diff --git a/src/index.test.ts b/src/index.test.ts
index 6e63bd4..cc0d8e6 100644
--- a/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/index.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import parseIngredient from '.';
 
 it('works', () => {
+  // Basic case
   expect(parseIngredient('1 cup stuff')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: 1,
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Fraction
   expect(parseIngredient('1/2 cup stuff')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: 0.5,
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Ranges
   expect(parseIngredient('1-2 cups stuff')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: 1,
@@ -82,6 +85,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Invalid number for quantity 2
   expect(parseIngredient('1-NaN cups stuff')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: 1,
@@ -91,6 +95,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Normalize UOM
   expect(parseIngredient('1 c stuff', { normalizeUOM: true })).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: 1,
@@ -100,6 +105,17 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Missing description - parse UOM as description even if it matches
+  expect(parseIngredient('1 cup')).toEqual([
+    {
+      quantity: 1,
+      quantity2: null,
+      unitOfMeasure: null,
+      description: 'cup',
+      isGroupHeader: false,
+    },
+  ]);
+  // Group header ('For ')
   expect(parseIngredient('For cake')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: null,
@@ -109,6 +125,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: true,
     },
   ]);
+  // Group header ('xxx:')
   expect(parseIngredient('Icing:')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: null,
@@ -118,6 +135,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: true,
     },
   ]);
+  // No numeric part
   expect(parseIngredient('a bunch of bananas')).toEqual([
     {
       quantity: null,
@@ -127,6 +145,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Multi-line
   expect(
     parseIngredient(`2/3 cup sugar
 1 tsp baking powder`)
@@ -146,6 +165,7 @@ it('works', () => {
       isGroupHeader: false,
     },
   ]);
+  // Empty lines
   expect(
     parseIngredient(`2/3 cup sugar
 
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index a2e0e0d..7b0c249 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -158,26 +158,32 @@ const parseIngredient = (
     }
 
     // Check for a known unit of measure
-    const firstSpace = oIng.description.indexOf(' ');
-    const firstWord = oIng.description.substring(0, firstSpace);
-    let uom = '';
-    let uomBase = '';
-    let i = 0;
-    while (i < UOM_LIST.length && !uom) {
-      const ndx = UOM_LIST[i].indexOf(firstWord);
-      if (ndx >= 0) {
-        uom = UOM_LIST[i][ndx];
-        uomBase = UOM_LIST[i][0];
+    const firstWordRE = /^([a-zA-Z.]+)\b(.+)/;
+    const firstWordREMatches = firstWordRE.exec(oIng.description);
+    if (firstWordREMatches) {
+      const firstWord = firstWordREMatches[1];
+      const remainingDesc = firstWordREMatches[2];
+      let uom = '';
+      let uomBase = '';
+      let i = 0;
+
+      while (i < UOM_LIST.length && !uom) {
+        const ndx = UOM_LIST[i].indexOf(firstWord);
+        if (ndx >= 0) {
+          uom = UOM_LIST[i][ndx];
+          uomBase = UOM_LIST[i][0];
+        }
+        i++;
       }
-      i++;
-    }
-    if (uom) {
-      if (options?.normalizeUOM) {
-        oIng.unitOfMeasure = uomBase;
-      } else {
-        oIng.unitOfMeasure = uom;
+
+      if (uom) {
+        if (options?.normalizeUOM) {
+          oIng.unitOfMeasure = uomBase;
+        } else {
+          oIng.unitOfMeasure = uom;
+        }
+        oIng.description = remainingDesc.trim();
       }
-      oIng.description = oIng.description.substring(firstSpace + 1);
     }
 
     return oIng;