SITXFSA006 Safe Food Handling key terms

A written set of procedures and controls that a food business uses to keep food safe, covering how food is received, stored, prepared, served, cleaned up after and disposed of.

A person trained and nominated by a food business to oversee day-to-day food safety, ensure staff follow the program and act as the internal contact for food safety problems.

Any person who works with, touches or prepares food, or handles surfaces and equipment that contact food, and who must follow hygiene and safety requirements.

Food that needs temperature control to stay safe because it can support fast growth of harmful bacteria, such as cooked meat, dairy, eggs, seafood and cooked rice.

Food that is most likely to cause illness if mishandled, usually because it is moist, high in protein and eaten without further cooking, such as raw seafood or soft cheeses.

The temperature range of 5°C to 60°C, in which harmful bacteria can multiply quickly; food should be kept out of this range as much as possible.

A guide for ready-to-eat potentially hazardous food kept in the danger zone: use within two hours, use immediately between two and four hours, and throw away after four hours.

A step in a food process where a specific control must be applied to prevent, remove or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level, such as cooking or chilling.

Anything in or around food that could cause harm to a customer, grouped as biological (bacteria, viruses), chemical (cleaning agents, allergens) or physical (glass, metal, hair).

A substance in food that can trigger a severe immune reaction in some people; common ones include peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and sesame.

The transfer of an allergen into a food that should not contain it, through shared utensils, fryers, boards, hands or crumbs, which can cause a serious reaction.

The transfer of harmful bacteria or other contaminants from raw food, hands, equipment or surfaces to ready-to-eat food, making that food unsafe to eat.

The correct practice of washing hands with soap and warm running water, drying them thoroughly, and doing this before handling food and after tasks that could spread germs.

Keeping a food handler away from food work when they have symptoms or a diagnosed illness that could be passed through food, such as vomiting, diarrhoea or infected cuts.

Illness caused by eating food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, toxins or chemicals, with common symptoms including nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain.

Single-celled microorganisms that can multiply rapidly in warm, moist, protein-rich food and cause food poisoning or produce toxins that are not destroyed by cooking.

The presence of anything harmful in food, including microorganisms, chemicals, foreign objects or allergens, which makes the food unsafe or unsuitable to serve.

The process of removing unsafe food from sale and telling customers, often triggered by contamination or a labelling error, following the business's written recall procedure.

The ability to track food and its ingredients one step back to the supplier and one step forward to where it went, which supports fast recalls and investigations.

The business that provides food or ingredients; approved suppliers should be used and deliveries checked for temperature, packaging, labelling and signs of contamination.

Checking incoming food on arrival for correct temperature, intact packaging, clear labelling, date marks and pest activity before accepting it into storage.

Labels showing when food was prepared or opened and when it must be used by, so staff can rotate stock and remove food that is past its safe life.

The date after which food must not be sold or eaten because it may be unsafe, even if it looks and smells fine; it applies to foods that spoil quickly.

The date that indicates the end of the period in which food keeps its expected quality; food past this date may still be safe but can lose texture, flavour or nutrition.

A stock rotation method where older stock is used before newer stock, keeping food moving so it does not become unsafe or expired while sitting in storage.

The routine of arranging stored food so the oldest items are used first, with new deliveries placed behind or below existing stock and checked regularly.

Keeping perishable food in refrigerators or cool rooms at or below 5°C to slow bacterial growth, with food covered, labelled and stored off the floor.

Holding frozen food at or below minus 18°C to stop bacterial growth, with food wrapped well to prevent freezer burn and thawed safely in the fridge.

Safely defrosting frozen food, preferably in a refrigerator, or in a microwave or cold running water if used immediately, never on a bench at room temperature.

A cool, dry, well-ventilated area for shelf-stable foods such as flour, rice and canned goods, kept clean and free of pests, with items stored off the floor.

A written or digital record of fridge, freezer and food temperatures checked at set times, used to prove food has been kept within safe limits.

Measures that stop rodents, insects and other pests entering or living in food areas, such as sealing gaps, screening windows, waste removal and regular inspections.

Removing visible dirt, grease and food residue from surfaces and equipment using detergent and water, which must happen before sanitising can work properly.

Treating a cleaned surface with heat or a chemical sanitiser to reduce microorganisms to a safe level, used on food contact surfaces and utensils.

A document listing what needs cleaning, how often, with which chemicals and by whom, helping the business keep the environment consistently clean.

Any surface that food touches directly, such as benches, chopping boards, utensils and containers, which must be cleaned and sanitised regularly.

Boards in set colours used only for specific food types, such as raw meat or vegetables, to reduce the risk of cross-contamination between foods.

Items worn by food handlers such as gloves, aprons, hairnets and closed shoes, used to protect food from contamination and to protect the worker.

Disposable gloves worn for one task only, changed between tasks and after touching raw food, and never washed and reused as a substitute for hand washing.

Products designed to be used once and thrown away, such as straws, cutlery, cups and takeaway containers, which must be stored and handled hygienically.

The safe removal of food that is unsafe, recalled, expired or returned, kept separate and labelled so it cannot be accidentally used or sold.

Handling rubbish and food waste so it does not attract pests or contaminate food, using lidded bins, regular removal and hand washing after handling waste.