Common Food Safety Terms and Definitions: A Quick Reference Guide
Researching food safety organizations and certifications can be daunting and overwhelming as discussed in the article, “Types of Food Safety Organizations and Certifications.” Knowing a few basic food safety terms and definitions can go a long way when starting the research process.
Allergen: A food substance that can cause an allergic reaction such as peanuts, milk, eggs, and wheat.
Audit: A systematic inspection to ensure food safety systems are properly implemented and maintained.
Bacteria: A single-cell microorganism that can cause foodborne illness.
Cold Holding: Maintaining cold foods at 41°F (5°C) or below to prevent bacterial growth.
Contamination: The presence of harmful substances or microorganisms in food.
Cooking Temperatures: The minimum internal temperature a food must reach to kill pathogens which varies by food type.
Corrective Action: Procedures to be followed when a deviation from a CCP occurs.
Critical Control Point (CCP): The food processing step where control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce food safety hazards.
Cross-Contamination: The transfer of harmful bacteria, allergens, or other contaminants from one food, surface, object, or person to another.
Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP): A set of procedures for routinely testing food production environments for pathogens or organisms to verify the effectiveness of sanitation procedures.
Foodborne Illness: Illnesses caused by consuming contaminated foods, commonly called "food poisoning."
Food Safety: The practices and procedures that prevent foodborne illness and contamination during handling, preparation, and storage of food.
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA): This is a U.S. legislation that shifts food safety focus from reactive to preventive.
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI): A benchmarking organization for food safety certification programs such as SQF, BRCGS, or FSSC 22000.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP): These are guidelines that provide the minimum requirements a manufacturer must meet to ensure products are consistently high quality and safe.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP): A systematic preventive approach to food safety that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards throughout food production.
Hazard: In food processing this is a biological, chemical, or physical agent in food with the potential to cause harm.
Hot Holding: Maintaining hot foods at 135°F (57°C) or above to prevent bacterial growth.
Parasite: An organism that lives on or in a host and gets its food from that host.
Pathogen: A harmful microorganism that can cause diseases like E. coli, listeria, and salmonella.
Personal Hygiene: The practices used to maintain cleanliness and health of any food handlers.
Pest Control Program: A documented system to manage and monitor pests in food processing facilities to maintain a safe food production environment.
Recall: A process to remove unsafe or mislabeled food products from the market.
Risk Assessment: The process of evaluating the potential and severity of harm from a food safety hazard.
Sanitizing: Reducing microorganisms to safe levels, typically using chemicals or heat.
Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs): These are detailed cleaning and sanitizing procedures to prevent contamination on food processing contact surfaces.
Shelf Life: The duration for which food remains safe and acceptable for consumption.
Spoilage Organisms: Microorganisms that cause food to deteriorate but are not necessarily harmful to health.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): These are written instructions for routine tasks to ensure consistency and food safety.
Temperature Danger Zone: The range between 40°F (4°C) and 140°F (60°C) where bacteria multiply rapidly.
Time and Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) Foods: formerly called potentially hazardous foods, these are foods requiring time/temperature control to limit pathogen growth.
Traceability: The ability to track a food product through all stages of production, processing, and distribution.
Virus: A microscopic organism that replicates inside living cells of organisms.
