Malaysia Food Handler Course key terms

The primary Malaysian statute governing food safety, controlling food preparation, sale, import and advertisement, and empowering the Minister to make detailed food regulations enforced by the Ministry of Health.

Detailed subsidiary regulations made under the Food Act 1983 covering food standards, labelling, additives, hygiene of food handlers and premises, and penalties for non-compliance.

The unit within Malaysia's Ministry of Health responsible for enforcing food legislation, inspecting premises, approving food labels and running food handler training and certification programmes.

The mandatory credential a food handler obtains after completing an approved training course and passing an examination, valid for a defined period and required before working with food.

Any person who prepares, handles, serves, sells, transports or otherwise comes into contact with food or food-contact surfaces in a food business, whether paid or unpaid.

A legal defence available where the accused proves they took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to avoid committing the offence, such as keeping training and temperature records.

The practices a food handler follows to keep their body, clothing and habits clean, including bathing, clean uniform, short nails, tied-back hair and avoiding behaviours that contaminate food.

The thorough washing of hands with soap and running water, including wrists, between fingers and under nails, followed by drying, performed at defined moments during food work.

Clean outer garments such as aprons, head covers, gloves and footwear worn to prevent the handler's body, hair, sweat or street clothes from contaminating food and food-contact surfaces.

Illness resulting from eating contaminated food, caused by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, toxins or chemicals, with symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fever.

Acute illness, commonly gastrointestinal, following consumption of food containing harmful microorganisms, their toxins or chemical contaminants; in Malaysia certain cases must be notified to authorities.

A microorganism capable of causing disease, including bacteria such as Salmonella and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, viruses such as norovirus and hepatitis A, and parasites.

A poisonous substance produced by bacteria in food, such as the enterotoxin of Staphylococcus aureus or the toxin of Clostridium botulinum, which may survive cooking and cause illness.

Bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus that form heat-resistant spores surviving normal cooking and germinating when food is cooled slowly or held warm.

Food that readily supports microbial growth because it is moist, protein-rich and low in acid, such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy, cooked rice and cut fruit.

Food requiring time or temperature control for safety because it can support growth of pathogens or toxin formation if held at unsafe temperatures for sufficient time.

The transfer of harmful microorganisms or other contaminants from raw food, equipment, hands or surfaces to ready-to-eat food, making it unsafe without further cooking.

Food intended for consumption without further cooking or processing, such as salads, cut fruit, cooked dishes served cold and sandwiches, which must be protected from contamination at all times.

A system of assigning board colours to food groups, such as red for raw meat and green for vegetables, to reduce transfer of pathogens between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

The temperature range of roughly 5°C to 60°C in which bacteria multiply most rapidly; food should be kept below 5°C or above 60°C to remain safe.

Managing food temperatures throughout storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating and display so that pathogens cannot multiply or survive, verified by regular measurement and recording.

A written record of measured temperatures of refrigerators, freezers, cooked food and deliveries, used to verify control and support a due diligence defence.

Rapidly cooling cooked food through the danger zone, for example within a few hours using shallow containers or ice baths, and reheating thoroughly to at least 75°C before hot holding.

A stock rotation practice where older stock is used before newer stock, reducing waste and preventing food from being held beyond its safe shelf life.

Keeping food under conditions that protect it from contamination and spoilage, including dry storage, chilled storage, freezer storage and separation of raw from ready-to-eat items.

The period during which food remains safe and acceptable under stated storage conditions; expired food must be removed and never used or relabelled.

The step where deliveries are checked on arrival for temperature, packaging integrity, labelling, date marks and signs of pests or spoilage before acceptance into the premises.

A two-stage process of removing visible dirt and grease with detergent and water, then reducing microorganisms on surfaces using heat or an approved chemical sanitiser.

Any surface that comes into direct contact with food, including utensils, chopping boards, tables, containers and equipment, which must be cleaned and sanitised regularly.

Measures preventing and managing rodents, insects and other pests, including proofing openings, proper waste handling, regular inspection and safe use of approved pest control methods.

Any building, structure or place where food is prepared, stored, sold or served, which must be designed, maintained and kept clean to protect food from contamination.

The safe handling and disposal of food waste, packaging and other refuse in covered, pest-proof bins, removed frequently and kept away from food preparation and storage areas.

A set of prerequisite conditions and practices covering premises, equipment, personnel, hygiene, training and process control that must be in place before a food safety system can work.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, a systematic preventive system that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards, sets control points with limits, and monitors and verifies control.

A step in the food process where a control measure can be applied and is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level, such as cooking or chilling.

Food and practices permitted under Islamic law, requiring ingredients free of forbidden substances, proper slaughter, and separation from non-halal items in storage, equipment and handling.

Formal verification by an approved authority, such as JAKIM in Malaysia, that a food product or premises meets halal requirements, supported by audits and traceability records.