi=10.1016/j.tifs.2021.02.059 |issn=0924-2244 |doi-access=free |s2cid=233647428}}</ref> The number and composition of [[food group]]s can vary. Most systems include four basic groups described by their origins and relative nutritional functions: vegetables and fruit, cereals and bread, dairy, and meat.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nestle |first=Marion |title=Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health |publisher=University of California Press |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-520-27596-6 |pages=36–37 |author-link=Marion Nestle |orig-date=2002}}</ref> Studies that look into diet quality group food into whole grains, refined grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, eggs, dairy products, fish, red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schwingshackl |first1=Lukas |last2=Schwedhelm |first2=Carolina |last3=Hoffmann |first3=Georg |last4=Lampousi |first4=Anna-Maria |last5=Knüppel |first5=Sven |last6=Iqbal |first6=Khalid |last7=Bechthold |first7=Angela |last8=Schlesinger |first8=Sabrina |last9=Boeing |first9=Heiner |year=2017 |title=Food groups and risk of all-cause mortality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies |journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |volume=105 |issue=6 |pages=1462–1473 |doi=10.3945/ajcn.117.153148 |issn=0002-9165 |pmid=28446499 |doi-access=free |s2cid=22494319}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schwingshackl |first1=Lukas |last2=Schwedhelm |first2=Carolina |last3=Hoffmann |first3=Georg |last4=Knüppel |first4=Sven |last5=Preterre |first5=Anne Laure |last6=Iqbal |first6=Khalid |last7=Bechthold |first7=Angela |last8=Henauw |first8=Stefaan De |last9=Michels |first9=Nathalie |last10=Devleesschauwer |first10=Brecht |last11=Boeing |first11=Heiner |year=2018 |title=Food groups and risk of colorectal cancer |journal=International Journal of Cancer |language=en |volume=142 |issue=9 |pages=1748–1758 |doi=10.1002/ijc.31198 |issn=1097-0215 |pmid=29210053 |doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schwingshackl |first1=Lukas |last2=Hoffmann |first2=Georg |last3=Lampousi |first3=Anna-Maria |last4=Knüppel |first4=Sven |last5=Iqbal |first5=Khalid |last6=Schwedhelm |first6=Carolina |last7=Bechthold |first7=Angela |last8=Schlesinger |first8=Sabrina |last9=Boeing |first9=Heiner |date=May 2017 |title=Food groups and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies |journal=European Journal of Epidemiology |language=en |volume=32 |issue=5 |pages=363–375 |doi=10.1007/s10654-017-0246-y |issn=0393-2990 |pmc=5506108 |pmid=28397016}}</ref> The [[Food and Agriculture Organization]] and [[World Health Organization]] use a system with eighteen or nineteen food classifications, including: cereals and their products; roots, tubers, plantains and their products; pulses, seeds and nuts and their products; milk and milk products; eggs and their products; fish, shellfish and their products; meat and meat products; insects, grubs and their products; vegetables and their products; fruits and their products; fats and oils; sweets and sugars; spices and condiments; beverages; foods for particular nutritional uses; food additives; composite dishes; and savory snacks. (The source claims nineteen but lists eighteen, numbered 1–15 and 17–19.)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Food groups and sub-groups |url=http://www.fao.org/gift-individual-food-consumption/methodology/food-groups-and-sub-groups/en/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829000613/http://www.fao.org/gift-individual-food-consumption/methodology/food-groups-and-sub-groups/en/ |archive-date=29 August 2021 |access-date=29 August 2021 |website=FAO}}</ref>

==Food sources==
[[File:Aquatic food web.jpg|thumb|A typical aquatic food web]]

In a given ecosystem, food forms a [[Food web|web]] of interlocking [[Food chain|chains]] with [[primary producers]] at the bottom and [[apex predator]]s at the top.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Food Web: Concept and Applications {{!}} Learn Science at Scitable |url=https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/food-web-concept-and-applications-84077181/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220209020322/https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/food-web-concept-and-applications-84077181/ |archive-date=9 February 2022 |access-date=15 December 2021 |website=Nature |language=en}}</ref> Other aspects of the web include [[Detritivore|detrovores]] (that eat [[Detritus|detritis]]) and [[decomposer]]s (that break down dead organisms).<ref name=":1" /> Primary producers include algae, plants, bacteria and protists that acquire their energy from sunlight.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Allan |first1=J. David |last2=Castillo |first2=Marí M. |title=Stream Ecology |date=2007 |publisher=Springer Netherlands |isbn=978-1-4020-5583-6 |location=Dordrecht |pages=105–134 |language=en |chapter=Primary producers |doi=10.1007/978-1-4020-5583-6_6}}</ref> Primary consumers are the [[herbivore]]s that consume the plants, and secondary consumers are the [[carnivore]]s that consume those herbivores. Some organisms, including most mammals and birds, have diets consisting of both animals and plants, and are considered omnivores.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Society |first=National Geographic |date=21 January 2011 |title=omnivore |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/omnivore/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215080444/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/omnivore/ |archive-date=15 December 2021 |access-date=15 December 2021 |website=National Geographic Society |language=en}}</ref> The chain ends with the apex predators, the animals that have no known predators in its ecosystem.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wallach |first1=Arian D. |last2=Izhaki |first2=Ido |last3=Toms |first3=Judith D. |last4=Ripple |first4=William J. |last5=Shanas |first5=Uri |year=2015 |title=What is an apex predator? |journal=Oikos |language=en |volume=124 |issue=11 |pages=1453–1461 |doi=10.1111/oik.01977 |bibcode=2015Oikos.124.1453W |doi-access=free |issn = 0030-1299 }}</ref> Humans are considered apex predators.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Roopnarine |first=Peter D. |date=4 March 2014 |title=Humans are apex predators |journal=Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences |language=en |volume=111 |issue=9 |pages=E796 |bibcode=2014PNAS..111E.796R |doi=10.1073/pnas.1323645111 |issn=0027-8424 |pmc=3948303 |pmid=24497513 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

