Glossary

Acid
 A substance with a pH of less than 7.0.
Anaerobe An organism, especially a bacterium, that does not require oxygen or free oxygen to live.
Additives Natural and man-made substances added to a food for an intended purpose (such as preservatives and colors) or unintentionally (such as pesticides and lubricants).
Aerobe
 An organism, especially a bacterium, that requires oxygen to live.
Alkaline A substance that has a pH of more than 7.0.
Bacteria
 Single-celled microscopic organisms.
Bi-Metallic steamed thermometer
 Food thermometer used to measure product temperatures.
Biological Hazard
 The danger posed to food safety by the contamination of food with pathogenic microorganisms or naturally occurring toxins.
Calibrate
 To determine and verify the scale of a measuring instrument with a standard. Thermometers used in food establishments are commonly calibrated using an ice slush method (32°F or 0°C) or a boiling point method (212°F or 100°C).
Chemical Hazard The danger posed to food safety by the contamination of food by chemical substances, such as pesticides, detergents, additives, and toxic metals.
Chlorine Chemical used in the form of hypochlorites in sanitizing solutions. Chlorine compounds can tarnish and corrode metals like pewter, brass, and silver plate, if used in incorrect concentrations.
Clean Free of visible soil including food particles and dirt.
Colony A cluster of microorganisms growing on a surface of or within a nutrient medium. A colony contains millions of bacteria cells.
Contamination Process of adulterating, soiling or infecting with unwanted micro-organisms.
Cross Contamination Transfer of harmful organisms between items.
Disinfect To free from infection especially by destroying harmful microorganisms.
Facultative Bacteria that can grow either with or without free oxygen present.
Foodborne Illness/Disease Illnesses which result from ingestion of contaminating microbial pathogens (i.e., bacteria, mold, viruses), chemicals, parasites, viruses or from naturally occurring toxins or poisons. This curriculum only deals with microbial foodborne diseases. Bacterial foodborne disease are of two major types: intoxication and infection.
Foodborne Infection Illness caused by ingestion of live pathogens that grow and multiply inside the intestinal tract of animals and man or are passed to other organs (i.e. Salmonella enteritidis, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes.)
Foodborne Intoxication Illness caused by ingestion of food containing a toxin (metabolic byproduct) that was formed and excreted into the food as a result of pathogenic microbial growth (i.e. Clostridium botulinium, Staphyloccccus aureus.)
Food Contact Surface Any surface of equipment, utensils, containers, wrappings that come in direct contact with food.
Food Safety Protecting the food supply from microbial, chemical (i.e. rancidity, browning) and physical (i.e. drying out, infestation) hazards or contamination that may occur during all stages of food production and handling-growing, harvesting, processing, transporting, preparing, distributing and storing. The goal of food safety monitoring is to keep food wholesome.
Foodborne toxin mediated infection e-coli o15h7 A disease that results from eating a food containing a large number of disease-causing microorganisms. Once ingested, the human intestine provides perfect conditions for the microorganisms to produce toxins. Clostridium perfringens cause this type of illness.
Fungi A group of multi cellular organisms that feed on once living organisms or act as parasites on living organisms. Examples include molds, mildews, mushrooms and yeasts.
GRAS substances GRAS stands for generally recognized as safe. These are substances added to foods that have been shown to be safe based on a long history of common usage in food.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) A food safety and self-inspection system that highlights potentially hazardous foods and how they are handled in the food service environment.
Hazard Unacceptable contamination (of a biological, chemical, or physical nature), unacceptable microbial growth, or unacceptable survival of microorganisms of a concern to food safety, or persistence is present.
Host A human, animal, or plant in which another organism lives and nourishes itself.
Irradiation The use of radiation in food processing to lengthen shelf life by eliminating pathogenic microorganisms. It is considered a food additive and is regulated by the FDA’s
Mesophile Microorganisms that grow best at moderate temperatures, with optimum growth at 77°-113°F (25°-45°C). 
Microorganisms or microbes Bacteria, viruses, molds, and other tiny organisms that are too small to be seen with the naked eye. The organisms are also referred to as microbes because they cannot be seen without the aid of a microscope.
Mold Multi cellular fungi that may grow on food items such as bread, cheese, fruit and jam. They usually are not a cause of foodborne illness, but in the right environment, cause food spoilage.
Parasite An animal or plant that lives in or on another from whose body it obtains nourishment.
Pathogen Any disease-causing agent, usually a living microorganism.
Pathogenic Capable of causing disease; harmful; any disease-causing agent.
pH The symbol that describes the acidity or alkalinity of a substance,
such as food.
Physical Hazard Particles or fragments of items not supposed to be in foods.
Potentially Hazardous Foods A food that is natural or man-made and is in a form capable of supporting the rapid and progressive growth of infectious and toxin-producing microorganisms. The foods usually have high protein and moisture content and low acidity.
Psychrophile Microorganisms that grow best at cold temperatures, with optimum growth at 41°-68° F (5° -20°C) and are capable of growing at refrigerated and room temperatures.
Reservoir An alternate host or passive carrier of a pathogenic microorganism. This may be soil, animals, or humans.
Sanitary Clean and free of harmful microorganisms and other contaminants.
Sanitation The act of reducing microbial organisms on cleaned food contact surfaces to a safe level.
Sanitizer Approved substance or method to use when sanitizing.
Spoilage Significant food deterioration, usually caused by bacteria and enzymes, that produces a noticeable change in the taste, odor, or appearance of the product.
Spore The inactive or dormant state of some rod-shaped bacteria
Sterile The absence of all living microorganisms.
Temperature Danger Zone Temperatures between 41° and 140°F (5° and 60°C) at which bacteria grow best.
Thermophile Microorganisms that grow best at temperatures above 110° F (43° C).
Toxin A poison. Specifically, a poison produced by a living microorganism.
Vegetative state The active state of a bacterium where the cell takes in nourishment, grows, and produces wastes.
Virus Any group of infectious microorganisms that reproduce only in living cells. They cause diseases such as mumps and Hepatitis A and can be transmitted through food.
Water Activity (Aw) A measure of the free moisture in a food. Pure water has a water activity of 1.0 and potentially hazardous foods have a water activity of 0.85 and higher.
Yeast A single cell organism which as it grows converts its food through a process known as fermentation into alcohol and carbon dioxide. To multiply and grow, yeast needs moisture, food in the forms of sugar or starch and a warm temperature (70°-80° F is best). Yeast has not been known to cause illness when present in foods but can cause damage to food products and will change taste. It is useful in making products such as bread, wine and beer.

Revised 5/00University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension
Food Safety Education