FDST-MDS key terms

A step in a food process where a control measure can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level. Loss of control here means a potential safety failure.

A measurable value such as temperature, time, pH, or water activity that separates acceptable from unacceptable at a critical control point. It must be verifiable in real time by the operator.

A written document built on hazard analysis that lists critical control points, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification activities, and record-keeping for a specific product and process.

The systematic process of identifying biological, chemical, and physical hazards reasonably likely to occur in a food process and evaluating their severity and likelihood before designing controls.

Foundational hygiene and operational conditions such as sanitation, pest control, supplier approval, and personnel training that support food safety before HACCP controls are applied. They are required even where no critical control point exists.

Regulatory requirements covering facility design, equipment, personnel hygiene, and process controls that establish baseline conditions for producing safe, unadulterated food. Inspectors cite deviations as evidence of insanitary conditions.

Measures protecting food from intentional contamination or adulteration by people seeking to cause harm, distinct from accidental contamination addressed by food safety programs. Includes site access control and insider threat awareness.

The ability to follow a food or ingredient forward and backward through production, processing, and distribution records so a lot can be located and recalled quickly. One step back, one step forward is the minimum expectation.

The removal of a marketed food from distribution because it may be adulterated, misbranded, or hazardous. Class I recalls involve a reasonable probability of serious harm or death.

A qualified person or institution that scientifically establishes scheduled processes and critical limits for a food, typically for low-acid canned or acidified products. Their documentation supports regulatory filings and audits.

The ratio of vapor pressure of water in a food to that of pure water at the same temperature, ranging from 0 to 1. It predicts microbial growth better than moisture content alone.

A curve relating equilibrium moisture content of a food to water activity at constant temperature. It guides drying endpoints, predicts stability, and reveals whether a product will gain or lose moisture in a given package.

The temperature at which an amorphous food matrix shifts between a glassy, rigid state and a rubbery state. Caking, stickiness, and diffusion-controlled reactions accelerate above Tg.

Combining several preservation factors such as pH, water activity, refrigeration, and preservatives so that no single hurdle must be severe. Microorganisms must overcome every hurdle simultaneously to grow.

The condition achieved by heat or other treatment that renders a food free of viable microorganisms of public health significance and of microorganisms capable of growing under normal storage conditions. It does not mean absolute sterility.

The equivalent heating time in minutes at 121.1 degrees Celsius needed to produce the same lethal effect as a given heat process, referenced to a z-value of 10 Celsius degrees. Used to compare thermal processes.

The decimal reduction time, meaning the minutes at a specified temperature required to reduce a microbial population by 90 percent. It quantifies heat resistance of a target organism.

The temperature change in degrees Celsius that changes the D-value of a microorganism by a factor of ten. It describes how strongly heat resistance depends on temperature.

A minimum thermal process designed to reduce Clostridium botulinum spores by twelve decimal reductions, commonly a 12D process. It underpins safe processing of low-acid canned foods.

A thermally processed food with pH above 4.6 and water activity above 0.85, packaged in a hermetically sealed container. These products require a scheduled process filed with regulators in many jurisdictions.

A microorganism or group whose presence suggests inadequate processing, poor sanitation, or possible contamination by pathogens. Coliforms and generic Escherichia coli are common examples in food and water testing.

Aerobic or mesophilic colony count that estimates overall microbial load in a food sample. High counts suggest spoilage potential or poor handling but do not by themselves indicate pathogen presence.

A microorganism capable of causing illness, such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, or Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Pathogen control drives process design and environmental monitoring programs.

A structured sampling plan for food contact and non-contact surfaces to detect pathogens or indicator organisms in the processing environment. It verifies sanitation and reveals harborage sites before product is affected.

Deterioration of food quality through microbial growth, enzymatic activity, oxidation, or physical damage, making the product unacceptable to consumers. Spoilage organisms are usually not pathogenic but cause off-odors, slime, or discoloration.

A microorganism that grows at refrigeration temperatures, typically between 0 and 7 degrees Celsius, regardless of its optimum temperature. Psychrotrophic Pseudomonas and Listeria limit shelf life of chilled foods.

Salt-tolerant microorganisms that grow in high-sodium environments, sometimes requiring salt for growth. They can spoil salted fish, brines, and cured products despite low water activity.

A written procedure describing how a facility cleans and sanitizes specific equipment and areas, including frequency, chemicals, concentrations, and verification. It is a core prerequisite program document.

An automated system that circulates cleaning and rinse solutions through tanks, pipes, and process equipment without disassembly. Flow rate, temperature, and chemical concentration must be controlled and verified.

A rapid hygiene test that measures adenosine triphosphate residues on surfaces to verify cleaning effectiveness. A high reading indicates organic soil remaining, prompting recleaning before production resumes.

The period during which a food retains acceptable safety, sensory, and nutritional quality under stated storage conditions. It is established through accelerated and real-time testing plus distribution assumptions.

Packaging that replaces the internal gas environment with a controlled blend, typically reduced oxygen and elevated carbon dioxide or nitrogen, to slow respiration and microbial growth. It extends shelf life of fresh and chilled products.

The volume of oxygen passing through a defined area of packaging film per unit time under specified conditions. Low OTR is critical for oxygen-sensitive foods prone to rancidity or color loss.

Storage of a product under elevated temperature or humidity to predict shelf life faster than real-time testing allows. Results are extrapolated using kinetic models and must be confirmed with ambient storage data.

The factor by which a reaction rate increases for each 10 degree Celsius rise in temperature. It is used in accelerated shelf-life studies to estimate deterioration at normal storage conditions.

The scientific measurement of food properties as perceived by human senses, using controlled test conditions, panelist selection, and statistical analysis. It supports product development, quality control, and consumer claims.

A discrimination test in which panelists receive three coded samples, two identical and one different, and identify the odd one. It determines whether a detectable difference exists between products.

A trained-panel method that rates specific sensory attributes such as sweetness, firmness, or off-flavor intensity on defined scales. It produces a quantitative profile used for benchmarking and shelf-life tracking.

The standardized label declaring serving size, calories, and nutrient amounts per serving, with percent daily values. Format, rounding rules, and mandatory nutrients are set by regulation.

The percentage of a reference daily intake for a nutrient provided by one serving of food. It helps consumers compare products and must follow prescribed rounding rules.

The amount of food customarily consumed per eating occasion, set by regulation for specific product categories rather than chosen freely by the manufacturer. Nutrient values on the label are based on it.