Humans are omnivores, finding sustenance in vegetables, fruits, cooked meat, milk, eggs, mushrooms and seaweed.<ref name=":2" /> Cereal grain is a [[staple food]] that provides more food energy worldwide than any other type of crop.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 2011 |title=food |language=en |work=National Geographic Society |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/food/ |url-status=live |access-date=25 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322145917/http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/food/ |archive-date=22 March 2017}}</ref> [[Maize|Corn (maize)]], wheat, and rice account for 87% of all grain production worldwide.<ref name="prodstat">{{Cite web |title=ProdSTAT |url=http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210214103/http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/DesktopDefault.aspx |archive-date=10 February 2012 |website=FAOSTAT}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Favour |first=Eboh |title=Design and Fabrication of a Mill Pulverizer |url=https://www.academia.edu/27186173 |url-status=live |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226191619/http://www.academia.edu/27186173/DESIGN_AND_FABRICATION_OF_A_MILL_PULVERIZER |archive-date=26 December 2017 |website=Academia |date=22 July 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=039ZCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA846 |title=The Complete Book on Spices & Condiments (with Cultivation, Processing & Uses) 2nd Revised Edition: With Cultivation, Processing & Uses |date=2006 |publisher=Asia Pacific Business Press Inc. |isbn=978-81-7833-038-9 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171226191618/https://books.google.com/books?id=039ZCwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA846 |archive-date=26 December 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Just over half of the world's crops are used to feed humans (55 percent), with 36 percent grown as animal feed and 9 percent for [[biofuels]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Plumer |first=Brad |date=21 August 2014 |title=How much of the world's cropland is actually used to grow food? |url=https://www.vox.com/2014/8/21/6053187/cropland-map-food-fuel-animal-feed |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412003009/https://www.vox.com/2014/8/21/6053187/cropland-map-food-fuel-animal-feed |archive-date=12 April 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022 |website=Vox |language=en}}</ref> Fungi and bacteria are also used in the preparation of [[Fermentation (food)|fermented]] foods like [[bread]], [[wine]], [[cheese]] and [[yogurt]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palombo |first=Enzo |title=Kitchen Science: bacteria and fungi are your foody friends |url=http://theconversation.com/kitchen-science-bacteria-and-fungi-are-your-foody-friends-57279 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411181018/https://theconversation.com/kitchen-science-bacteria-and-fungi-are-your-foody-friends-57279 |archive-date=11 April 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022 |website=The Conversation |date=21 April 2016 |language=en}}</ref>

===Photosynthesis===
During [[photosynthesis]], energy from the sun is absorbed and used to transform water and carbon dioxide in the air or soil into oxygen and glucose. The oxygen is then released, and the glucose stored as an energy reserve.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 October 2019 |title=Photosynthesis |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/photosynthesis/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412205929/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/photosynthesis/ |archive-date=12 April 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022 |website=National Geographic Society |language=en}}</ref> Photosynthetic plants, algae and certain bacteria often represent the lowest point of the food chains,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oceanic Bacteria Trap Vast Amounts of Light Without Chlorophyll |url=https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/oceanic-bacteria-trap-vast-amounts-of-light-without-chlorophyll-66244 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220406153936/https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/oceanic-bacteria-trap-vast-amounts-of-light-without-chlorophyll-66244 |archive-date=6 April 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022 |website=The Scientist Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Leslie |first=Mitch |date=6 March 2009 |title=On the Origin of Photosynthesis |url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.323.5919.1286 |url-status=live |journal=Science |language=en |volume=323 |issue=5919 |pages=1286–1287 |doi=10.1126/science.323.5919.1286 |issn=0036-8075 |pmid=19264999 |s2cid=206584539 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220411181017/https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.323.5919.1286 |archive-date=11 April 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref> making photosynthesis the primary source of energy and food for nearly all life on earth.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Messinger |first1=Johannes |last2=Ishitani |first2=Osamu |last3=Wang |first3=Dunwei |year=2018 |title=Artificial photosynthesis – from sunlight to fuels and valuable products for a sustainable future |url=http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=C8SE90049C |url-status=live |journal=Sustainable Energy & Fuels |language=en |volume=2 |issue=9 |pages=1891–1892 |doi=10.1039/C8SE90049C |issn=2398-4902 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730073225/https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2018/SE/C8SE90049C |archive-date=30 July 2022 |access-date=11 April 2022}}</ref>

[[Plant nutrition|Plants also absorb important nutrients]] and minerals from the air, natural waters, and soil.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kathpalia |first1=Renu |chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2023-1_2 |title=Plant Physiology, Development and Metabolism |last2=Bhatla |first2=Satish C. |publisher=Springer |year=2018 |isbn=978-981-13-2023-1 |editor-last=Bhatla |editor-first=Satish C |location=Singapore |pages=37–81 |language=en |chapter=Plant Mineral Nutrition |doi=10.1007/978-981-13-2023-1_2 |access-date=20 January 2023 |editor-last2=A. Lal |editor-first2=Manju}}</ref> Carbon, oxygen and hydrogen are absorbed from the air or water and are the basic nutrients needed for plant survival.<ref name=":13">{{Cite journal |last1=Morgan |first1=J B |last2=Connolly |first2=E L |year=2013 |title=Plant-Soil Interactions: Nutrient Uptake |url=https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/plant-soil-interactions-nutrient-uptake-105289112/ |journal=Nature Education Knowledge |volume=4 |issue=8}}</ref> The three main nutrients absorbed from the soil for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, with other important nutrients including calcium, sulfur, magnesium, iron boron, chlorine, manganese, zinc, copper molybdenum and nickel.<ref name=":13" />

