Food ingredients can be categorized into four core groups based on their origin and nature, encompassing the vast majority of basic raw materials used in daily diets and the food industry:
Plant-based ingredients: Including grains and cereals (wheat, rice, corn, etc.), vegetables and fruits, tubers, legumes, and oilseeds; this constitutes the most fundamental category of food ingredients.
Animal-based ingredients: Including meat and poultry, eggs, dairy products, and aquatic products; these serve as primary sources of high-quality protein.
Mineral-based ingredients:Such as table salt and mineral water, which provide essential minerals for the human body.
Microbial-based ingredients: Such as yeast and probiotics, which are widely used in the production and processing of fermented foods.
Additionally, ingredients can be classified based on their nutritional profile-such as energy-providing, protein-rich, or vitamin- and mineral-rich ingredients-or categorized according to commercial classifications, including grains, vegetables, aquatic products, and meat/poultry.
