Manufacturer - A person, an enterprise, or an entity that manufactures something

Ingredient - An ingredient is something that forms part of a mixture (in a general sense). For example, in cooking, a recipe will specify which ingredients to prepare a specific dish. Many commercial products contain a secret ingredient that is purported to make them better than competing products. In the pharmaceutical industry, an active ingredient is that part of a formulation that yields the effect required by the customer.
National laws usually require prepared food products to display a list of ingredients, and certain additives.

Natural - The natural food movement is a term for a style of eating that became popular in America and Western Europe during the 1970s. Its principles include avoiding artificial ingredients and 'processed' foods such as refined sugar and white flour. Adherents of the movement also tend to choose organically grown fruits and vegetables and are often, though not always, vegetarians.
Such a diet is generally followed because it is considered to be more healthful than other types of eating (though some nutritionists dispute this), to have a lighter impact on the environment and to avoid supporting large corporations. The natural food movement is particularly associated with members of the counterculture.
Food produced or sold according to the ideals of the natural food movement are known colloquially as 'health food,' although many people also use that term in a broader sense to mean any type of healthy eating. Natural-food philosophy overlaps with the organic movement, vegetarianism, whole food, macrobiotics, and herbalism, although it is not synonymous with any of these.
Although in modern times a minority has largely only practiced the natural food diet, it has frequently influenced the way the wider population eats. Some of the foods that the movement helped introduce to America include yogurt, tofu, carob, brown rice and herbal tea.
There are many shops, restaurants, and cookbooks catering to the natural food diet. Until recently, natural food stores tended to be independent ventures or co-ops. However, the growth of chains like the Whole Foods Market has taken the selling of natural foods into the mainstream.
Gluten Free - A gluten-free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from gluten-containing cereals: wheat (including Kamut and spelt), barley, rye, and triticale. The suitability of oats in the gluten-free diet is uncertain; consequently, people who have medically been directed to follow a gluten-free diet also avoid oats. This diet must be strictly followed by sufferers of celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis. Some medical practitioners also believe the gluten-free diet may be helpful for persons with multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders, but this has not yet been conclusively proven through medical studies.
Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet. The most frequently used are maize (corn), potatoes, rice, and tapioca (derived from cassava). Other grains and starch sources generally considered suitable for gluten-free diets include amaranth, arrowroot, millet, montina, lupine, quinoa, sorghum (jowar), sweet potato, taro, teff, and yam. Various types of bean, soybean, and nut flours are sometimes used in gluten-free products to add protein and dietary fiber. In spite of its name, buckwheat is not related to wheat; pure buckwheat is considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, although many commercial buckwheat products are actually mixtures of wheat and buckwheat flours, and thus not acceptable.
Special care must be taken when checking ingredients lists as gluten may come in forms such as vegetable proteins and starch, modified food starch (when derived from wheat instead of maize), maltodextrin, malt flavoring, and glucose syrup. Many common ingredients contain wheat or barley derivatives.
Many foods will contain gluten, but not be indicated on the ingredients, because they are not in the formulation of the product, but in the preparation of it. One example of this is the dusting of the conveyor belts in the production facilities to prevent the foods from sticking during processing. The food itself might not contain gluten, but there is gluten in the ingested product.
The legal definition of the phrase "gluten-free" varies from country to country. Current research suggests that for persons with celiac disease the maximum safe level of gluten in a finished product is probably less than 0.02% (200 parts per million) and possibly as little as 0.002% (20 parts per million). Since ordinary wheat flour contains approximately 12% gluten, even a tiny amount of wheat flour can cross-contaminate a gluten-free product. Therefore, considerable care must be taken to prevent cross-contamination in both commercial and home food preparation.
This diet rules out all ordinary breads, pastas, and many convenience foods. Many countries do not require labeling of gluten containing products, but in several countries new product labeling standards are enforcing the labeling of gluten-containing ingredients. Various gluten-free bakery and pasta products are available from specialty retailers.

Candy - n. Any of a number of various confections-soft and hard-composed mainly of sugar with the addition of flavoring ingredients and fillings such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, nougat, fruits and so on. Sugar syrup is the foundation for most candies, the concentration of the mixture depending upon its temperature, which can either be checked by a candy thermometer or by a series of cold-water tests. (See Candy making Cold-Water Tests, page 713). Candy may come in tiny bits, small one- or two-bite pieces, or in the form of a candy "bar," containing several bites. Candy bars usually have a chocolate coating. So-called "nutritious" candy bars typically contain honey instead of sugar, and often substitute carob for chocolate. candy v. To sugar-coat various fruits, flowers and plants such as cherries, pineapple, citrus rinds, angelica, ginger, chestnuts, violets, miniature rose petals and mint leaves. Candying food not only preserves it, but also retains its color, shape and flavor. The candying process usually includes dipping or cooking the food in several boiling sugar syrups of increasing degrees of density. After the candied fruit air-dries, it is sometimes dipped in granulated sugar.

Spices - Pungent or aromatic seasonings obtained from the bark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees (whereas herbs usually come from the leafy part of a plant). Spices were prized long before recorded history. Though they've always been used to flavor food and drink, throughout the eons spices have also been favored for a plethora of other uses including crowning emperors, making medicines and perfumes, religious ceremonies and as burial accoutrements for the wealthy. Over 3,000 years ago the Arabs monopolized the spice trade, bringing their rare cargo back from India and the Orient by arduous camel caravans. During the Middle Ages the demand for spices was so high that they became rich commodities-a pound of mace could buy three sheep and the same amount of peppercorns could buy freedom for a serf. By that time Venice had a tight hold on Western commerce and controlled the incredibly lucrative European spice trade. That Venetian monopoly was an important catalyst for the expeditions that resulted in the discovery of the New World. Today, the United States is the world's major spice buyer. Among the more popular spices are allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace, nutmeg, paprika, pepper, saffron, and turmeric. Spices are also sold in blends, such as curry powder and spice parisienne. Many spices are available in both whole and ground forms. Ground spices quickly lose their aroma and flavor, so it's wise to buy them in small quantities. Whole spices can be ground as needed. Store spices in airtight containers in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months. Spices are used to enhance a wide variety of food, both sweet and savory. They should be used sparingly so they don't overpower the foods being seasoned.