===Microorganisms===
Bacteria and other microorganisms also form the lower rungs of the food chain. They obtain their energy from photosynthesis or by breaking down dead organisms, waste or chemical compounds. Some form symbiotic relationships with other organisms to obtain their nutrients.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Gupta |first1=Ankit |title=Microbes and Environment |date=2017 |journal=Principles and Applications of Environmental Biotechnology for a Sustainable Future |pages=43–84 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Ram Lakhan |place=Singapore |publisher=Springer |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-981-10-1866-4_3 |isbn=978-981-10-1866-4 |pmc=7189961 |last2=Gupta |first2=Rasna |last3=Singh |first3=Ram Lakhan}}</ref> Bacteria provide a source of food for protozoa,<ref>{{Citation |last=Foissner |first=W. |title=PROTOZOA |date=2005-01-01 |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Soils in the Environment |pages=336–347 |editor-last=Hillel |editor-first=Daniel |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0123485304001624 |access-date=2024-05-01 |place=Oxford |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.1016/b0-12-348530-4/00162-4 |isbn=978-0-12-348530-4}}</ref> who in turn provide a source of food for other organisms such as small invertebrates.<ref>{{Citation |last=Foissner |first=W. |title=Protozoa☆ |date=2014-01-01 |work=Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780124095489091302 |access-date=2024-05-01 |publisher=Elsevier |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-409548-9.09130-2 |isbn=978-0-12-409548-9}}</ref> Other organisms that feed on bacteria include nematodes, fan worms, shellfish and a species of snail.

In the marine environment, plankton (which includes [[bacteria]], [[archaea]], [[algae]], [[protozoa]] and microscopic [[fungi]])<ref name="Lawton-2024-02-10">{{cite journal |last1=Lawton |first1=Graham |date=10 February 2024 |title=Fungi ahoy! |journal=New Scientist |volume=261 |issue=3477 |pages=37–39 |doi=10.1016/S0262-4079(24)00274-4|bibcode=2024NewSc.261b..37L }}</ref> provide a crucial source of food to many small and large aquatic organisms.

Without bacteria, life would scarcely exist because bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen into nutritious [[ammonia]]. Ammonia is the precursor to proteins, nucleic acids, and most vitamins. Since the advent of the industrial process for nitrogen fixation, the [[Haber-Bosch Process]], the majority of ammonia in the world is human-made.<ref>{{cite book |year=2004|title=Enriching the Earth Fritz Haber, Carl Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food Production|author=Vaclav Smil|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=978-0-262-69313-4}}</ref>

===Plants===
[[File:Foods (cropped).jpg|thumb|Foods from plant sources]]

[[Edible plants|Plants as a food source]] are divided into seeds, fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains and nuts.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Fardet |first=Anthony |chapter-url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128039687000162 |chapter=New Concepts and Paradigms for the Protective Effects of Plant-Based Food Components in Relation to Food Complexity |title=Vegetarian and Plant-Based Diets in Health and Disease Prevention |publisher=Elsevier |year=2017 |isbn=978-0-12-803968-7 |pages=293–312 |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-803968-7.00016-2 |url=https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-02793303 |access-date=12 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615171216/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128039687000162 |archive-date=15 June 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Where plants fall within these categories can vary, with botanically described fruits such as the tomato, squash, pepper and eggplant or seeds like peas commonly considered vegetables.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAQs |url=https://vric.ucdavis.edu/main/faqs.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321204323/https://vric.ucdavis.edu/main/faqs.htm |archive-date=21 March 2021 |access-date=12 April 2022 |website=vric.ucdavis.edu}}</ref> Food is a fruit if the part eaten is derived from the [[Ovary (botany)|reproductive tissue]], so seeds, nuts and grains are technically fruit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nuts |url=https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/food/nuts.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227192329/https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/food/nuts.shtml |archive-date=27 February 2022 |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=fs.fed.us}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |last=Chodosh |first=Sara |date=8 July 2021 |title=The bizarre botany that makes corn a fruit, a grain, and also (kind of) a vegetable |url=https://www.popsci.com/is-corn-fruit-vegetable-or-grain/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409102623/https://www.popsci.com/is-corn-fruit-vegetable-or-grain/ |archive-date=9 April 2022 |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=Popular Science |language=en-US}}</ref> From a culinary perspective, fruits are generally considered the remains of botanically described fruits after grains, nuts, seeds and fruits used as vegetables are removed.<ref name=":8" />{{better source needed|date=October 2025}} Grains can be defined as seeds that humans eat or harvest, with cereal grains (oats, wheat, rice, corn, barley, rye, sorghum and millet) belonging to the [[Poaceae]] (grass) family<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Julie |date=13 June 2017 |title=Quinoa's 'Seed Or Grain' Debate Ends Right Here |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/quinoa-is-not-a-grain_n_59380558e4b0aba888ba7b44 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415223356/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/quinoa-is-not-a-grain_n_59380558e4b0aba888ba7b44 |archive-date=15 April 2022 |access-date=15 April 2022 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> and pulses coming from the [[Fabaceae]] (legume) family.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 October 2019 |title=Legumes and Pulses |url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/legumes-pulses/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421110226/https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/legumes-pulses/ |archive-date=21 April 2022 |access-date=15 April 2022 |website=The Nutrition Source |language=en-us}}</ref> [[Whole grain]]s are foods that contain all the elements of the original seed (bran, germ, and [[endosperm]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of a Whole Grain {{!}} The Whole Grains Council |url=https://wholegrainscouncil.org/definition-whole-grain |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131090217/https://wholegrainscouncil.org/definition-whole-grain |archive-date=31 January 2022 |access-date=15 April 2022 |website=wholegrainscouncil.org}}</ref> Nuts are dry fruits, distinguishable by their woody shell.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last1=Rejman |first1=Krystyna |last2=Górska-Warsewicz |first2=Hanna |last3=Kaczorowska |first3=Joanna |last4=Laskowski |first4=Wacław |date=17 June 2021 |title=Nutritional Significance of Fruit and Fruit Products in the Average Polish Diet |journal=Nutrients |language=en |volume=13 |issue=6 |page=2079 |doi=10.3390/nu13062079 |issn=2072-6643 |pmc=8235518 |pmid=34204541 |doi-access=free}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=October 2025}}

