Food & Water Hygiene and Sampling Techniques – Vocabulary

These vocabulary flashcards cover key terms related to food & water hygiene, sampling methods, microbiological standards, and public-health frameworks discussed in Prof. Ahmet Saltık’s lecture.

Food Hygiene

Practices that prevent food contamination during handling, preparation, and storage to protect health.

Water Hygiene

Measures that ensure drinking-water is free from harmful contaminants and safe for consumption.

Sampling Technique

The specific method used to collect food or water specimens so they fairly represent the larger batch or source.

Sampling Plan

A documented strategy outlining where, when, and how many samples will be collected to obtain representative data.

Representative Sample

A specimen that accurately reflects the characteristics of the whole lot, batch, or environment being tested.

Food Safety Act Codes

Legal guidelines in Türkiye (and many countries) that set requirements for how food samples must be taken and handled.

Temperature-controlled Transport

Maintaining samples within a specified cold chain (usually ≤4 °C) until arrival at the laboratory to prevent microbial growth or degradation.

Sample Preservation

Chemical or physical treatments (e.g., cooling, acidification) applied to prevent deterioration between collection and analysis.

Suspended Solids

Visible particles floating in water that affect clarity and indicate physical water quality.

Dissolved Solids

Ions and small molecules completely dissolved in water; high levels can signal chemical contamination.

Indicator Organisms

Microbes that themselves are usually harmless but signal poor hygiene or possible presence of pathogens when detected in high numbers.

Pathogens

Micro-organisms such as Salmonella or E. coli O157 that can cause disease in humans or animals.

Enterobacteriaceae

A family of intestinal bacteria used as an indicator of faecal or environmental contamination in foods.

Escherichia coli O157

A pathogenic strain of E. coli capable of causing severe food-borne illness; monitored in ready-to-eat foods.

Listeria monocytogenes

A food-borne pathogen that can multiply at refrigeration temperatures and cause listeriosis.

Aerobic Colony Count (ACC)

Total number of bacteria able to grow in oxygen at a set temperature; indicates freshness and hygiene level.

Microbiological Criteria

Regulatory limits or guidelines defining acceptable counts of specific microorganisms in foods.

Post-process Contamination

Introduction of microbes after cooking or processing, often via staff, equipment, or packaging.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point)

A preventative food-safety system that identifies potential hazards and sets controls at critical steps.

Codex Alimentarius

Global collection of food-safety standards developed by FAO and WHO, forming the basis for many national regulations.

GDWQ (WHO Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality)

WHO reference document setting health-based targets and best practices for safe drinking-water worldwide.

Water Safety Plan (WSP)

A catchment-to-consumer risk-management approach ensuring hazards in a water supply are identified and controlled.

Health-based Target

Quantitative or qualitative goal (e.g., permissible pathogen level) used to protect public health in water safety.

Public Health Laboratory Service

The authority that sets microbiological standards and conducts reference testing for food safety in Türkiye.

Critical Control Point

A step in a process at which control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food-safety hazard to acceptable levels.

Microbial Contamination

Introduction and growth of unwanted microorganisms in food or water, leading to spoilage or illness.

Food-borne Illness

Disease resulting from ingestion of contaminated food, commonly causing gastro-enteritis.

Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)

Long-lived toxic chemicals that accumulate in the environment and food chains (e.g., certain pesticides).

Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)

Amount of oxygen needed by microorganisms to decompose organic matter in water; high BOD indicates pollution.

Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD)

Total quantity of oxygen required to oxidize organic and inorganic substances in water; reflects overall pollution load.

Sample Container

Pre-cleaned, contaminant-free vessel used to hold collected samples until analysis.

Sampling Error Sources

Factors such as poor technique, dirty equipment, or improper preservation that introduce uncertainty into results.

Undernourishment

Caloric intake below minimum energy requirements, affecting 8–9 % of the world’s population.

Food Insecurity

Limited or uncertain access to safe, nutritious food; may be moderate or severe.

Global Food System

Interconnected processes of food production, distribution, and consumption, facing both undernutrition and overconsumption challenges.

Food Quality

Attributes determining a food’s acceptability (safety, nutritional value, sensory properties).

Stock Rotation

First-in, first-out inventory practice that reduces risk of expired or spoiled food reaching consumers.

Probe Thermometer

Instrument used to verify internal temperatures during cooking to ensure microbial safety.

Ready-to-eat Food Category

'Satisfactory', 'acceptable', 'unsatisfactory', or 'unacceptable/potentially hazardous' classifications assigned after microbiological testing.

Temperature Abuse

Keeping food outside safe temperature zones, leading to rapid bacterial growth and reduced shelf life.