[en] We suggest that radioactive food contamination, as determined solely by a quantitative gamma-ray spectroscopic measurement, may, apart from the total activity per unit mass, be for quick reference conveniently characterized by another single figure which we call the ''Gamma Contamination Food Factor'' (GCFF). This factor may be defined as the ratio of the total specific activity of gamma-ray-emitting radionuclides in the food sample (except that of ⁴⁰K) to the specific activity of ⁴⁰K either in the sample itself or in an ''average man''. We discuss briefly the meaning and advantages of these definitions. (author)