Fleshy fruits (distinguishable from dry fruits like grain, seeds and nuts) can be further classified as [[stone fruits]] (cherries and peaches), [[Pome|pome fruits]] (apples, pears), [[Berry|berries]] (blackberry, strawberry), [[citrus]] (oranges, lemon), [[melon]]s (watermelon, cantaloupe), Mediterranean fruits (grapes, fig), [[tropical fruits]] (banana, pineapple).<ref name=":8" />{{better source needed|date=October 2025}} Vegetables refer to any other part of the plant that can be eaten, including roots, stems, leaves, flowers, bark or the entire plant itself.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Vegetables: Foods from Roots, Stems, Bark, and Leaves |url=https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/food/vegetables.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417035414/https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/ethnobotany/food/vegetables.shtml |archive-date=17 April 2022 |access-date=12 April 2022 |website=U.S. Forest Service}}</ref> These include [[root vegetable]]s (potatoes and carrots), bulbs (onion family), flowers (cauliflower and broccoli), [[leaf vegetable]]s ([[spinach]] and lettuce) and [[:Category:Stem vegetables|stem vegetables]] (celery and [[asparagus]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vegetable Classifications |url=https://www.vegetables.co.nz/tips-and-advice/vegetable-classifications/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220204223932/https://www.vegetables.co.nz/tips-and-advice/vegetable-classifications/ |archive-date=4 February 2022 |access-date=12 April 2022 |website=Vegetables |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref name=":4" />

The carbohydrate, protein and lipid content of plants is highly variable. Carbohydrates are mainly in the form of starch, fructose, glucose and other sugars.<ref name=":0" /> Most vitamins are found from plant sources, with the exception of [[vitamin D]] and [[Vitamin B12|vitamin B<sub>12</sub>]]. [[Mineral (nutrient)|Minerals]] can also be plentiful or not. Fruit can consist of up to 90% water, contain high levels of [[simple sugars]] that contribute to their sweet taste, and have a high [[vitamin C]] content.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":8" />{{better source needed|date=October 2025}} Compared to fleshy fruit (excepting Bananas) vegetables are high in starch,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Slavin |first1=Joanne L. |last2=Lloyd |first2=Beate |date=1 July 2012 |title=Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables |journal=Advances in Nutrition |language=en |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=506–516 |doi=10.3945/an.112.002154 |issn=2156-5376 |pmc=3649719 |pmid=22797986}}</ref> [[potassium]], dietary fiber, [[folate]] and vitamins and low in fat and calories.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vegetables |url=https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/vegetables |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417195851/https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/vegetables |archive-date=17 April 2022 |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=myplate.gov |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture}}</ref> Grains are more starch based<ref name=":0" /> and nuts have a high protein, fiber, vitamin E and B content.<ref name=":8" />{{better source needed|date=October 2025}} Seeds are a good source of food for animals because they are abundant and contain fiber and healthful fats, such as [[Omega-3|omega-3 fats]].<ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=The nutrition powerhouse we should eat more of |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/seeds |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412185742/https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/seeds |archive-date=12 April 2022 |access-date=12 April 2022 |website=BBC Food |language=en}}</ref> Complicated chemical interactions can enhance or depress bioavailability of certain nutrients. [[Phytates]] can prevent the release of some sugars and vitamins.<ref name=":0" />

Animals that only eat plants are called [[herbivore]]s, with those that mostly just eat fruits known as [[frugivore]]s,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kanchwala |first=Hussain |date=21 March 2019 |title=What Are Frugivores? |url=https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/animals/what-are-frugivores.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516032821/https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/animals/what-are-frugivores.html |archive-date=16 May 2022 |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=Science ABC |language=en-US}}</ref> while leaf and shoot eaters are [[folivore]]s (pandas) and wood eaters termed [[Xylophagy|xylophages]] (termites).<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 January 2011 |title=Herbivore |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/herbivore/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408191803/https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/herbivore/ |archive-date=8 April 2022 |access-date=17 April 2022 |website=National Geographic Society |language=en}}</ref> [[Frugivore]]s include a diverse range of species from annelids to elephants, chimpanzees and many birds.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Hagen |first1=Melanie |last2=Kissling |first2=W. Daniel |last3=Rasmussen |first3=Claus |last4=De Aguiar |first4=Marcus A.M. |last5=Brown |first5=Lee E. |last6=Carstensen |first6=Daniel W. |last7=Alves-Dos-Santos |first7=Isabel |last8=Dupont |first8=Yoko L. |last9=Edwards |first9=Francois K. |year=2012 |title=Biodiversity, Species Interactions and Ecological Networks in a Fragmented World |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780123969927000022 |url-status=live |journal=Advances in Ecological Research |language=en |publisher=Elsevier |volume=46 |pages=89–210 |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-396992-7.00002-2 |bibcode=2012AdER...46...89H |isbn=978-0-12-396992-7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504154918/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780123969927000022 |archive-date=4 May 2022 |access-date=17 April 2022|hdl=10261/64172 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Scanes |first=Colin G. |chapter-url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128052471000058 |chapter=Animals and Hominid Development |title=Animals and Human Society |publisher=Elsevier |year=2018 |isbn=978-0-12-805247-1 |pages=83–102 |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-805247-1.00005-8 |access-date=17 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180609185730/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780128052471000058 |archive-date=9 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Fleming |first=Theodore H. |chapter-url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780080918815500153 |chapter=How Do Fruit- and Nectar-Feeding Birds and Mammals Track Their Food Resources? |title=Effects of Resource Distribution on Animal–Plant Interactions |publisher=Elsevier |year=1992 |isbn=978-0-12-361955-6 |pages=355–391 |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-08-091881-5.50015-3 |access-date=17 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210525180952/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780080918815500153 |archive-date=25 May 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> About 182 fish consume seeds or fruit.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Correa |first1=Sandra Bibiana |last2=Winemiller |first2=Kirk O. |last3=LóPez-Fernández |first3=Hernán |last4=Galetti |first4=Mauro |date=1 October 2007 |title=Evolutionary Perspectives on Seed Consumption and Dispersal by Fishes |journal=BioScience |volume=57 |issue=9 |pages=748–756 |doi=10.1641/B570907 |bibcode=2007BiSci..57..748C |issn=0006-3568 |doi-access=free |s2cid=13869429}}</ref> Animals (domesticated and wild) use as many types of grasses that have adapted to different locations as their main source of nutrients.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 May 2009 |title=Describe the utilization of grass in forage-livestock systems. |url=https://forages.oregonstate.edu/nfgc/eo/onlineforagecurriculum/instructormaterials/availabletopics/grasses/utilization |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220123212853/https://forages.oregonstate.edu/nfgc/eo/onlineforagecurriculum/instructormaterials/availabletopics/grasses/utilization |archive-date=23 January 2022 |access-date=12 April 2022 |website=Forage Information System |language=en}}</ref>

