Guide

Food Safety Dictionary

Food safety comes with its own language, from HACCP and GFSI to Use By dates and water activity. This dictionary explains the acronyms and terms you will meet in audits, standards and regulations, in plain English.

This resource is provided as a guide only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Always confirm requirements with your certification body, customers and regulators. Use of this content is at your own risk.

276 of 276 terms

Term	Type	Full Form	Definition
14 Allergens	Word		The allergens that UK and EU law requires to be declared: celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya and sulphur dioxide and sulphites.Source: FSA: Allergen guidance for food businesses
5 Whys	Word		A root cause analysis technique: keep asking 'why' until you reach the underlying cause of a problem, not just its symptoms.
Acidified Food	Word		A low-acid food to which acid or acid foods are added so that its finished pH is 4.6 or below and its water activity above 0.85. In the US it is regulated under 21 CFR Part 114.Source: 21 CFR Part 114 (eCFR)
ACP	Acronym	Allergen Control Plan	A documented plan setting out how a site identifies, segregates, cleans for and labels allergens to prevent unintended allergen presence.
Adulteration	Word		Making food unsafe or of a lower quality than claimed by adding, removing or substituting a substance, whether by accident or on purpose.
Aerobe	Word		A microorganism that needs oxygen to grow.
Allergen	Word		A substance, usually a protein, that triggers an immune reaction in sensitive people. UK and EU law names 14 major allergens that must be declared, while the US names 9.Source: FSA: Allergen guidance for food businesses FDA: Food Allergies
Allergen Cleaning Validation	Word		Evidence that a defined cleaning procedure reliably removes an allergen from equipment and surfaces to an acceptable level.
Allergen Matrix	Word		A table showing which allergens are present in each raw material, product and production line.
Ambient	Word		Product stored and sold at room temperature without refrigeration.
Anaerobe	Word		A microorganism that can grow without oxygen, such as Clostridium botulinum.
Approved Establishment	Word		A UK or EU food business handling products of animal origin that must be approved by the competent authority, rather than just registered.Source: Regulation (EC) 853/2004 (EUR-Lex)
Approved Supplier List	Word		A controlled list of suppliers that have been assessed and approved to provide specific materials or services to a site.
Aseptic Packaging	Word		Filling a commercially sterile product into sterile containers in a sterile environment so it stays shelf stable without refrigeration.
ATP	Acronym	Adenosine Triphosphate	An energy molecule found in all living cells and food residues. ATP swab tests give a rapid reading of surface cleanliness, but they do not identify specific organisms or allergens.
Audit	Word		A planned, independent and documented check of whether a site's activities and results meet the requirements set for them.
Aw	Acronym	Water Activity	A 0 to 1 scale of how much of the water in a food is free for microorganisms to use. As a rough guide, most bacteria need about 0.91 or above, Staphylococcus aureus can grow down to around 0.86, and most molds stop near 0.80.Source: FDA: Water Activity in Foods (inspection guide)
Bacillus cereus	Word		A spore forming bacterium that can produce toxins causing vomiting or diarrhoea, often linked to cooked rice and starchy foods held warm.
BAP	Acronym	Best Aquaculture Practices	A GFSI recognized certification program for farmed seafood covering food safety, environment, social responsibility and animal welfare.
Batch	Word		A quantity of product made under essentially the same conditions, usually identified by a single lot or batch code.
Best Before	Word		A date mark about quality rather than safety. Food can still be safe after this date if stored correctly, but it may no longer be at its best.Source: FSA: Best before and use by dates Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (EUR-Lex)
Big 9	Word		The major food allergens in US law: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame.Source: FDA: Food Allergies
Biofilm	Word		A community of microorganisms attached to a surface and protected by a slimy layer, which makes them much harder to remove and kill during cleaning.
Biological Hazard	Word		A hazard from living organisms or their toxins, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and molds.
BRCGS	Acronym	Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards	Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards. A UK based owner of food safety standards. Its Food Safety (Issue 9), Packaging Materials (Issue 6), Storage and Distribution (Issue 4) and Agents and Brokers (Issue 3) standards are GFSI recognized, with newer issues going through benchmarking.Source: BRCGS GFSI: Recognized certification program owners
Calibration	Word		Checking a measuring device, such as a thermometer or scale, against a known reference and adjusting it so its readings are accurate.
Campylobacter	Word		The most common bacterial cause of food poisoning in the UK, mainly linked to raw and undercooked poultry.Source: FSA: Campylobacter
CAPA	Acronym	Corrective and Preventive Action	A structured process for fixing the cause of a problem that has happened (corrective) and stopping potential problems before they occur (preventive).
CB	Acronym	Certification Body	An accredited organization that audits sites against a standard such as BRCGS, SQF, IFS or FSSC 22000 and issues the certificate.
CCP	Acronym	Critical Control Point	Critical Control Point: a step where a control is applied that is essential to keep a significant hazard in check. In Codex HACCP and BRCGS it is monitored against a critical limit. ISO 22000 also uses oPRPs, which are monitored against action criteria instead.Source: Codex: Codes of practice (CXC 1-1969)
CFR	Acronym	Code of Federal Regulations	The codification of US federal regulations. FDA food rules sit mainly in Title 21 (21 CFR).
