Bacteria:
Single celled organisms found all around us, they
can survive under many conditions including
freezing.
Bactericide:
A substance which destroys bacteria.
Best before date:
Date mark required on longer life foods that are
not subjected to microbiological spoilage if kept
in the correct storage conditions
Carrier:
A person who harbours, and may transmit,
pathogenic bacteria without showing signs of
illness.
Contamination:
Food is contaminated if it contains something
which should not be there, e.g. a stone,
chemicals or bacteria.
Core temperature:
The temperature at the centre of the food
Clean as you go:
The routine of cleaning up as you work, not
leaving all the cleaning to do at the end.
Critical Control Point: A point, step, procedure
where control can be exercised/applied to a
hazard and the hazard eliminated, prevented or
reduced to an acceptable level.
Danger Zone of Bacterial Growth:
The temperature range between +5oC and +63oC in
which bacteria will grow and multiply easily and
rapidly.
Detergent:
A chemical which dissolves grease, it acts as an
aid in cleaning.
Disinfectant:
A chemical which reduces the level of bacteria to
a safe level.
Dormant:
When bacteria on food are not multiplying; the
temperature is either too hot or too cold to
allow growth. The bacteria are still alive and
will start to grow if the temperature comes back
into the danger zone.
Food:
Includes: (a) any substance used, available to be
used or intended to be used, for food or drink by
human persons, and (b) any substance which enters
into or is used in the production, composition or
preparation of these substances, and references
to a particular food or class of food. (S.I No.29
of 1998)
Food handler:
Any person who handles or prepares food whether
open (unwrapped) or packaged, even if physical
contact is only a small part of their work.
Food hygiene:
All measures necessary to ensure the safety and
wholesomeness of food during preparation,
processing, manufacture, storage, transportation,
distribution, handling and offering for sale or
supply to the consumer.
Food Pests:
Rodents and insects which live on and in our
food.
Food Poisoning:
A notifiable illness, usually with symptoms of
diarrhea and/or vomiting caused by eating food
which has been contaminated or which is
poisonous. Food poisoning is infectious and can
be passed on by person to person as well as
through food.
Food Premises:
Areas where food is stored, transported,
prepared, displayed or sold.
Food Spoilage Bacteria:
Bacteria which cause food to rot or decay.
Gastro-enteritis:
An inflammation of the stomach and intestinal
tract that normally results in diarrhea.
HACCP:
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points. A
management system for ensuring food safety
through the identification, assessment and
control of hazards in the food chain.
Hazard:
Anything that could contaminate food or cause
harm to the consumer.
High-risk activity:
Activities where high-risk ready-to-eat foods are
prepared and where the potential exists to put
vulnerable groups (infants, the frail elderly,
pregnant women and the sick) or large numbers of
consumers at serious risk. Such foods are as
follows:
-shellfish, cooked or raw
-fish, cooked or raw
-raw meat such as beef tartar
-cooked meat and meat products
-cooked poultry and poultry products
-cooked-chill and cooked freeze meals
-milk and milk products
-egg and egg products
-cooked rice and cooked pasta
-foods containing any of these examples as
ingredients.
High risk food:
Food which supports the growth of harmful and
potentially harmful microorganisms and which will
not be subjected to any further heat treatment or
processing which would remove or destroy such
microorganisms, prior to consumption.
Ready-to-eat foods are high-risk foods.
Infective dose:
The number of bacteria required to cause illness.
Low-risk activity:
Activity where the potential to cause harm to
consumers is low.
Non-food handler:
A person involved in a food business whose duties
and responsibilities can impinge on food safety,
e.g. managers, maintenance staff, cleaning staff.
Pathogenic bacteria:
Bacteria which cause disease/illness.
Potable water:
Water fit for human consumption taken directly
from rising mains and in compliance with E.C.
Water Directive.
Probe:
Part of temperature measuring equipment that can
be inserted between packs or into product to
obtain temperature reading.
Ready to eat foods:
Foods that have already gone through most or all
of their preparation steps. There will be a
"high-risk" if these are contaminated
or allowed to deteriorate because there are no
further preparation steps to control the hazard,
e.g. cooked meat and poultry, pates, meat pies,
cooked meat products (e.g. gravy or stock), milk,
cream, custards and dairy produce, shellfish and
other seafood (cooked or intended to be eaten
raw), cooked rice, cooked eggs and products made
with eggs, prepared salads, fruit and vegetables,
soft cheeses, etc.
Risk:
The probability of a hazard occurring.
Sanitizer:
A chemical used to both clean equipment and
reduce bacteria to a safe level.
Spore:
A resistant resting-phase of bacteria, which
protects them against adverse conditions.
Use-by-date:
Date mark required on highly microbiologically
perishable pre-packed foods. It is an offence to
sell food after its "use-by" date.
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