Humans eat thousands of plant species; there may be as many as 75,000 edible species of [[angiosperm]]s, of which perhaps 7,000 are often eaten.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Şerban |first1=Procheş |last2=Wilson |first2=John R. U. |last3=Vamosi |first3=Jana C. |last4=Richardson |first4=David M. |title=Plant Diversity in the Human Diet: Weak Phylogenetic Signal Indicates Breadth |journal=BioScience |date=1 February 2008 |volume=58 |issue=2 |pages=151–159 |doi=10.1641/B580209 |bibcode=2008BiSci..58..151S |s2cid=86483332 |doi-access=free }}</ref> Plants can be processed into breads, pasta, cereals, juices and jams or raw ingredients such as sugar, herbs, spices and oils can be extracted.<ref name=":0" /> [[Oilseed]]s are pressed to produce rich oils{{snd}}⁣[[Sunflower oil|sunflower]], [[flaxseed]], [[rapeseed]] (including [[canola oil]]) and [[Sesame oil|sesame]].<ref name="McGee9">McGee, Chapter 9.</ref>

Many plants and animals have [[coevolution|coevolved]] in such a way that the fruit is a good source of nutrition for the animal, who then excretes the seeds some distance away, allowing greater dispersal.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Eriksson |first=Ove |date=20 December 2014 |title=Evolution of angiosperm seed disperser mutualisms: the timing of origins and their consequences for coevolutionary interactions between angiosperms and frugivores |journal=Biological Reviews |volume=91 |issue=1 |pages=168–186 |doi=10.1111/brv.12164 |pmid=25530412 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Even [[seed predation]] can be mutually beneficial, as some seeds can survive the digestion process.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Heleno |first1=Ruben H. |last2=Ross |first2=Georgina |last3=Everard |first3=Amy |last4=Memmott |first4=Jane |last5=Ramos |first5=Jaime A. |year=2011 |title=The role of avian 'seed predators' as seed dispersers: Seed predators as seed dispersers |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2010.01088.x |url-status=live |journal=Ibis |language=en |volume=153 |issue=1 |pages=199–203 |doi=10.1111/j.1474-919X.2010.01088.x |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415211542/https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2010.01088.x |archive-date=15 April 2022 |access-date=15 April 2022 |hdl-access=free |hdl=10316/41308}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Spengler |first=Robert N. |date=1 April 2020 |title=Anthropogenic Seed Dispersal: Rethinking the Origins of Plant Domestication |journal=Trends in Plant Science |language=English |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=340–348 |doi=10.1016/j.tplants.2020.01.005 |issn=1360-1385 |pmid=32191870 |bibcode=2020TPS....25..340S |doi-access=free |s2cid=213192873|hdl=21.11116/0000-0005-C7E0-D |hdl-access=free }}</ref> Insects are major eaters of seeds,<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal |last1=Lundgren |first1=Jonathan G. |last2=Rosentrater |first2=Kurt A. |date=13 September 2007 |title=The strength of seeds and their destruction by granivorous insects |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11829-007-9008-1 |url-status=live |journal=Arthropod-Plant Interactions |language=en |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=93–99 |doi=10.1007/s11829-007-9008-1 |bibcode=2007APInt...1...93L |issn=1872-8855 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220730073225/https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11829-007-9008-1 |archive-date=30 July 2022 |access-date=15 April 2022 |s2cid=6410974}}</ref> with ants being the only real seed dispersers.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Simms |first=Ellen L. |chapter-url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0122268652003400 |chapter=Plant-Animal Interactions |date=1 January 2001 |title=Encyclopedia of Biodiversity |publisher=Elsevier |isbn=978-0-12-226865-6 |editor-last=Levin |editor-first=Simon Asher |location=New York |pages=601–619 |language=en |doi=10.1016/b0-12-226865-2/00340-0 |access-date=15 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415002125/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B0122268652003400 |archive-date=15 April 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> Birds, although being major dispersers,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Godínez-Alvarez |first1=Héctor |last2=Ríos-Casanova |first2=Leticia |last3=Peco |first3=Begoña |year=2020 |title=Are large frugivorous birds better seed dispersers than medium- and small-sized ones? Effect of body mass on seed dispersal effectiveness |journal=Ecology and Evolution |language=en |volume=10 |issue=12 |pages=6136–6143 |doi=10.1002/ece3.6285 |issn=2045-7758 |pmc=7319144 |pmid=32607219|bibcode=2020EcoEv..10.6136G }}</ref> only rarely eat seeds as a source of food and can be identified by their thick beak that is used to crack open the seed coat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Elizabeth |date=15 November 2019 |title=How Much Seed Do Birds Eat In a Day? |url=https://sciencing.com/much-do-birds-eat-day-7435152.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220112012432/https://sciencing.com/much-do-birds-eat-day-7435152.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |access-date=14 April 2022 |website=Sciencing |language=en}}</ref> Mammals eat a more diverse range of seeds, as they are able to crush harder and larger seeds with their teeth.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Carpenter |first1=Joanna K. |last2=Wilmshurst |first2=Janet M. |last3=McConkey |first3=Kim R. |last4=Hume |first4=Julian P. |last5=Wotton |first5=Debra M. |last6=Shiels |first6=Aaron B. |last7=Burge |first7=Olivia R. |last8=Drake |first8=Donald R. |year=2020 |editor-last=Barton |editor-first=Kasey |title=The forgotten fauna: Native vertebrate seed predators on islands |journal=Functional Ecology |language=en |volume=34 |issue=9 |pages=1802–1813 |doi=10.1111/1365-2435.13629 |bibcode=2020FuEco..34.1802C |issn=0269-8463 |s2cid=225292938|doi-access=free }}</ref>

