The hard, fibrous material forming the main substance of tree trunks and branches, used across food production in more forms than most consumers realise. Barrels for ageing wine, whisky, and beer allow slow oxygen exchange and extract flavour compounds from the timber; crates, pallets, and baskets carry produce; wood smoke flavours fish, meat, and cheese; and cellulose from wood pulp becomes packaging, filters, and food-grade fibres. Food-contact wood must be untreated and hygienic: barrels harbour both desirable microflora and spoilage risks that coopers and winemakers manage carefully, and pallets for food transport must meet heat-treatment standards. Its physicochemical properties have major effects on the aroma and flavour of alcoholic beverages matured in it.