CFU	Acronym	Colony Forming Unit	A count of viable microbial cells or clusters able to grow into a visible colony on a culture plate, used to report microbiological results.
CGMP	Acronym	Current Good Manufacturing Practice	US FDA requirements for the methods, facilities and controls used to make food safely, set out for human food in 21 CFR Part 117 Subpart B.Source: 21 CFR Part 117 (eCFR)
Challenge Test	Word		A laboratory study where a product is deliberately inoculated with an organism to see whether it can grow during shelf life.
Change Control	Word		A formal process for reviewing, approving and recording changes to products, processes, equipment or documents so food safety is not affected.
Chemical Hazard	Word		A hazard from chemical substances, such as cleaning chemicals, pesticide residues, mycotoxins, allergens or migration from packaging.
Chilling	Word		Cooling food and keeping it cold to slow microbial growth. In England the legal limit for most chilled food is 8°C or below, with 5°C or below recommended for fridges; the US FDA Food Code sets 5°C (41°F) or below for cold holding.Source: Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, Sch. 4 FDA Food Code
CIP	Acronym	Cleaning in Place	A method of cleaning the inside of pipes, tanks and process equipment by circulating cleaning and sanitizing solutions through them, without taking the equipment apart.
Clostridium botulinum	Word		A spore forming bacterium that grows without oxygen and makes the toxin behind botulism. It is a key hazard in low-acid canned, vacuum packed and modified atmosphere foods.
Clostridium perfringens	Word		A spore forming bacterium associated with large quantities of cooked meat and gravy that are cooled too slowly.
COA	Acronym	Certificate of Analysis	A document from a supplier or laboratory confirming that a specific batch has been tested and meets its specification.
COC	Acronym	Certificate of Conformance	A supplier document stating that a product meets the agreed specification, usually without batch test results.
Codex Alimentarius	Word		The international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice published by the joint FAO and WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission, including the General Principles of Food Hygiene and HACCP.Source: Codex: Codes of practice (CXC 1-1969)
Cold Chain	Word		The unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps that keeps chilled or frozen food at the right temperature from production to consumer.
Competent Authority	Word		The official body legally responsible for enforcing food law in a given area, such as a local authority or the FSA.Source: Regulation (EC) 178/2002 (EUR-Lex)
Complaint	Word		Any expression of dissatisfaction from a customer or consumer about a product or service, which should be recorded, investigated and trended.
Contamination	Word		Anything unwanted, whether biological, chemical, physical or allergenic, getting into food.
Contract Manufacturer	Word		A company that makes products for another company under that company's brand and specification.
Control Measure	Word		Anything you do to prevent a food safety hazard, remove it, or bring it down to a safe level.
Correction	Word		The immediate fix when something goes wrong, such as holding or reworking affected product. It deals with the problem in front of you, not necessarily its cause.
Corrective Action	Word		Action that tackles the cause of a nonconformity so it does not happen again, alongside deciding what happens to any affected product.
COSHH	Acronym	Control of Substances Hazardous to Health	UK regulations requiring employers to assess and control risks from hazardous substances, including cleaning chemicals used on food sites.Source: HSE: COSHH
Critical Limit	Word		The measurable line, such as a core temperature or a time, that tells you whether a critical control point is under control or not.
Critical Nonconformity	Word		A failure to meet a food safety or legal requirement that puts product safety at immediate risk. It usually results in no certificate being issued.Source: BRCGS
Cronobacter	Word		A bacterium that can survive in dry environments and is a particular hazard in powdered infant formula.
Cross Contact	Word		The unintended transfer of an allergen into a food that should not contain it. The term is preferred over cross contamination when talking about allergens.Source: 21 CFR 117.3 (eCFR)
Cross Contamination	Word		The transfer of harmful bacteria or other contaminants from one food, surface or person to another.
CTE	Acronym	Critical Tracking Event	Under FSMA 204, a point in the supply chain where records must be kept. The rule names seven: harvesting, cooling, initial packing, first land based receiving, shipping, receiving and transformation.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
Customer Specification	Word		The agreed details of a product's composition, quality, safety and packaging requirements.
Danger Zone	Word		The temperature band in which bacteria multiply most quickly. UK guidance usually gives 8°C to 63°C (the legal chill and hot holding limits), while the US FDA Food Code uses 5°C to 57°C (41°F to 135°F).Source: FSA: Cooking safely in your business FDA Food Code
Date Code	Word		A date printed on a pack, such as Use By or Best Before, often combined with a lot code to identify when and where it was made.
Decision Tree	Word		A sequence of questions, published in Codex and many standards, used to help decide whether a process step is a critical control point.
DEFRA	Acronym	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	The UK government department responsible for food policy, farming, food labeling policy in England and the environment.
Detergent	Word		A cleaning chemical that loosens and removes dirt, grease and food residues. It does not reliably kill microorganisms on its own.
Deviation	Word		A failure to meet a critical limit, specification or procedure, which needs a recorded response.
Disinfection	Word		Using chemicals or heat to bring the number of microorganisms on a clean surface down to a safe level.
