Food Safety Vocab Book

Air gap

An open and unobstructed space separating supplies of potable water from drainage systems and other sources of contaminated water that could backflow

Parasite

An organism that lives on or in another life form

Foodborne illness

Any illness caused by eating contaminated food

Foodborne illness/disease

Any illness caused by eating or drinking contaminated food

Contaminant

Any substance or object in food that makes the food harmful or objectionable. The word 'adulterant' is also sometimes used

Food-contact surface

Any surface that is touched by food

Hand-contact surface

Any surface that is touched by hand

Foodborne hazard

Anything biological, physical or chemical that could cause harm to the consumer

Clean as you go

Cleaning procedures carried out as you work

Protective clothing

Clothing and equipment designed to protect food from contamination and food handlers from injury

Contaminated food

Food that could be harmful to health because it contains something that should not be there

Vehicle of contamination

Hands, utensils or tools that can carry microorganisms onto food, causing contamination

Durable

Hard wearing

bacteria

Microorganisms responsible for many foodborne illnesses. Pathogenic bacteria are responsible for the most foodborne illnesses that result in hospitalization and death

Ambient temperature

Ordinary room temperature

Bacteria

Simple, microscopic life forms that are responsible for many foodborne illnesses. The word 'bacteria' indicates more than one 'bacterium'

Protozoa

Single-celled microorganisms, such as Giardia Iamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum, which often infect water

Contact (or exposure) time

The period that a sanitizer must be left in contact with an item to enable it to work properly

Sanitizing

The process of reducing microorganisms and their spores to generally safe levels

Dehydration

The removal of moisture: drying

Workflow

The route through food premises for food, employees and equipment during all the stages from delivery of raw food and ingredients to dispatch, sale or service of finished product

Onset (or incubation period)

The time it takes for the symptoms of a foodborne illness to start after contaminated food has been eaten

Preservation

The treatment of food to delay spoilage and extend shelf life

Multiplying, multiplication

The way bacteria reproduce and increase their numbers. This is sometimes referred to as bacterial growth in numbers

Dehydrate

To dry out

Clean

To make something free from visible dirt and residue

Sanitizer

A chemical that destroys many pathogenic microorganisms, reducing them to safe levels

Detergent

A chemical that helps dissolve grease and remove dirt

Integrated pest management

A comprehensive system of pest prevention and control

Code date

A date on packaging indicating the period when the food is safe and in the best condition to eat

Parasite

A life form (organism) that lives on another life form

Dormant

A period of inactivity when bacteria do not multiply

Carrier

A person who carries pathogenic microorganisms without suffering symptoms

Toxin

A poison produced by some living organisms, such as bacteria, molds and algae

Spore

A protective coating formed by some bacteria to help them to survive adverse conditions such as cooking or drying

Backflow

A reverse flow of contaminated water into potable water supplies

Food allergen

A substance in food that causes an allergic reaction with symptoms ranging from mild to life threatening

Microorganism

A very small (micro) life form (organism), including bacteria, viruses, molds, yeasts and some parasites

Microorganism (or microbe)

A very small (micro) life form (organism), including bacteria, viruses, molds, yeasts and some parasites

Microorganism (microbe)

A very small(micro) life form(organism), including bacteria, viruses, molds, yeasts, and some parasites

Control (or control measure)

An action designed to eliminate a hazard or to reduce the risk from it to an acceptable level

Pest

An animal or insect that contaminates or damages food

Virus

An extremely small, highly infectious, pathogen

Foodborne illness

An illness caused by eating contaminated food. Foodborne infections, foodborne intoxications, and toxin-mediated infections come under this heading

Toxin-mediated infection

An illness caused by eating live pathogens that make toxins as they live in the stomach or intestine

Foodborne infection

An illness caused by pathogenic microorganisms that live and multiply in your body after you have eaten contaminated food

Foorborne intoxication

An illness caused by toxins in food

Organism

An independent life form

Pathogen

An organism that causes disease

Hazard

Anything that could cause harm to consumers

Hazard

Anything that could cause harm to the consumer. Foodborne hazards are biological, chemical or physical

Food

Anything that people normally eat or drink, including water and ice

Freezer burn

Dehydration damage to food caused by the formation of ice crystals

Pathogenic

Description of an organism that causes disease

Master cleaning schedule

Details of the cleaning to be carried out by specified people at specified intervals and times

Impervious

Does not let water through

Roundworms

Examples are Trichina which is a particular problem in hogs can cause trichinosis in humans that have consumed infected pork, and Anisakis which can be found in fish such as cod and herring

Flatworms

Examples are beef, pork and fish tapeworms, and flukes such as liver fluke

Time/temperature control for safety foods

Foods that need time/temperature control because they support the rapid growth of pathogenic microogranisms or the formation of toxins

Ready-to-eat foods

Foods which are edible without preparation or treatment, such as washing or cooking, immediately before they are eaten

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, an example of Active Managerial Control, is a formal, documented proactive system of hazard analysis and prevention designed to keep food safe

Critical control point (CCP)

In HACCP, a point or procedure in the food system where the loss of control may result in an unacceptable health risk

Critical limit

In HACCP, the standard (maximum or minimum value) that must be applied at a critical control point to minimize the risk that an identified hazard will occur. The 'border' between what is safe or unsafe

Harbor

Provide a shelter or hiding place

Potable

Safe for humans to drink

Risk

The likelihood of harm

Risk

The likelihood that a hazard will occur

Reasonable care

The management responsibility to take all reasonable precautions and care to avoid committing a violation

Foodborne disease outbreak

The occurrence of 2 or more cases of a similar illness that result from eating a common food

Case

The occurrence of illness affecting one person

Shelf life

The period when food is safe to eat and at its best, if the storage conditions are correct

Contamination

The presence in food of any harmful or objectionable substance or object

Infestation

The presence of pests

Binary fission

The process by which bacteria multiply by splitting in two

Spoilage

The process by which food becomes unwholesome

Non-continuous cooking

The process in which the initial heating of the food is intentionally halted, so that it may be cooked and held for complete cooking at a later time prior to sale or service

spoilage

The process of causing damage. Spoilage bacteria make food deteriorate

Sterilization

The process of killing all microorganisms

Food Safety

The safeguarding, or protection, of food from anything that could harm consumers' health. This includes all the practical measures involved in keeping food safe and wholesome through all the stages of production to point of sale or consumption

Core (or internal) temperature

The temperature at the center or the thickest part of food

core (internal) temperature

The temperature at the center or the thickest part of food

Danger zone

The temperature range 41 F - 135 F in which pathogenic bacteria multiply most rapidly

Active managerial control (AMC)

The term used to describe industry's responsibility for developing and implementing food safety management systems to prevent, eliminate or reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors

Multiply

To reproduce