A technical term for everything taken into the body through the mouth: food, drink, and any other swallowed material. Physiologists and nutrition scientists use ingesta when describing intake in precise, quantitative terms, for example in studies of digestion kinetics or feeding behaviour. The term distinguishes what enters the mouth from what is ultimately absorbed, since digestion, gut health, and food structure all affect how much nourishment is extracted. Animal nutritionists likewise measure ingesta in livestock feeding trials. Characterising ingesta by its moisture, particle size, and nutrient composition helps researchers model digestion and compare diets objectively.