Document Control	Word		The system for approving, issuing, updating and withdrawing documents so only current versions are in use.
Due Diligence	Word		A legal defense under section 21 of the UK Food Safety Act 1990: a business can avoid conviction if it proves it took every reasonable step and precaution to prevent the offense.Source: Food Safety Act 1990, s.21 (legislation.gov.uk)
E. coli	Acronym	Escherichia coli	A bacterium common in the gut. Most strains are harmless, but some, such as STEC O157, cause serious illness, and generic E. coli is used as an indicator of faecal contamination.
EHO	Acronym	Environmental Health Officer	A local authority officer in the UK who inspects food businesses and enforces food hygiene law.
EMP	Acronym	Environmental Monitoring Program	A planned program of swabbing and testing the production environment to check how well cleaning and hygiene controls work, often focused on Listeria and Salmonella.
Enforcement Officer	Word		An authorized officer, such as an EHO or Trading Standards Officer, who inspects food businesses and takes action where the law is broken.
Enterobacteriaceae	Word		A family of bacteria, including E. coli and Salmonella, often tested as a hygiene indicator in food and on surfaces.
Expected Use	Word		The way a product is intended or reasonably likely to be used, which must be considered in hazard analysis and labeling.
FALCPA	Acronym	Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act	The 2004 US law that requires major food allergens to be named on food labels. The FASTER Act 2021 added sesame as the ninth major allergen from 1 January 2023.Source: FDA: FALCPA
FAO	Acronym	Food and Agriculture Organization	The United Nations agency that leads international work on food and agriculture and, with WHO, runs the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
FBO	Acronym	Food Business Operator	The person or company responsible for making sure the food business they control meets food law.Source: Regulation (EC) 178/2002 (EUR-Lex)
FDA	Acronym	Food and Drug Administration	The US federal agency responsible for the safety of most food, other than meat, poultry and some egg products, which are regulated by USDA.Source: 21 CFR Part 117 (eCFR)
FDA Food Code	Word		A model code published by the US FDA for retail and food service. States and local agencies adopt it, sometimes with changes, as their own law.Source: FDA Food Code
FEFO	Acronym	First Expired, First Out	A stock rotation method where product with the earliest expiry date is used or dispatched first.
FHRS	Acronym	Food Hygiene Rating Scheme	The scheme run by local authorities with the FSA in England, Wales and Northern Ireland that rates hygiene standards at businesses selling food to consumers, from 0 to 5. Scotland runs a separate scheme (FHIS) with pass or improvement required results.Source: FSA: Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
FIC	Acronym	Food Information to Consumers	Regulation (EU) 1169/2011, which sets the rules for food labeling, including the 14 allergens, date marks and nutrition information. A retained version applies in Great Britain.Source: Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (EUR-Lex)
FIFO	Acronym	First In, First Out	A stock rotation method where the oldest stock received is used or dispatched first.
Finished Product	Word		Product that has completed all processing and packing and is ready for dispatch.
Flow Diagram	Word		A step by step diagram of a process from raw material receipt to dispatch, used as the basis for hazard analysis.
Food Contact Material	Word		Any packaging, equipment, utensil or other material meant to touch food. It must not pass substances into the food in amounts that could harm health.
Food Defense	Word		Measures to protect food from intentional contamination or tampering intended to cause harm, often assessed through a TACCP or FDA Food Defense plan.Source: 21 CFR Part 121 (Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration)
Food Fraud	Word		Deliberate deception for economic gain involving food, such as substitution, dilution, mislabeling or counterfeiting. Vulnerability to it is assessed through VACCP.
Food Handler	Word		Anyone whose job involves touching food or surfaces that food touches.
Food Hygiene	Word		Everything a business does to keep food safe and fit to eat, at every step from farm to fork.
Food Hygiene Rating	Word		A score from 0 to 5 awarded by local authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS) to businesses supplying food direct to consumers.Source: FSA: Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
Food Hygiene Regulation	Word		Regulation (EC) 852/2004, which sets general hygiene duties for all food business operators, including HACCP based procedures. A retained version applies in Great Britain.Source: Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (EUR-Lex)
Food Poisoning	Word		Illness caused by eating food contaminated with pathogens, their toxins or harmful chemicals.
Food Safety Act 1990	Word		The main food law in Great Britain. It makes it an offense to sell food that is harmful to health, or that is not what the buyer could reasonably expect in nature, substance or quality. Northern Ireland has an equivalent 1991 Order.Source: Food Safety Act 1990 (legislation.gov.uk)
Food Safety Culture	Word		How people across a business think, feel and act about food safety, day to day and when nobody is watching.
Food Safety Plan	Word		Under FSMA, the written plan containing a hazard analysis, preventive controls, a supply chain program, a recall plan and procedures for monitoring, corrective action and verification.Source: 21 CFR 117.126 (eCFR)
Food Traceability List	Word		FDA's list of foods that the extra FSMA 204 record keeping applies to, including certain fresh produce, shell eggs, nut butters, soft cheeses, finfish and shellfish.Source: FDA: Food Traceability List
Foreign Body	Word		Any physical material in food that should not be there, such as glass, metal, plastic, wood or stones.
Foreign Material	Word		See Foreign Body.
