Food Quality - Lecture 2: Problem Based Approach/Hazards

Vocabulary flashcards covering food safety hazards, control measures, PRPs, OPRPs, CCPs, and HACCP concepts from Lecture 2.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point.

TACCP

Threat assessment.

VACCP

Vulnerability assessment.

Food Safety Hazard

A biological, chemical or physical agent in food, or a condition of food, with the potential to cause an adverse health effect.

Control Measure

Any action or activity that can be used to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Biological Hazards

Bacteria (e.g., Salmonella, Listeria), viruses (e.g., Hepatitis A), parasites, moulds, and their toxins.

Chemical Hazards

Chemical substances including cleaning residues, pesticides, allergens, heavy metals, and processing contaminants (e.g., acrylamide).

Physical Hazards

Foreign objects in food such as glass, hard plastics, metals, wood, stones, soil, bone, rubber, paper, and personal items from staff.

Spore Formers

Bacteria that can survive harsh conditions like heat and drying and regrow if controls fail, including Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, and Clostridium perfringens.

Non-Spore Formers

Bacteria generally more sensitive to heat than spore formers, including Salmonella , Listeria, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus.

Mycotoxins

Toxins produced by moulds/fungi, such as aflatoxins from Aspergillus spp., ochratoxin A and patulin from Penicillium spp., and fumonisins, zearalenone, and trichothecenes from Fusarium spp.

Plant Toxins

Naturally occurring toxic chemicals in plants, including solanine (potatoes), lectins (red kidney beans)

Marine Biotoxins

Naturally occurring toxic compounds from marine organisms e.g saxitoxins (paralytic shellfish poisoning)

Biogenic Amines

Naturally occurring chemical hazards such as histamine and tyramine found in spoiled fish, aged cheese, and fermented foods.

Processing Contaminants

Chemical hazards formed during food processing, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trans fatty acids.

Critical Control Point (CCP)

A step in the food process where control is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Prerequisite Programme (PRP)

Basic environmental and operational conditions necessary for producing safe food, forming the foundation of a food safety system and covering general hygiene and good manufacturing practices (GMPs).

Operational Prerequisite Programme (OPRP)

A specific control measure derived from PRPs that is essential to control a significant food safety hazard, but is not classified as a CCP.

Problem Based Approach

Learner-centred method, real-world problems, knowledge gap identification, solution research, practical application

Flow Diagram (in HACCP)

A step-by-step visual representation of a process showing the movement of materials, ingredients, and products, including all inputs, outputs, and decision points, used to identify where hazards may occur.