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Food Safety Terms

 Bacteria
• Tiny one-celled micro-organisms found
everywhere in the environment, also referred to as microbes.
• Some microbes are safe and can be eaten in the form of food
(examples are cheese and yogurt), but others are harmful and
need to be avoided because they can lead to food-borne illness.

 Food-borne Illness
• Illness caused by eating contaminated food, the source of which
is bacteria, viruses or parasites.

 Cross-Contamination
• The transfer of harmful bacteria from one food source to another,
or transferred to food from another source such as hands.
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 Food borne illness terms

Outbreak
• An incident of food borne illness that involves two or more
people who eat a common food, which is confirmed through
laboratory analysis as the source of the illness.

Sanitation
• Wholesome food, handles and prepares in a way that the food is
not contaminated with disease causing agents.

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 FBI Terms

Clean
• Free from VISIABLE soil

Sanitary
• Free from harmful levels of disease causing microorganisms and
other harmful contaminants

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 POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS
FOODS
 Any food that consist in whole of part of milk,
milk products, shell, eggs, meats, fish, poultry,
baked or boiled potatoes, tofu and other soy-
protein foods, plant foods that have been heat
treated, raw seeds or spouts, or synthetic
ingredients.

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 Types of Hazards

1. Biological

2. Chemical

3. Physical

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Biological Hazards

HARMFUL BATERIA
VIRUSES
PARASITES
FUNGI
 BACTERIA
Bacteria are the greatest concern to food service

A Bacterium is: A living microorganism made up

of one cell

 Vegetative cell
• Capable of growing and reproducing
 Vegetative state
• The non-spore stage of some bacteria where growth and
reproduction occur.
 Bacteria

 Spore
• A thick walled formation that is resistant to heat, cold and
chemicals. It can return to a vegetative state under the proper
conditions.
 Bacteria Reproduction
6 condition that promote bacteria growth

 Food
 Acidity
 Time
 Temperature
 Oxygen
 Moisture
 Biological Hazards

Bacteria pose the greatest threat to food safety.

Under the right conditions a single bacteria will
double ever 0 to 30 minutes. One bacteria can
become billions in just 10-12 hours.
Biological Hazards

Bacteria pose the greatest threat to food

safety. Under the right conditions a
single bacteria will double ever 0 to 30
minutes. One bacteria can become
billions in just 10-12 hours.
Biological Hazards
Bacteria pose the greatest threat to food
safety. Under the right conditions a
single bacteria will double ever 0 to 30
minutes. One bacteria can become
billions in just 10-12 hours.
 A Closer look at
MICROORGANISMS
TERMS TO KNOW:

 Pathogen
• Any disease Causing Agent

 Microorganisms
• A life form that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope.
(bacteria, fungi, mold, parasite, yeasts, viruses)
 Product Dates & Recommendations

 “Sell-by” Date
• Tells the retailer how long to keep a product out for sale.
• It is recommended that the product be used within a few days of
this date for maximum freshness (flavor, aroma & appearance).
 “Use-by” Date
• Tells the consumer the final date by
which to use the product.
• A recommended date for the product
to be used for quality flavor,
aroma & appearance.
Product dates and recommendations are only
reliable if food has been kept at a proper
temperature during storing and handling.

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 Applying What You Know

 Research a food-borne illness

and write a 1-2 page report on your
findings. Be sure to include causes of
the illness, health effects, and
prevention tips.

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 Exploring the Web
 Here are some suggested sites you and your class
may want to investigate for more information on food safety.
• http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
– Information from the US Department of Agriculture Food Safety
and Inspection Service.
• http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html
– Information from the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
• http://www.homefoodsafety.org/
– Tips on how to prevent Foodborne illnesses in your own home.
• http://home.earthlink.net/~zinkd/
– Information on common Foodborne diseases and prevention.
• http://www.foodsafety.gov
• http://www.cdc.gov
– Information at the Center for Disease Control.

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