PFA Level-1 Food Safety flashcards

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

Danger zone temperature range

The temperature band between 5 °C and 63 °C in which bacteria multiply most rapidly. High-risk food should not be held in this range beyond a short cumulative period.

Four hazard categories

Biological, chemical, physical and allergenic. Biological hazards cause most foodborne illness; allergenic hazards can trigger severe reactions at trace levels.

High-risk food definition

Food that is moist, protein-rich and near-neutral in pH, such as cooked rice, meat, poultry, dairy, eggs and seafood. These support rapid bacterial growth if temperature is not controlled.

Cleaning versus disinfection

Cleaning removes visible soil with detergent; disinfection reduces microorganisms to a safe level. Surfaces must be cleaned first, because soil shields microbes from disinfectant.

Cross-contamination meaning

The transfer of harmful organisms from raw food, hands, utensils, boards or drips to ready-to-eat food. It is a leading cause of preventable foodborne illness in kitchens.

Food handler legal definition

Any person who works with unpacked food or food-contact surfaces. Food handlers are legally obliged to report specified illnesses and symptoms to the person in charge.

Cooking core temperature 74 °C

Poultry, rolled roasts and reheated food must reach 74 °C at the core. This heat level kills vegetative pathogens such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli.

Cold storage at 5 °C

Chilled food must be held at or below 5 °C to slow bacterial growth. Listeria monocytogenes is an exception that can still grow at refrigeration temperature.

Staphylococcus aureus intoxication

Illness caused by swallowing pre-formed toxin in cooked food handled by an infected person and kept warm. The toxin is heat-stable, so reheating does not make the food safe.

Bacillus cereus cooked rice

A heat-stable emetic toxin forms in cooked rice left at room temperature; a diarrhoeal form occurs in meat and vegetables. Rapid cooling of rice prevents the emetic type.

Clostridium botulinum risk foods

Low-acid, low-oxygen foods such as improperly canned goods and vacuum packs. The neurotoxin is destroyed by boiling, but the spore survives and can germinate without oxygen.

Listeria monocytogenes characteristics

A bacterium that grows at refrigeration temperature and survives freezing. It poses particular risk in chilled ready-to-eat food for pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised people.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 source

Linked to undercooked minced beef and raw milk, with a very low infectious dose. Infection can lead to haemolytic uraemic syndrome, a serious kidney complication.

Adulteration defined

The addition of a foreign or inferior substance to food, such as water in milk or non-permitted colour in spices. It is a legal offence separate from natural spoilage.

Aflatoxin in stored grains

A mycotoxin produced by moulds on nuts, grains and spices stored in warm, humid conditions. It is not destroyed by normal cooking and is a chronic health hazard.

Bacterial infection versus intoxication

Infection results from living cells colonising the gut, as with Salmonella. Intoxication results from swallowing pre-formed toxin, as with Staphylococcus aureus.

Handwashing minimum 20 seconds

Hands must be wet, soaped, rubbed over palms, backs, between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds, then rinsed and dried with a single-use towel.

Exclusion symptoms for food handlers

Vomiting, diarrhoea, jaundice, fever with sore throat, or infected skin lesions on exposed skin require exclusion from food handling until cleared.

48-hour return rule

A food handler with diarrhoea must not return to food work until at least 48 hours after symptoms have stopped, because shedding can continue after recovery.

Colour-coded chopping boards

Red for raw meat, blue for raw fish, yellow for cooked meat, green for salad and fruit, brown for vegetables, white for dairy and bakery. Coding prevents cross-contamination.

Refrigerator storage order

Raw meat and poultry are stored below ready-to-eat food, which is covered and dated. This prevents drip contamination and overloading that blocks cold air circulation.

Pest proofing measures

Mesh screens, door sweeps, sealed gaps, lidded waste bins emptied frequently, and no standing water. These exclude pests and remove the food, water and shelter they need.

Six stages of cleaning

Pre-clean, main clean with detergent, rinse, disinfect, final rinse where required, then dry. Each stage must be completed before the next for the process to be effective.

Disinfectant contact time

The period a disinfectant must remain wet on a surface to work. Wiping it dry immediately after spraying shortens contact time and leaves the surface effectively undisinfected.

Punjab Food Authority Act 2011

The statute establishing the Punjab Food Authority and its powers to license, inspect, sample, seize and penalise food businesses across Punjab.

Licence before trading rule

A food business must hold a valid PFA licence before starting operations. Trading without one is an offence attracting penalty and possible sealing of the premises.

Premises-specific licence

A PFA licence names the address, food category and activity. Changing address, ownership or activity requires an amendment or a fresh application.

Licence renewal requirement

PFA licences are time-limited and must be renewed before expiry. Continuing to trade on an expired licence is treated as operating without a licence.

PFA sampling procedure

The inspector divides the sample into portions, seals and labels them, leaves one portion with the business, issues a receipt, and maintains a chain of custody to the laboratory.

Graduated enforcement ladder

Guidance first, then a written improvement notice with a deadline, then penalty, prosecution, sealing or licence suspension for serious or repeated breaches.

Right to be heard on notice

A business served with a PFA notice may respond and appeal through the prescribed forum within the stated time. Ignoring the notice is a separate violation.

Traceability one step rule

The business must identify, one step back and one step forward, the source and destination of each food batch. This enables rapid recall and investigation during a complaint.