Fraud	Word		See Food Fraud.
FSA	Acronym	Food Standards Agency	The UK government department responsible for food safety and hygiene in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Food Standards Scotland covers Scotland.Source: FSA: Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
FSIS	Acronym	Food Safety and Inspection Service	The USDA agency that regulates meat, poultry and processed egg products in the US.
FSMA	Acronym	Food Safety Modernization Act	The 2011 US law that shifted FDA's focus from responding to contamination to preventing it, through rules such as Preventive Controls, FSVP, Produce Safety and Food Traceability.
FSMA 204	Word		The FDA Food Traceability Rule, made under section 204 of FSMA. It requires extra traceability records for foods on the Food Traceability List. FDA has moved the compliance date from 20 January 2026 to 20 July 2028, subject to congressional approval.Source: FDA: FSMA Food Traceability Rule
FSMS	Acronym	Food Safety Management System	The documented system of policies, procedures, controls and records a business uses to manage food safety, built on prerequisite programs and HACCP.
FSS	Acronym	Food Standards Scotland	The public body responsible for food safety, standards and labeling in Scotland.Source: Food Standards Scotland
FSSC 22000	Acronym	Food Safety System Certification 22000	A GFSI recognized certification scheme that builds on ISO 22000, adds sector specific prerequisite program standards from the ISO 22002 series, and layers its own scheme requirements on top.Source: FSSC 22000 UKAS: FSSC 22000 v7 transition
FSVP	Acronym	Foreign Supplier Verification Programs	An FDA rule requiring US importers to verify that their foreign suppliers produce food to the same level of public health protection as US rules.Source: 21 CFR Part 1 Subpart L (eCFR)
FTL	Acronym	Food Traceability List	See Food Traceability List.
GAP	Acronym	Good Agricultural Practices	Practices on farms to reduce microbial, chemical and physical hazards in fresh produce during growing, harvesting and packing.
GDP	Acronym	Good Documentation Practice	Rules for creating and keeping records so they are legible, accurate, dated, signed, permanent and traceable.
General Food Law	Word		Regulation (EC) 178/2002, the EU framework that sets core food law principles such as safety, traceability one step back and one step forward, and withdrawal of unsafe food. A retained version applies in Great Britain.Source: Regulation (EC) 178/2002 (EUR-Lex)
GFSI	Acronym	Global Food Safety Initiative	An industry led organization, part of the Consumer Goods Forum, that benchmarks food safety certification programs against its requirements so certificates can be widely accepted.Source: GFSI
GFSI Benchmarking	Word		The process by which GFSI assesses a certification program against its Benchmarking Requirements and recognizes it if it meets them.
GHP	Acronym	Good Hygiene Practices	Basic hygiene measures and conditions needed at every stage of the food chain, set out in the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene.
Glass and Brittle Plastics Register	Word		A list of glass, brittle plastic and ceramic items in production areas, checked regularly for damage.
GLOBALG.A.P.	Word		A farm assurance standard covering good agricultural practice for crops, livestock and aquaculture, with GFSI recognition for some scopes.
Gluten Free	Word		In the UK, EU and US, food labeled gluten free must contain no more than 20 mg/kg (20 ppm) of gluten.Source: Regulation (EU) 828/2014 (EUR-Lex) 21 CFR 101.91 (eCFR)
GMP	Acronym	Good Manufacturing Practice	The basic operating conditions and practices needed to make safe food consistently, such as hygiene, maintenance and staff training.
Grade	Word		The result awarded after a certification audit. Under the BRCGS Food Safety standard grades run from AA to D, based on the number and seriousness of nonconformities, with a plus (for example AA+) for unannounced audits.Source: BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 (copy hosted by NIFCC)
GRAS	Acronym	Generally Recognized as Safe	A US status for substances added to food that qualified experts agree are safe for their intended use.Source: FDA: Generally Recognized as Safe
HACCP	Acronym	Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points	A systematic, preventive approach to food safety that identifies, evaluates and controls significant hazards. It is built on seven principles set out by Codex.
HACCP Team	Word		A multidisciplinary group with the knowledge and expertise to develop, implement and maintain the HACCP plan.
Hand Hygiene	Word		Washing and drying hands properly, and sanitizing where required, to stop contamination being passed to food.
HARPC	Acronym	Hazard Analysis and Risk Based Preventive Controls	The FSMA approach, set out in 21 CFR Part 117, where facilities analyze hazards and put preventive controls in place. Controls are not limited to critical control points.Source: 21 CFR Part 117 (eCFR)
Hazard	Word		Anything biological, chemical, physical or allergenic in food that could make someone ill or injure them.
Hazard Analysis	Word		Gathering and weighing up information on possible hazards to decide which ones are significant and need controlling in your plan.
Hazard Requiring a Preventive Control	Word		The FSMA term for a known or reasonably foreseeable hazard that a facility's hazard analysis shows needs a preventive control. It is the US counterpart of a significant hazard.Source: 21 CFR 117.3 (eCFR)
High Care	Word		An area designed to a high standard of hygiene to minimize contamination of products that have been cooked or treated but are vulnerable to recontamination before packing.
