When food is used to produce workers or settlers, any extra (food) production goes into the next item's (hammer) production when the unit is completed. For instance, a city is building a settler. The city has 1 hammer and 10 food, and say the settler has 2 production left until completion. 1 hammer and 1 food will be used, and the 9 food will be overproduced. This extra food becomes production on the next turn, instead of food. This is a bit trickier because there may be food and hammers left over rather than just food. Deciding which should be used up for the unit and which one the player wants on the next turn could pose a problem.