Foods 2

Parasite:

A micro-organism that needs to live in a host organism to survive.

FAT TOM:

Acronym for the conditions needed by micro-organisms to grow: food, acidity, temperature, time, oxygen, and moisture.

Water activity:

Amount of moisture available in food for micro-organisms to grow. Water activity is measured on a scare of 0.0 to 1.0. Water has a water activity of 1.0. Potentially hazardous food typically has a water activity value of .85 or higher.

Ready-to-eat food:

Any food that is edible without further washing or cooking. It includes washed, whole, or cut fruit & vegetables; deli meats, and bakery items. Sugars, spices, seasonings, and properly cooked food items are also considered ready-to-eat.

Time-temperature abuse:

Any time a food has been allowed to remain too long at a temperature favorable to the growth of foodborne micro-organisms.

High risk populations:

Certain groups of people who have a higher risk of getting a foodborne illness. Includes: Elderly people, preschool-age children, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems (surgery, etc.).

Chemical contaminant:

Chemical substance that can cause a foodborne illness. Toxic metals, pesticides, cleaning products, sanitizers, and equipment lubricants.

Potentially hazardous or temperature control for safety (TCS) food:

Food that contains moisture and protein and that has a neutral or slightly acidic pH. Such food requires time-temperature control to prevent the growth of micro-organisms and the production of toxins.

Fungi:

Fungi range in size from microscopic, single-celled organisms to very large, multicellular organisms. Fungi most often causes food to spoil.

Personal hygiene:

Habits that include keeping hands, hair, and body clean, and wearing clean and appropriate uniforms. Avoiding unsanitary actions and reporting illness and injury are also features of good personal hygiene.

Foodborne illness:

Illness carried or transmitted to people by food.

Pathogens:

Illness causing micro-organisms.

Toxic metal poisoning:

Illness that results when food containing toxic metals is eaten. It usually occurs when acidic food is handled with utensils or prepared in equipment containing these metals. It can also occur when carbonated beverages dispensers are improperly installed.

Foodborne illness outbreak:

Incident in which two or more people experience the same illness after eating the same food.

pH:

Measure of a food's acidity or alkalinity. The pH scare ranges from 0.0 to 14.0. A pH between 7.1 and 14.0 is alkaline. A pH between 0.0 and 6.9 is acidic. A pH of 7.0 is neutral. *Foodborne micro-organisms grow well in food that has a neutral to slightly acidic pH (7.5 to 4.6).

Food safety:

Measures that are taken to keep food safe and sanitary to reproduce the risk of foodborne illness.

Biological contaminant:

Microbial contaminant that may cause foodborne illness. Includes bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi, and biological toxins.

Contamination:

Presence of harmful substances in food. Some food safety hazards occur naturally, while others are introduced by humans or the environment.

Sanitizing:

Reducing the number of micro-organisms on a surface to safe levels.

Cleaning:

Removing dirt and food particles from a surface.

Bacteria:

Single-celled living micro-organisms that can spoil food and cause foodborne illness.

Micro-organism:

Small, living organism that can be seen only with the aid of a microscope. The 4 types of micro-organisms that can contaminate food include: bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi.

Temperature danger zone:

Temperature range between 41° and 135°. Foodborne micro-organisms grow rapidly in the temperature danger zone.

Food allergy:

The body's negative reaction to a particular food protein. The most common food allergens include milk and dairy products, eggs and egg products, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy and soy products, peanuts and tree nuts.

Spore:

The form that some bacteria can take to protect themselves when nutrients are not available. A spore can resist heat allowing it to survive cooking temperatures.

Flow of food:

The path food takes (Purchasing and receiving, through storing, preparing, cooking, holding, cooling, reheating, and serving).

Virus:

The smallest of the microbial food contaminants. Viruses rely on a living host to reproduce. Some viruses can survive freezing and cooking temperatures.

Cross-Contact

The transfer of an allergen from a food containing an allergen to a food that does not contain the allergen

Yeast:

Type of fungus that causes food spoilage. Is also a leavening agent in yeast breads.

Mold:

Type of fungus that causes food spoilage. Some molds produce toxins that can cause foodborne illness.

Cross-contamination:

When micro-organisms are transferred from one food surface to another.

food defense

program developed and implemented by an operation to prevent deliberate contamination of its food