===Animals===
[[File:Meatfoodgroup.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.5|Various raw meats]]

[[Animal source foods|Animals are used as food]] either directly or indirectly. This includes meat, eggs, shellfish and dairy products like milk and cheese.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Animal Products |url=https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/topics/animal.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320115339/https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/foodsafety/topics/animal.html |archive-date=20 March 2022 |access-date=12 May 2022 |website=ksre.k-state.edu}}</ref> They are an important source of protein and are considered complete proteins for human consumption as they contain all the essential amino acids that the human body needs.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=Marcus |first=Jacqueline B. |chapter=Protein Basics: Animal and Vegetable Proteins in Food and Health |chapter-url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780123918826000054 |title=Culinary Nutrition |pages=189–230 |year=2013 |access-date=13 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626042414/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/B9780123918826000054 |url-status=live |publisher=Elsevier |language=en |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-391882-6.00005-4 |isbn=978-0-12-391882-6 |archive-date=26 June 2018}}</ref> One {{Convert|4|oz|g|adj=on}} steak, chicken breast or pork chop contains about 30 grams of protein. One large egg has 7 grams of protein. A {{Convert|4|oz|g|adj=on}} serving of cheese has about 15 grams of protein. And {{cups|1|US}} of milk has about 8 grams of protein.<ref name=":9" /> Other nutrients found in animal products include calories, fat, essential vitamins (including B12) and minerals (including zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium).<ref name=":9" />

Food products produced by animals include milk produced by [[mammary glands]], which in many cultures is drunk or processed into [[dairy product]]s (cheese, butter, etc.). [[Egg (food)|Eggs]] laid by birds and other animals are eaten and [[bee]]s produce [[honey]], a reduced [[nectar]] from flowers that is used as a popular sweetener in many cultures. Some cultures [[blood as food|consume blood]], such as in [[blood sausage]], as a thickener for sauces, or in a [[Curing (food preservation)|cured]], [[Salting (food)|salted]] form for times of food scarcity, and others use blood in stews such as [[jugging|jugged hare]].<ref>Davidson, 81–82.</ref>

==Taste==
{{Main|Taste}}

Animals, specifically humans, typically have five different types of taste sense: [[sweet]], [[sour]], [[Saltiness|salty]], [[Bitter (taste)|bitter]], and [[umami]]. The differing tastes are important for distinguishing between foods that are nutritionally beneficial and those which may contain toxins.<ref name=":10">{{Cite journal |last1=Yarmolinsky |first1=David A. |last2=Zuker |first2=Charles S. |last3=Ryba |first3=Nicholas J.P. |date=16 October 2009 |title=Common Sense about Taste: From Mammals to Insects |journal=Cell |volume=139 |issue=2 |pages=234–244 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2009.10.001 |issn=0092-8674 |pmc=3936514 |pmid=19837029 |bibcode=2009Cell..139..234Y }}</ref> As animals have [[Evolution|evolved]], the tastes that provide the most energy are the most pleasant to eat while others are not enjoyable,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Evolution of taste receptor may have shaped human sensitivity to toxic compounds |url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/28063.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100927120914/http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/28063.php |archive-date=27 September 2010 |access-date=29 May 2015 |website=Medical News Today}}</ref> although humans in particular can acquire a preference for some substances which are initially unenjoyable.<ref name=":10" /> Water, while important for survival, has no taste.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 April 2004 |title=Why does pure water have no taste or colour? |work=The Times of India |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/598799.cms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151230042140/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/598799.cms |archive-date=30 December 2015}}</ref>