High Risk Area	Word		A physically segregated area with the highest hygiene and personnel controls, used for ready to eat chilled or frozen products after a pathogen kill step. BRCGS uses this alongside high care and ambient high care.
High Risk Food	Word		Ready to eat foods that support the growth of harmful bacteria and are not cooked again before eating, such as cooked meats, dairy and prepared salads.
Histamine	Word		A compound formed by bacteria in certain fish, such as tuna and mackerel, if they are not kept cold. It can cause scombroid poisoning and is not destroyed by cooking.
Hold and Release	Word		Keeping product on hold until checks or test results confirm it meets requirements before it is released for sale.
Hold Point	Word		A step where product must stop until a check is completed and signed off.
HPP	Acronym	High Pressure Processing	A non thermal process that uses very high pressure to inactivate microorganisms in packaged food.
Hygiene Indicator	Word		An organism, such as Enterobacteriaceae or generic E. coli, whose presence shows poor hygiene or process failure rather than a direct risk.
Hygienic Design	Word		Designing equipment and buildings so they are easy to clean, do not harbour dirt or microorganisms and do not contaminate food.
IFS	Acronym	International Featured Standards	International Featured Standards: a family of GFSI recognized standards, including IFS Food, introduced in 2003 by the German (HDE) and French (FCD) retail federations.Source: IFS: About IFS

Improvement Notice	Word		A legal notice from a UK enforcement officer requiring a food business to fix breaches of hygiene law within a set time.
Incident	Word		An event that has led, or could lead, to unsafe, illegal or non conforming product reaching the market.
Incident Management	Word		The procedures and team used to respond to food safety incidents, including recall, withdrawal and crisis communication.
Indicator Organism	Word		See Hygiene Indicator.
Internal Audit	Word		An audit carried out by or for a business on its own systems to check they are working and meet the standard.
ISO	Acronym	International Organization for Standardization	An independent international body that develops and publishes standards, including ISO 22000 and ISO 9001.
ISO 17025	Word		ISO/IEC 17025, the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Many standards require key tests to be done by accredited labs.
ISO 22000	Word		The international standard for food safety management systems, combining HACCP, prerequisite programs and management system elements for any organization in the food chain.
ISO 9001	Word		The international standard for quality management systems, often used alongside food safety standards.
ISO/TS 22002-1	Word		The former technical specification setting out prerequisite programs for food manufacturing, long used underneath FSSC 22000. It has been withdrawn and replaced by ISO 22002-1:2025, which is used together with ISO 22002-100; FSSC 22000 version 7 moves to this 2025 series.Source: UKAS: FSSC 22000 v7 transition
KDE	Acronym	Key Data Element	Under FSMA 204, a specific piece of information that must be recorded at a critical tracking event, such as the traceability lot code, quantity and location description.
Key Data Element	Word		See KDE.
Kill Step	Word		A process step, such as cooking or pasteurisation, that reduces a pathogen to a safe level.
Label Review	Word		Checking a label against the specification and legal requirements before use, including allergen declarations and date codes.
LACF	Acronym	Low Acid Canned Food	Shelf stable food in a hermetically sealed container with a finished pH above 4.6 and water activity above 0.85, excluding alcoholic drinks. In the US these are regulated under 21 CFR Part 113.Source: 21 CFR 113.3 (eCFR)
Listeria	Word		Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that causes listeriosis. It can grow at refrigeration temperatures and is a serious risk for pregnant women, older people and those with weakened immunity.Source: Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 (EUR-Lex)
Listeriosis	Word		A serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.
Location Description	Word		Under FSMA 204: the business name, phone number and physical address (or geographic coordinates) of a site where food is handled, with city, state and ZIP code for US sites, or the local equivalent plus country for sites outside the US.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
LOD	Acronym	Limit of Detection	The lowest amount of a substance that a test can reliably detect, though not necessarily measure accurately.
LOQ	Acronym	Limit of Quantification	The lowest amount of a substance that a test can measure with acceptable accuracy and precision.
Lot	Word		See Batch.
Lot Code	Word		A code applied to product to identify a specific batch so it can be traced.
Low Acid Food	Word		Food with a pH above 4.6 under US rules (21 CFR 113), in which Clostridium botulinum can grow if other conditions allow. UK law sets no single equivalent cut off; FSA guidance for chilled vacuum and modified atmosphere packed food treats a pH of 5.0 or below throughout as one factor that allows a shelf life beyond 10 days.Source: 21 CFR 113.3 (eCFR) FSA: Vacuum and modified atmosphere packed chilled foods guidance
Major Nonconformity	Word		A substantial failure to meet a requirement of a standard, or a situation that raises significant doubt about product safety or legality.
Management Review	Word		A regular review by senior management of how well the food safety and quality system is working, with actions for improvement.
MAP	Acronym	Modified Atmosphere Packaging	Packaging where the air is replaced with a gas mix, often carbon dioxide and nitrogen, to slow spoilage and extend shelf life.
May Contain	Word		Precautionary allergen labeling used when a risk of unintended allergen presence remains after controls. It should be based on risk assessment, not used as a blanket warning.
Metal Detection	Word		Equipment used to detect and reject product contaminated with ferrous, non ferrous or stainless steel metal.
