Glossary

Adequate cooking temperatures — Cooking foods to an adequate internal temperature helps ensure that harmful microbes potentially present in the food are destroyed. The cooking temperature is measured with a digital food thermometer in the centre of the meat piece or dish.

Allergens — Allergens are substances capable of causing an allergic reaction in sensitive consumers. They are considered chemical hazards. Most allergic reactions are caused by the following foods and their derivatives:

Peanuts
Tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts [filberts], macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts)
Sesame seeds
Milk
Eggs
Seafood (fish, crustaceans, shellfish)
Soy
Wheat
Sulphite

Food manufacturers must include the above foods and their derivatives in the ingredient list, if they are likely to be present in the pre-packaged food in question. Many food recalls are issued each year over allergens not being declared in the ingredient list.

Biological hazard — Biological hazards compromise food safety and can be either disease causing organisms or substances (toxins) produced by organisms. The organisms can be further subdivided into:

Bacteria
Parasites
Viruses

Both toxins and organisms can cause serious illness in humans when ingested.

Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) — CFIA is a federal body dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances health and well-being of Canada’s people, environment and economy. CFIA works from the farm gate to the consumer’s plate to protect public health. Their website can be accessed at www.inspection.gc.ca.

Chemical hazard — Chemical hazards are chemical substances that can compromise food safety when introduced into food. Some chemicals are toxic only if added to food in excessive amounts (e.g. food additives). Examples of chemical hazards include:

Allergens
Chemical preservatives
Cleaners and sanitizers
Food additives
Lubricants
Antibiotic residues
Pesticides
Toxic metals

Condensation — Condensation forming on walls, overhead pipes and other surfaces above storage areas can sometimes carry harmful bacteria. When condensation comes into contact with meat, the meat can become contaminated. To prevent foodborne illness in customers, it is important to protect meat and other foods from coming into contact with condensation.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) — HACCP is a science-based food safety system that is designed to prevent biological, chemical and physical hazards from making food unsafe. This is done by identifying and monitoring steps in food production that can be sources of hazard. These steps are called critical control points (CCP). Continuous monitoring of CCP’s is required under HACCP. The HACPP plan also outlines the corrective actions that need to be taken whenever there is an indication that the control at a CCP is weakened.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) — An MSDS is a document that accompanies chemicals used in the work place, including retail stores. An MSDS outlines the potential hazards of the chemical in question (e.g. fire, health etc.) and how to work safely with it. In addition, an MSDS explains how to store the chemical, what to do if an accident occurs, and how to recognize toxicity due to exposure. Therefore, an MSDS sheet is an essential part of workplace safety.

Microbial growth — Microbial growth refers to the increase in the number of bacteria present in a given product. If a product that is supposed to be refrigerated is stored improperly (above 4°C), bacteria tend to multiply quickly. As a result, product shelf life is shortened and the risk of foodborne illness in the customers can dramatically increase.

Nitrite and Nitrate — Nitrite is used in cured meat products, such as sausages, to increase their safety by inhibiting the growth of some harmful bacteria. In addition, nitrite helps the characteristic cured meat colour, flavour and texture to develop. Nitrate is sometimes used alongside nitrite in making dry-cured sausages. As the sausage ripens, nitrate is converted to nitrite.

Phosphate — Phosphate is used in some food products, including sausages, to help improve the quality by binding water and interacting with proteins. In addition, phosphate can inhibit the growth of some harmful bacteria. However, phosphate works best with nitrite and salt that are present in sausages.

Physical hazard — Physical hazards compromise food safety and can be either foreign objects that are unintentionally introduced into food (e.g. metal fragments from processing equipment or wood chips from pallets), or naturally occurring objects (e.g. bone fragments).

Physical hazards can lead to damage to teeth or injuries to the mouth, gums, throat and/or intestines.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) products — Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are foods not requiring any further preparation before consumption, except perhaps washing/rinsing, thawing and warming. These foods become very risky if contaminated with harmful bacteria. Since RTE products are not reheated before consumption, harmful bacteria are not killed and can cause foodborne illness in customers.

Reportable communicable diseases — Reportable communicable diseases are infectious diseases that the health practitioner is required to report to the health authorities upon diagnosis due to their public health risk. The list of reportable communicable diseases is generally the same across Canada; however, they can vary slightly from province to province. The local public health unit maintains the list that would apply in its jurisdiction.

Restricted ingredients — Ingredients that can become toxic to humans if added to food in excessive amounts are called restricted ingredients. Therefore, there are prescribed limits that have to be followed when working with such ingredients. A good example is nitrite.

Spoilage bacteria — Spoilage bacteria are can be found almost anywhere in the environment. They generally don’t cause illness in humans but once present in large enough numbers, the food starts smelling and tasting spoiled. Avoiding temperature abuse of fresh meat products and any other foods requiring refrigeration is crucial in slowing down the growth of spoilage bacteria. This maximizes the product shelf life.

Temperature abuse — Temperature abuse can be defined as a situation in which foods, such as meat, are exposed to improper storage temperatures. Situations in which temperature abuse can occur include:

improperly refrigerated trucks
prolonged exposure of food to ambient temperature on the loading dock
overloaded frozen and refrigerated display cases

Customers also often temperature abuse refrigerated and frozen food products by not transporting them home promptly during warmer months.

Temperature abuse always decreases the shelf life. It can also result in serious foodborne illness in customers.