Sweetness is almost always caused by a type of simple sugar, such as [[glucose]] or [[fructose]], or [[disaccharides]], such as [[sucrose]], a molecule combining glucose and fructose.<ref name="New Oxford American Dictionary">New Oxford American Dictionary</ref> Sourness is caused by [[acid]]s, such as vinegar. Sour foods include citrus, especially lemons and [[Lime (fruit)|limes]]. Sour is evolutionarily significant as it can signal a food that may have gone [[rancidity|rancid]] due to bacteria.<ref>States "having an acid taste like lemon or vinegar: she sampled the wine and found it was sour. (of food, esp. milk) spoiled because of fermentation." New Oxford American Dictionary</ref> Saltiness is the taste of [[alkali metal]] [[ions]] such as [[sodium]] and potassium. It is found in almost every food in low to moderate proportions and enhances flavor. Bitter taste is a sensation considered unpleasant, caused by foods such as unsweetened dark chocolate, [[caffeine]], lemon rind, and some types of fruit. Umami, commonly described as savory, is a marker of proteins and characteristic of broths and cooked meats.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Fleming |first=Amy |date=9 April 2013 |title=Umami: why the fifth taste is so important |url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/apr/09/umami-fifth-taste |access-date=5 January 2023 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Foods that have a strong umami flavor include cheese, meat and mushrooms.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Kimberley |date=9 December 2022 |title=Food aversion: A psychologist reveals why you hate some foods, but could learn to love them |url=https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/food-aversions/ |access-date=5 January 2023 |website=BBC Science Focus Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Channelcat.jpg|thumb|Catfish have millions of taste buds covering their entire bodies.]]

While most animals' taste buds are located in their mouths, some insects' taste receptors are located on their legs, and some fish have taste buds along their entire bodies.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 September 2018 |title=Some Insects Taste With Their Feet and Hear With Their Wings |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/insects-butterflies-anatomy-senses-animals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303123540/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/insects-butterflies-anatomy-senses-animals |archive-date=3 March 2021 |access-date=5 January 2023 |website=National Geographic |first1=Liz |last1=Langley |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":11">{{Cite journal |last=Kasumyan |first=Alexander O. |date=10 April 2019 |title=The taste system in fishes and the effects of environmental variables |journal=Journal of Fish Biology |language=en |volume=95 |issue=1 |pages=155–178 |doi=10.1111/jfb.13940 |issn=0022-1112 |pmid=30793305 |bibcode=2019JFBio..95..155K |s2cid=73470487|doi-access=free |s2cid-access=free }}</ref> Dogs, cats, and birds have relatively few taste buds (a chicken has about 30),<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Gary |first=Stuart |date=12 August 2010 |title=Do animals taste the same things as humans? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/08/12/2980854.htm |access-date=5 January 2023 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation Science |language=en-AU}}</ref> and an adult human has between 2000 and 4000,<ref>{{Cite book |chapter-url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279408/ |chapter=How does our sense of taste work? |date=17 August 2016 |publisher=Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care |title=InformedHealth.org |language=en |via=NCBI |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110232958/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279408/ |archive-date= Jan 10, 2024 }}</ref> while a [[catfish]] can have more than a million.<ref name=":11" /> Herbivores generally have more than carnivores as they need to tell which plants may be poisonous.<ref name=":12" /> Not all [[mammal]]s share the same tastes: some [[rodent]]s can taste [[starch]], cats cannot taste sweetness, and several [[carnivores]] (including [[hyena]]s, dolphins, and sea lions) have lost the ability to sense up to four of the five taste modalities found in humans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Scully |first=Simone M. |date=9 June 2014 |title=The Animals That Taste Only Saltiness |url=http://nautil.us/blog/the-animals-that-taste-only-saltiness |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140614013146/http://nautil.us/blog/the-animals-that-taste-only-saltiness |archive-date=14 June 2014 |access-date=8 August 2014 |website=Nautilus}}</ref>

==Digestion==
{{Main|Digestion}}

Food is broken into nutrient components through digestive processes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=28 June 2022 |title=Digestion: Anatomy, physiology, and chemistry |url=https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320014 |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=Medical News Today |language=en}}</ref> Proper digestion consists of mechanical processes ([[chewing]], [[peristalsis]]) and chemical processes (the actions of [[digestive enzyme]]s and [[Gut microbiota|microorganisms]]).<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Patricia |first1=Justin J. |last2=Dhamoon |first2=Amit S. |year=2022 |title=Physiology, Digestion |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544242/ |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=StatPearls |publisher=StatPearls Publishing |place=Treasure Island (FL) |pmid=31334962}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Inman |first=Mason |date=20 December 2011 |title=How Bacteria Turn Fiber into Food |journal=PLOS Biology |volume=9 |issue=12 |article-number=e1001227 |doi=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001227 |issn=1544-9173 |pmc=3243711 |pmid=22205880 |doi-access=free }}</ref> The digestive systems of herbivores and carnivores are very different as plant matter is harder to digest. [[Carnivore]]s' mouths are designed for tearing and biting compared to the grinding action found in herbivores.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herbivore {{!}} National Geographic Society |url=https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/herbivore/ |access-date=6 January 2023 |website=education.nationalgeographic.org}}</ref> [[Herbivore]]s, however, have comparatively longer digestive tracts and larger stomachs to aid in digesting the cellulose in plants.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=De Cuyper |first1=Annelies |last2=Meloro |first2=Carlo |last3=Abraham |first3=Andrew J. |last4=Müller |first4=Dennis W. H. |last5=Codron |first5=Daryl |last6=Janssens |first6=Geert P. J. |last7=Clauss |first7=Marcus |date=1 May 2020 |title=The uneven weight distribution between predators and prey: Comparing gut fill between terrestrial herbivores and carnivores |journal=Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology |language=en |volume=243 |article-number=110683 |doi=10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110683 |issn=1095-6433 |pmid=32097716 |doi-access=free|hdl=1854/LU-8656684 |hdl-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Fujimori |first=Shunji |date=7 December 2021 |title=Humans have intestinal bacteria that degrade the plant cell walls in herbivores |journal=World Journal of Gastroenterology |volume=27 |issue=45 |pages=7784–7791 |doi=10.3748/wjg.v27.i45.7784 |issn=1007-9327 |pmc=8661373 |pmid=34963741 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