Microbiological Criteria	Word		Limits for microorganisms in food or processes, such as those set in retained EU Regulation 2073/2005 in Great Britain.Source: Regulation (EC) 2073/2005 (EUR-Lex)
Minor Nonconformity	Word		A failure to fully meet a requirement where the safety of the product is not in doubt.
Mock Recall	Word		A test of the traceability and recall system, using a real batch, to check product can be traced quickly and accurately.
Monitoring	Word		Planned checks or measurements that show whether a control is working, such as recording a CCP against its critical limit.
Mold	Word		A type of fungus that can spoil food and, in some cases, produce mycotoxins.
MRL	Acronym	Maximum Residue Level	The highest legally permitted level of a pesticide residue in or on food.
Mycotoxin	Word		A toxic compound produced by certain molds, such as aflatoxin or ochratoxin A, which can contaminate cereals, nuts and spices.
Natasha's Law	Word		The UK law, in force since October 2021, requiring prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food to show a full ingredients list with allergens emphasized.Source: FSA: PPDS allergen labeling
NC	Acronym	Nonconformance	A failure to meet a requirement, specification, procedure or standard. Also called a nonconformity.
NCR	Acronym	Nonconformance Report	A record of a nonconformance, its investigation and the actions taken.
Nonconformity	Word		See NC.
Norovirus	Word		A highly infectious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea, often spread by food handlers and contaminated shellfish or fresh produce.
OOS	Acronym	Out of Specification	A result that falls outside the agreed specification limits.
oPRP	Acronym	Operational Prerequisite Program	In ISO 22000, a control measure for a significant hazard that is monitored against an action criterion rather than a critical limit. Under Codex HACCP and BRCGS, an essential control like this would usually be treated as a CCP.Source: Codex CXC 1-1969 General Principles of Food Hygiene (CCP side)
PAL	Acronym	Precautionary Allergen Labeling	See May Contain.
Pasteurisation	Word		A heat treatment that destroys vegetative pathogens and reduces spoilage organisms. It does not make food sterile.
Pathogen	Word		A microorganism that can cause illness, such as Salmonella, Listeria or E. coli O157.
PCAF	Acronym	Preventive Controls for Animal Food	The FSMA rule, 21 CFR Part 507, setting CGMPs and preventive controls for animal food facilities.Source: 21 CFR Part 507 (eCFR)
PCHF	Acronym	Preventive Controls for Human Food	The FSMA rule, 21 CFR Part 117, requiring CGMPs and hazard analysis and risk based preventive controls for human food facilities.Source: 21 CFR Part 117 (eCFR)
PCQI	Acronym	Preventive Controls Qualified Individual	Under FSMA, a person qualified through training or experience to prepare and oversee a facility's food safety plan.Source: 21 CFR 117.3 (eCFR)
Personal Hygiene	Word		The cleanliness and behavior of food handlers, such as handwashing, protective clothing and reporting illness, to prevent contamination of food.
Pest Control	Word		A program to prevent, monitor and eliminate pests such as rodents, insects and birds from food premises.
pH	Word		A 0 to 14 scale of acidity and alkalinity, where lower is more acidic. Under US rules Clostridium botulinum is treated as unable to grow at pH 4.6 or below; in the UK, FSA guidance for chilled vacuum and modified atmosphere packed food uses pH 5.0 or below as a controlling factor for the non-proteolytic strains. This is why acidity is a key control.Source: 21 CFR 113.3 (eCFR) FSA: Vacuum and modified atmosphere packed chilled foods guidance
Physical Hazard	Word		A hard or sharp foreign object in food that could cause injury, such as glass, metal or hard plastic.
PPDS	Acronym	Prepacked for Direct Sale	Food packed on the same premises it is sold from before the customer orders it. It must carry full ingredients and allergen labeling in the UK.Source: FSA: PPDS allergen labeling
PPE	Acronym	Personal Protective Equipment	Clothing and equipment, such as hairnets, coats and gloves, worn to protect the worker or the food.
PPM	Acronym	Parts Per Million	A unit of concentration equal to milligrams per kilogram, often used for allergen and chemical limits.
Pre-operational Inspection	Word		A check before production starts to confirm the area and equipment are clean, safe and ready to use.
Precautionary Allergen Labeling	Word		See May Contain.
Preventive Action	Word		Action taken to remove the cause of a potential problem before it happens.
Preventive Control	Word		Under FSMA, a risk based measure that a knowledgeable food safety professional would use to significantly minimize or prevent a hazard. Types include process, food allergen, sanitation and supply chain controls, plus the recall plan.Source: 21 CFR 117.135 (eCFR)
Primary Production	Word		Growing, harvesting, farming, fishing and hunting, the first stage of the food chain.
Process Authority	Word		A person or organization with expert knowledge of thermal processing who sets safe processes for low acid and acidified canned foods.
Product Recall	Word		See Recall.
Product Withdrawal	Word		See Withdrawal.
Prohibition Order	Word		A UK legal order that stops a food business, process or person from operating where there is a health risk.
PRP	Acronym	Prerequisite Program	Prerequisite Program: the basic hygiene conditions and activities, such as cleaning, pest control and maintenance, that keep the site environment safe. HACCP sits on top of them.
