PFA Hygiene Manager Exam key terms

The primary statute making it an offence to sell food that is unfit, contaminated, or falsely described, and giving inspectors powers of entry, seizure, and prosecution. Candidates must know its core offences and enforcement powers.

Secondary legislation setting structural, temperature, and hygiene requirements for food businesses, including the obligation to follow HACCP-based procedures. These regulations sit under the main Food Safety Act and are enforced by local authorities.

A legal defence allowing a food business to avoid conviction if it proves it took all reasonable precautions and exercised all due diligence to prevent the offence. Documented checks, supplier approval, and training records are the usual evidence.

A formal written instruction from an enforcement officer requiring a food business to remedy a specific breach of hygiene law within a stated period. Failure to comply is itself an offence and can lead to prosecution or closure.

An emergency notice served when there is an imminent risk to health, immediately closing a food premises or prohibiting a process or the use of equipment. It takes effect at once and must be confirmed by a court.

Documentation showing where each batch of food and its ingredients came from and which customers received it, enabling a one-step-back, one-step-forward withdrawal. Records must be retained and produced to inspectors on request.

The process of removing unsafe food from the market and, where necessary, retrieving it from consumers, with notification to the competent authority. It depends on accurate batch coding, distribution records, and a tested recall plan.

Microorganisms that cause illness when consumed or when they produce toxins in food, such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Clostridium perfringens. Their control depends on temperature, moisture, acidity, and competing flora.

Bacteria such as Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens that form heat-resistant spores able to survive normal cooking. Spores germinate when cooled food is held warm for long periods, so rapid cooling and hot holding are critical.

Illness caused by a toxin already present in the food, produced by bacteria growing before consumption, as with Staphylococcus aureus or Bacillus cereus. Symptoms can appear quickly and the organism itself need not be alive in the food.

Illness resulting from consuming live pathogens that then colonise or invade the gut, as with Salmonella or Listeria. Onset is typically slower than intoxication and person-to-person spread may occur.

The temperature range, commonly 5°C to 63°C, in which bacteria multiply most rapidly. Food should be kept below 5°C or above 63°C, and time spent in this range should be minimised and recorded.

Food that supports the growth of pathogens and is ready to eat without further cooking, such as cooked meats, dairy products, and prepared salads. It needs strict temperature control and separation from raw foods.

Transfer of harmful microorganisms or allergens from a contaminated source to food, directly or via hands, equipment, or surfaces. It is a leading cause of outbreaks and is controlled by separation, colour coding, and cleaning.

A two-stage process: cleaning removes visible soil with detergent, then disinfection reduces microorganisms to a safe level on the clean surface. Both stages are needed because disinfectants work poorly on dirty surfaces.

Any surface, utensil, or equipment that comes into direct contact with food and must be smooth, impervious, and effectively cleaned and disinfected between uses. Examples include chopping boards, knives, and worktops.

A system of assigning distinct colours to chopping boards, knives, and other utensils for raw meat, raw fish, cooked food, salads, and dairy. It provides a visible barrier against cross-contamination between food types.

The dilution strength at which a chemical sanitiser is effective, usually stated on the product label and verified with test strips. Too weak fails to kill bacteria; too strong risks chemical contamination and tainting.

A documented system of hazard analysis and critical control points that identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards, sets controls and limits, and monitors them. It is a legal requirement for food businesses and must be kept up to date.

The systematic review of each step in a food process to identify significant biological, chemical, physical, and allergen hazards and decide which require control. It is the foundation of the HACCP plan and is reviewed when processes change.

A step at which a control measure is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level. Each CCP must have a measurable limit, monitoring, corrective action, and verification.

A measurable value separating acceptable from unacceptable at a critical control point, such as 75°C core temperature or pH 4.6. It must be based on evidence and monitored in real time.

The predetermined step taken when monitoring shows a critical limit has been breached, such as recooking, rejecting, or withdrawing affected food. The action must also address the cause and be recorded.

Unintended transfer of an allergenic ingredient into a food that should not contain it, through shared equipment, hands, or surfaces. It can cause severe reactions and must be managed by separation, cleaning, and clear labelling.

The design of a food premises so that food moves in one direction from delivery through storage, preparation, and service, with raw and cooked activities separated. Poor flow forces staff to cross paths and increases contamination risk.

A planned system of prevention, monitoring, and treatment covering rodents, insects, and birds, including proofing, bait stations, and scheduled inspections. Records of sightings and treatments support due diligence and show trends.

The practices staff follow to keep themselves and their clothing clean, including handwashing, clean protective clothing, tied-back hair, and no jewellery or nail varnish. It is the first barrier against contaminating food.

A defined routine using warm water and soap, lathering all surfaces including between fingers and under nails for at least 20 seconds, then drying with disposable towels. It is required before handling food and after toilet use, breaks, or handling raw food.

The assessment of whether a food handler may work with food given symptoms or a diagnosed infection. Staff with vomiting, diarrhoea, or infected wounds must report them and be excluded until symptom-free for the required period.

The minimum time a food handler must stay away from food work after illness, commonly 48 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhoea. Some infections, such as certain E. coli strains, require longer exclusion and medical clearance.

Food intended for consumption without further cooking or processing that would eliminate pathogens, such as sandwiches, cooked meats, and salads. It requires the strictest handling controls and separation from raw food.

Reducing cooked food from above 63°C to below 5°C as quickly as possible, typically within 90 minutes, using shallow containers, blast chillers, or ice baths. Slow cooling allows spores to germinate and toxins to form.

Keeping cooked food at or above 63°C until service, using equipment that is checked and recorded. Food held below this temperature enters the danger zone and must be reheated or discarded according to policy.

A calibrated instrument used to measure the core temperature of food and the temperature of fridges and hot-holding units. Probes must be cleaned and disinfected between uses to avoid contaminating food.

A written or electronic log of checks such as fridge temperatures, cooking temperatures, and cleaning completed at set frequencies. Records must be accurate, signed, and retained because they evidence due diligence and support HACCP verification.

A check confirming that the food safety system as a whole is working, such as a file review, internal audit, or microbiological sampling. It differs from monitoring, which checks a control point in real time.

A planned, independent review of hygiene practices, records, and HACCP controls against the business's own standards and legal requirements. Findings are documented with actions, owners, and deadlines, then followed up.

The process of assessing and documenting that a supplier can consistently deliver safe, correctly labelled food, through audits, certificates, and specifications. Approved suppliers are reviewed and records kept as part of due diligence.