==Food safety==
{{Main|Food safety}}

According to the [[World Health Organization]] (WHO), about 600 million people worldwide get sick, and 420,000 die each year, from eating contaminated food.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hơn 600 triệu người mắc bệnh do ăn phải các thực phẩm ô nhiễm - Chương trình mục tiêu quốc gia - Cổng thông tin Bộ Y tế |url=https://moh.gov.vn/chuong-trinh-muc-tieu-quoc-gia/-/asset_publisher/7ng11fEWgASC/content/hon-600-trieu-nguoi-mac-benh-do-an-phai-cac-thuc-pham-o-nhiem?inheritRedirect=false |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=moh.gov.vn}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=An toàn Thực phẩm |url=https://www.who.int/vietnam/vi/health-topics/food-safety |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=www.who.int |language=vi}}</ref> [[Diarrhea]] is the most common illness caused by consuming contaminated food, with about 550 million cases and 230,000 deaths from diarrhea each year. Children under five years of age account for 40% of the burden of foodborne illness, with 125,000 deaths each year.<ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=WHO: Các bệnh do thực phẩm ở trẻ em dưới 5 tuổi chiếm gần một phần ba số ca tử vong - Chương trình mục tiêu quốc gia - Cổng thông tin Bộ Y tế |url=https://moh.gov.vn/chuong-trinh-muc-tieu-quoc-gia/-/asset_publisher/7ng11fEWgASC/content/who-cac-benh-do-thuc-pham-o-tre-em-duoi-5-tuoi-chiem-gan-mot-phan-ba-so-ca-tu-vong?inheritRedirect=false |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=moh.gov.vn}}</ref>

A 2003 [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) report concluded that about 30% of reported [[food poisoning]] outbreaks in the WHO European Region occur in private homes.<ref>{{cite web |date=2003-12-16 |title=Several foodborne diseases are increasing in Europe |url=http://www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/who/mediacentre/PR/2003/20031212_2 |publisher=World Health Organization |access-date=26 December 2023 |archive-date=16 April 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050416103540/http://www.euro.who.int/eprise/main/who/mediacentre/PR/2003/20031212_2 }}</ref> According to the WHO and [[Centers for Disease Control and Prevention|CDC]], in the US alone, annually, there are 76 million cases of foodborne illness leading to 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths.<ref>{{cite web |title=Food safety and foodborne illness |url=https://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs237/en/ |access-date=2010-12-10 |publisher=World Health Organization |archive-date=27 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127074439/http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs237/en/ }}</ref>

In Vietnam, from 2011 to 2016, on average, there were 668,673 cases of foodborne illness and 21 deaths each year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-05 |title=Hơn 5.000 người bị ngộ độc thực phẩm mỗi năm |url=https://nhandan.vn/post-294510.html |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=Báo Nhân Dân điện tử |language=vi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-06-06 |title=Chỉ 10% số người dân tin vào thực phẩm an toàn |url=https://laodong.vn/chinh-tri/chi-10-so-nguoi-dan-tin-vao-thuc-pham-an-toan-514268.ldo |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=laodong.vn |language=vi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Tran |first=Lanh |title=Dịch vụ nhận đặc tiệc tại nhà 24h |url=https://dattiectainha24h.vn/ |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=yte.nghean.gov.vn |language=vi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Cảnh giác ngộ độc thực phẩm từ bếp ăn tập thể - Hoạt động của địa phương - Cổng thông tin Bộ Y tế |url=https://moh.gov.vn/hoat-dong-cua-dia-phuong/-/asset_publisher/gHbla8vOQDuS/content/canh-giac-ngo-oc-thuc-pham-tu-bep-an-tap-the?inheritRedirect=false |access-date=2023-12-26 |website=moh.gov.vn}}</ref> In addition, during this period, 1,007 food poisoning outbreaks with 30,395 cases of food poisoning were reported.<ref name=":3" />

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
* [[Food pairing]]
* [[Cuisine]]
* [[Lists of foods]]
* [[List of food and drink monuments]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Further reading===
* Collingham, E. M. (2011).  ''The Taste of War: World War Two and the Battle for Food''
* Katz, Solomon (2003). ''The Encyclopedia of Food and Culture'', Scribner
* Mobbs, Michael (2012). ''Sustainable Food'' Sydney: NewSouth Publishing,  {{ISBN|978-1-920705-54-1}}
* Nestle, Marion (2007). ''Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health'', University Presses of California, revised and expanded edition, {{ISBN|0-520-25403-1}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQsC7e2qAcY  The Future of Food] (2015). A panel discussion at the 2015 ''[[Digital Life Design]] (DLD)'' Annual Conference. "How can we grow and enjoy food, closer to home, further into the future? ''[[MIT Media Lab]]'s'' Kevin Slavin hosts a conversation with food artist, educator, and entrepreneur Emilie Baltz, professor Caleb Harper from ''MIT Media Lab's'' CityFarm project, the Barbarian Group's Benjamin Palmer, and Andras Forgacs, the co-founder and CEO of ''Modern Meadow'', who is growing 'victimless' meat in a lab. The discussion addresses issues of sustainable [[urban farming]], ecosystems, technology, food supply chains and their broad environmental and humanitarian implications, and how these changes in food production may change what people may find delicious ... and the other way around."  Posted on the official YouTube Channel of ''[[Digital Life Design|DLD]]''

==External links==
{{Wikibooks|Cookbook}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Commons-inline|food}}
*{{Wikivoyage inline}}
*{{Wikisource-inline|search=Food}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline}}
* {{official website|http://www.foodtimeline.org/}} of Food Timeline
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00547n1 Food], BBC Radio 4 discussion with Rebecca Spang, Ivan Day and Felipe Fernandez-Armesto (''[[In Our Time (radio series)|In Our Time]]'', 27 December 2001)

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