Psychrotroph	Word		A microorganism that can grow at refrigeration temperatures, such as Listeria and some spoilage bacteria.
QA	Acronym	Quality Assurance	The planned activities that give confidence products will meet quality and safety requirements, focused on preventing problems.
QC	Acronym	Quality Control	The checks and tests carried out to confirm products meet specification, focused on finding problems.
QI	Acronym	Qualified Individual	Under FSMA, a person with the education, training or experience needed to do a specific food safety activity, such as for FSVP.
QMS	Acronym	Quality Management System	The documented system an organization uses to manage quality, such as one based on ISO 9001.
Quarantine	Word		Separating and holding suspect material or product so it cannot be used or dispatched until a decision is made.
QUID	Acronym	Quantitative Ingredient Declaration	The percentage of a characterising ingredient, such as the strawberries in strawberry yoghurt, shown on the label.
RACI	Acronym	Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed	A matrix used to set out who does what in procedures such as incident management or HACCP review.
RASFF	Acronym	Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed	The EU network for quickly sharing information on food and feed safety risks between member states.Source: European Commission: RASFF
Raw Material	Word		Any ingredient, processing aid or packaging used to make a product.
Raw Material Risk Assessment	Word		An assessment of the hazards, including allergen, fraud and microbiological risks, from each raw material and its supplier.
RCA	Acronym	Root Cause Analysis	A method for finding the underlying cause of a problem so corrective action stops it happening again, often using 5 Whys or fishbone diagrams.
Recall	Word		Removing unsafe product from the market, including from consumers, usually with public notices.
Record	Word		A document showing evidence that an activity was done or a result achieved, such as a CCP monitoring log.
Reference Document	Word		Under FSMA 204, a business transaction document, record or message, on paper or electronic, that may contain some or all of the key data elements for a critical tracking event. Examples include a bill of lading, purchase order, advance shipping notice or invoice. For each event, you record the reference document type and number.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
Rework	Word		Clean, safe product taken out of processing and reused, under control, in a later batch.
Risk	Word		The likelihood that a hazard will cause harm and how severe that harm would be.
Risk Assessment	Word		A structured process to identify hazards, estimate their likelihood and severity, and decide on controls.
RTE	Acronym	Ready to Eat	Food intended to be eaten without further cooking or treatment to reduce pathogens.
Salmonella	Word		A bacterium commonly linked to poultry, eggs, meat and low moisture foods such as chocolate and spices, causing salmonellosis.
Sanitation	Word		Cleaning and disinfecting equipment and premises to keep them hygienic.
Sanitation Preventive Control	Word		Under FSMA, procedures for cleaning and sanitizing to minimize environmental pathogens and allergen cross contact.
Sanitizer	Word		A chemical that reduces microorganisms on a clean surface to a safe level. Some products combine detergent and sanitizer.
Segregation	Word		Physically separating materials, products or processes, such as raw and cooked or allergen and allergen free, to prevent contamination.
Seven Principles of HACCP	Word		Conduct a hazard analysis, determine CCPs, set critical limits, monitor, set corrective actions, verify and keep records.Source: Codex: Codes of practice (CXC 1-1969)
Shelf Life	Word		The period a product stays safe and meets its quality specification when stored as directed.
Shelf Life Validation	Word		Evidence, such as testing or challenge studies, showing a product stays safe and acceptable for its full stated shelf life.
Significant Hazard	Word		A hazard that your hazard analysis shows is reasonably likely to occur at an unacceptable level without control, so it must be managed.
SOP	Acronym	Standard Operating Procedure	A written, step by step instruction for carrying out a routine task consistently.
Specification	Word		A document describing the requirements a raw material, product or packaging must meet.
Spore	Word		A tough, dormant form of some bacteria and molds that can survive cooking and other harsh conditions, then grow when conditions improve.
SQF	Acronym	Safe Quality Food	A GFSI recognized certification program owned by the SQF Institute, part of FMI in the US, with codes for primary production, manufacturing and distribution.
SQFI	Acronym	Safe Quality Food Institute	The organization that owns and manages the SQF program.
Staphylococcus aureus	Word		A bacterium often carried on skin and in noses that can produce heat stable toxins in food handled poorly.
STEC	Acronym	Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli	Strains of E. coli, including O157, that produce Shiga toxin and can cause severe illness and kidney failure.
Sterilisation	Word		A process that destroys all living microorganisms, spores included, or makes the chance of any surviving extremely small.
Supplier Approval	Word		The process of assessing a supplier, through questionnaires, audits, certificates or testing, before it is allowed to supply.
Supply Chain Program	Word		Under FSMA, a written program to verify that suppliers control hazards that the receiving facility relies on them to control.
Swab	Word		A sample taken by wiping a surface, used for microbiological, allergen or ATP testing.
TACCP	Acronym	Threat Assessment and Critical Control Points	A method for assessing and controlling threats of deliberate harm to food, such as tampering or sabotage. It supports Food Defense.
Tamper Evidence	Word		Packaging features that show clearly if a pack has been opened or interfered with.
