Basic Food Hygiene Certificate flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Danger zone

The temperature range between 5C and 63C in which bacteria multiply most rapidly. Food should be kept out of this range wherever possible.

Cross-contamination

The transfer of harmful bacteria or other contaminants from one food, surface or equipment to another, often from raw food to ready-to-eat food.

High-risk food

Ready-to-eat food that is moist and protein-rich, such as cooked meat, dairy, eggs and seafood, and which supports rapid bacterial growth.

FIFO

First in, first out: a stock rotation rule requiring older stock to be used before newer stock to reduce waste and spoilage.

Use-by date

A safety date after which food must not be sold, used or eaten because it may contain harmful levels of bacteria.

Best-before date

A quality date indicating when food may start to lose flavour, texture or nutritional value, but it is not a safety date.

Core temperature

The temperature measured at the thickest part of the food, which must reach at least 75C for 30 seconds during cooking.

Reheating temperature

Reheated food must reach at least 82C throughout, and food should only be reheated once to avoid bacterial growth.

Cooling window

Cooked food should be cooled from 63C to 8C within 90 minutes and to 5C or below within a further 90 minutes.

Hot holding

Keeping cooked food at 63C or above during display or service to prevent bacteria from multiplying.

Cold holding

Keeping chilled food at 8C or below, with 5C or below preferred for high-risk foods, during display or service.

Two-hour/four-hour rule

Food out of temperature control for under two hours may be chilled again; two to four hours it may be used; over four hours it must be discarded.

Probe thermometer

A device used to measure food core temperature; it must be cleaned and disinfected before and after each use.

Handwashing duration

Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, covering palms, backs, fingers, thumbs and nails.

Exclusion period

Food handlers with vomiting or diarrhoea must stay away from food work until 48 hours after symptoms have stopped.

Protective clothing

Clean, washable overclothing and hair restraints worn in food areas to prevent contamination from clothing, hair and skin.

Blue detectable plaster

A waterproof, brightly coloured dressing used to cover cuts so it is visible if it falls into food.

Colour-coded boards

Chopping boards in distinct colours assigned to specific food types, such as red for raw meat and green for salad, to prevent cross-contamination.

Defrosting

Thawing frozen food safely in the refrigerator, microwave or under cold running water, never at room temperature.

Salmonella

A bacterium commonly linked to raw poultry, eggs and cross-contamination, causing diarrhoea, fever and abdominal pain.

E. coli O157

A bacterium linked to undercooked burgers and raw milk that can cause severe bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome.

Listeria monocytogenes

A bacterium that grows at refrigeration temperatures and is especially dangerous for pregnant women, older people and immunocompromised people.

Staphylococcus aureus

A bacterium whose heat-stable toxin causes vomiting within hours, often linked to food handled by people with skin infections.

Bacillus cereus

A spore-forming bacterium linked to cooked rice left at room temperature and to protein-rich foods, causing vomiting or diarrhoea.

Norovirus

A highly infectious virus spread by infected food handlers, vomit droplets and contaminated surfaces, causing vomiting and diarrhoea.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point: a system that identifies food safety hazards and sets controls at critical points.

Critical control point

A step in food production where control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Critical limit

A measurable value that separates safe food from unsafe food at a critical control point, such as 75C core temperature.

Due diligence

A legal defence showing that reasonable precautions and documented procedures were in place to prevent food safety failures.

14 regulated allergens

The allergens that must be declared, including gluten, milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, molluscs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame and sulphites.

Anaphylaxis

A severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction with breathing difficulty and swelling; emergency services should be called immediately.

Food intolerance

A non-immune reaction to a food, such as lactose intolerance, which is not life-threatening but still requires accurate information.