Food production techniques or technologies?

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

Please help me with the translation of the phrase in the title. The problem is, in Russian, which is the language I'm translating from, 'technique' and 'technology' is one and the same word. Also, I don't quite understand the difference between the two in this particular context.

• TECHNIQUE - the method of accomplishing, the body of procedures used in any specific field; a way of carrying out a specific task.
• TECHNOLOGY - a scientific or industrial process, method etc.; the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.

So basically in this context both could refer to the method of production. I tried just googling both phrases to see which pops up more - and guess what? I get food processing technology and food processing techniques. I'm totally confused now! Would processing be the same as production?

manpreet 2 years ago

A technique tends to mean the same as a method, often implying a degree of skill and the involvement of human execution.

A technology tends to refer to machinery or capital equipment - possibly, by extension, a body of explicit knowledge.

Referring to a technique does not necessarily imply the presence of a technology - for example, an artist may have a "brush technique". A technology probably usually has techniques - for example, a printing technology may involve particular techniques to apply ink to paper.

But the words are not synonyms. A food processing technique may be done entirely by human hand, and involve no technology (as the word is commonly understood).