TCS Food	Acronym	Time/Temperature Control for Safety Food	A US Food Code term for food that needs time or temperature control to stop pathogens growing or making toxins, such as cooked rice, dairy and cut melon.Source: FDA Food Code
Thermal Process	Word		A heat treatment designed to make food safe or shelf stable, such as cooking, pasteurisation or retorting.
TLC	Acronym	Traceability Lot Code	Under FSMA 204, the code, usually letters and numbers, that uniquely identifies a traceability lot. The TLC source is the place where the code was assigned.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
TLC Source	Word		Under FSMA 204, the place where a traceability lot code was assigned, recorded by its location description or a TLC source reference.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
Traceability	Word		The ability to follow a product and its ingredients and packaging through every stage of production and distribution, one step back and one step forward.
Traceability Lot	Word		Under FSMA 204, a batch of a listed food that has been initially packed, received by first land based receiver or transformed, identified by its TLC.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
Traceability Plan	Word		Under FSMA 204, the written plan setting out how a business keeps its traceability records, identifies foods on the Food Traceability List, assigns traceability lot codes and who to contact about it. Farms growing listed foods also add a farm map.Source: 21 CFR 1.1315 (eCFR)
Trading Standards	Word		UK local authority services that enforce laws on food labeling, composition, fraud and other consumer protection matters.
Transformation	Word		Under FSMA 204, an event where a listed food is manufactured, processed or changed, for example by cutting, commingling, repacking or relabeling, after which a new TLC must be assigned. Initial packing is not counted as transformation.Source: 21 CFR 1.1310 (eCFR)
Trend Analysis	Word		Reviewing data over time, such as complaints or test results, to spot patterns and act before problems grow.
Twelve Steps of HACCP	Word		The Codex sequence for building a HACCP plan: five preliminary steps, such as assembling the team and confirming the flow diagram, followed by the seven principles.Source: Codex: Codes of practice (CXC 1-1969)
UHT	Acronym	Ultra High Temperature	Ultra high temperature treatment: heating a product in a continuous flow to at least 135°C for a suitable holding time, then packing it aseptically so it stays stable at ambient temperature. Under the retained UK and EU hygiene rules the product must still be stable after 15 days at 30°C or 7 days at 55°C. Milk is the classic example.Source: Regulation (EC) 853/2004 Annex III Section IX (legislation.gov.uk)
UKAS	Acronym	United Kingdom Accreditation Service	The UK national body that accredits certification bodies, laboratories and inspection bodies.
Unannounced Audit	Word		A certification audit done without prior notice. SQF requires one unannounced recertification audit in every three year cycle, IFS requires at least every third certification audit to be unannounced, and BRCGS Food Safety requires at least one unannounced audit every three years even for sites on its announced program, alongside a voluntary fully unannounced option.Source: SQFI: Select Site program (annual unannounced option) IFS: Unannounced audits fact sheet
USDA	Acronym	United States Department of Agriculture	The US federal department that, through FSIS, regulates meat, poultry and processed egg products.
Use By	Word		A date mark about safety on highly perishable food. Food should not be eaten, cooked or frozen after this date, even if it looks and smells fine.Source: FSA: Best before and use by dates Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (EUR-Lex)
VACCP	Acronym	Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points	A method for assessing a business's vulnerability to food fraud and putting controls in place.
Validation	Word		Gathering evidence that a control, or set of controls, will actually bring a hazard under control when it is applied as intended.Source: Codex: Codes of practice (CXC 1-1969)
Vegan	Word		Food made without animal products, and without animal derived ingredients or processing aids. There is no legal definition for 'vegan' in UK, EU or US law. Beyond food, the term also applies to clothing and other products, and describes a way of living for people who seek to remove or reduce, as far as possible, all forms of cruelty to and exploitation of animals.
Verification	Word		Checking, through audits, testing and record reviews, that your food safety system is being followed and doing its job.
Vulnerability Assessment	Word		See VACCP.
Water Activity	Word		See Aw.
Whistleblowing	Word		A confidential route for staff to raise food safety, integrity, authenticity or legality concerns without fear of reprisal. BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 requires sites to have one (clause 1.1.6).Source: BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 (copy hosted by NIFCC)
WHO	Acronym	World Health Organization	The United Nations health agency, which works with FAO on Codex and international food safety advice.
Withdrawal	Word		Removing non conforming product from the supply chain before it reaches consumers. Unlike a recall, it does not normally involve the public.
Work Instruction	Word		A detailed, task level instruction, usually more specific than an SOP.
X-ray Inspection	Word		Equipment that detects dense foreign bodies, such as glass, stone, bone and metal, in packaged product.
Yeast	Word		A single celled fungus that can spoil sugary and acidic foods and drinks. Yeasts are not normally a cause of food poisoning.
Yersinia	Word		Yersinia enterocolitica, a bacterium that can grow at chilled temperatures and is linked to undercooked pork.
Zone 1	Word		In environmental monitoring, direct food contact surfaces. Zones 2 to 4 move progressively further from the product.
Zoning	Word		Dividing a site into areas by hygiene risk, such as low risk, high care and high risk, with controls on movement between them.
Zoonosis	Word		A disease that can pass from animals to people, such as salmonellosis or campylobacteriosis.

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