The use of non-targeted analytical methods in food authentication has rapidly increased during the past decade. Non-targeted analyses are now used for a plethora of different food commodities but also across several scientific disciplines. This has brought together a mixture of analytical traditions and terminologies. Consequently, the scientific literature on food authentication often includes different approaches and inconsistently used definitions and nomenclature for both targeted and non-targeted analysis. This commentary paper aims to propose definitions and nomenclature for targeted and non-targeted analytical approaches as a first step towards harmonization.