Food Safety and HACCP

CA Retail Food Code (CalCode)

California’s primary set of retail food safety regulations, updated 2024, enforced by local Environmental Health.

FDA Food Code

Model code published by the U.S. Public Health Service for safeguarding public health and ensuring food is unadulterated and honestly presented.

Sherman Food, Drug & Cosmetic Law

California law paralleling the federal FD&C Act; regulates packaging, labeling, adulteration and misbranding of foods.

USDA (United States Department of Agriculture)

Federal agency responsible for safety and security of meat, poultry, dairy and other foods of animal origin.

CA Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA)

State agency that oversees milk and dairy food safety and other agricultural products.

CA Department of Public Health (CDPH)

State agency whose Food, Drug & Radiation Safety Division regulates many wholesale food operations.

Priority Item (P)

High-risk food code violation directly related to eliminating, preventing or reducing foodborne illness hazards.

Priority Foundation Item (PR)

Medium-risk requirement that supports priority items, such as procedures, HACCP plans, training and record keeping.

Core Item (C)

Low-risk requirement dealing with sanitation, facility design and general maintenance.

Food Establishment

Operation that stores, prepares, packages or serves food to consumers, including mobile, temporary and delivery operations.

Temporary Community Event

Food operation at an event ≤25 days in a 90-day period, usually high risk with improvised controls and inexperienced handlers.

Biological Contamination

Hazards from bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that can cause foodborne illness.

Chemical Contamination

Hazards from natural toxins (e.g., ciguatoxin) or man-made chemicals like cleaners, pesticides and heavy metals.

Physical Contamination

Hazards from foreign objects such as glass, metal shavings, pits or insects in food.

FATTOM

Six conditions supporting bacterial growth: Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture.

Vegetative Bacteria

Actively growing bacterial cells that reproduce under favorable FATTOM conditions.

Spore-Forming Bacteria

Bacteria (e.g., Clostridium, Bacillus) that produce resistant spores, surviving cooking until favorable growth conditions return.

Infection (foodborne)

Illness caused by ingesting live pathogenic microorganisms that grow in the host.

Intoxication (foodborne)

Illness caused by pre-formed toxins in food; viable bacteria need not be ingested.

Toxin-Mediated Infection

Illness where ingested organisms produce toxins inside the host’s intestine.

Salmonella spp.

Gram-negative bacteria often linked to poultry, eggs and produce; most frequently diagnosed bacterial foodborne illness.

Campylobacter jejuni

Bacterium with highest infection rate; commonly associated with raw poultry and unpasteurized milk.

Listeria monocytogenes

Gram-positive pathogen found in ready-to-eat foods; grows at refrigeration temperatures.

Shigella spp.

Pathogen spread via fecal contamination (often raw human sewage) causing severe diarrhea.

Vibrio species

Bacteria from warm, brackish waters; linked to raw oysters and summer seafood illnesses.

Clostridium botulinum

Anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium producing the most potent neurotoxin; associated with temperature abuse and reduced-oxygen foods.

Clostridium perfringens

Spore-former known as ‘cafeteria bacteria’; grows rapidly during improper cooling or holding.

Bacillus cereus

Spore-forming bacterium causing emetic (rice/grains) or diarrheal (meats, sauces) illness types.

Staphylococcus aureus

Produces heat-stable toxin; linked to improper handling of ready-to-eat foods.

E. coli O157:H7

Shiga-toxin-producing strain causing bloody diarrhea; associated with undercooked ground beef and produce.

Hepatitis A

Virus transmitted via fecal-oral route; long incubation (2–6 weeks); exclusion of infected food workers mandatory.

Norovirus

Most common viral foodborne agent; causes illness within 24 hours; strict handwashing required.

Giardia lamblia

Waterborne parasite causing greasy diarrhea; linked to contaminated water and day-care settings.

Cryptosporidium

Protozoan parasite from dirty water causing diarrhea and cough after 2–20 days.

Trichinella

Roundworm parasite from undercooked pork or wild game; cysts persist in muscle for years.

Anisakis

Fish parasite causing acute abdominal pain; killed by proper freezing.

Ciguatoxin

Natural toxin from reef fish (barracuda, grouper) causing hot–cold sensation reversal; source control is key.

Scombrotoxin (Histamine)

Allergic-type reaction from time-temperature abused tuna or mackerel; not destroyed by cooking.

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP)

Neurotoxic illness from saxitoxins in filter-feeding shellfish harvested during algal blooms.

Domoic Acid Poisoning (DAP)

Amnesic shellfish poisoning caused by domoic acid; necessitates 90-day shellfish tag records.

Aflatoxin

Carcinogenic mycotoxin from Aspergillus mold; FDA action level 15-20 ppb in foods like peanuts.

Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF/TCS)

Food requiring time/temperature control to limit pathogen growth or toxin production.

Food Danger Zone

Temperature range 41 °F – 135 °F (5 °C–57 °C) where pathogens grow rapidly.

Time as a Control (4-Hour Rule)

Option allowing hot or cold food to be held up to 4 hours without temperature control if documented.

Time & Temperature Control (12-hour/24-hour)

Combined system with checks every 2 hours to keep food out of danger zone for limited periods.

41 °F Cold Holding

Maximum temperature for refrigerated TCS foods (45 °F allowed for eggs, live shellfish, pasteurized milk in transit).

135 °F Hot Holding

Minimum temperature for holding cooked TCS foods hot (temporary events may allow 145 °F).

145 °F for 15 sec

Minimum cooking temperature for fish, whole cuts of meat and eggs served immediately.

155 °F for 15 sec

Required cooking temperature for ground or injected meats and pooled eggs.

165 °F for 15 sec

Temperature for poultry, stuffed foods and reheating previously cooked TCS foods.

Two-Stage Cooling

Cool foods 135 °F→70 °F within 2 h and 135 °F→41 °F within 6 h total to control Clostridium species.

FIFO

First-In, First-Out stock rotation method for proper food storage and labeling.

Ready-to-Eat (RTE) Storage

Policy of storing RTE foods above raw animal products to prevent cross-contamination.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points)

Preventive food safety system with seven principles for identifying and controlling hazards.

Reduced-Oxygen Packaging (ROP)

Packaging method that requires a HACCP plan due to botulism risk (includes sous vide & vacuum packaging).

Thermometer Calibration (Ice Point)

Adjusting a thermometer to 32 °F in ice water; required before first use, after drops or extreme temps.

Bimetallic Stem Thermometer

Dial thermometer accurate ±2 °F, inserted to dimple for internal food temperature reading.

Infrared Thermometer

Non-contact device measuring surface temperatures; cannot measure internal food temperatures.

FALCPA (2004)

Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act mandating declaration of major allergens on labels.

Major Food Allergens

Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Crustacean Shellfish, Sesame.

Anaphylaxis

Severe, rapid allergic reaction with breathing difficulty, low blood pressure and possible shock.

Sell-By Date

Label guiding how long a product should be displayed for sale; food may still be safe afterward.

Best-By (Best if Used By)

Quality date indicating peak flavor or texture, not safety.

Use-By Date

Last date recommended for safe use of products requiring reduced-oxygen packaging or infant formula.

Food Manager Certificate

California requirement for Person-in-Charge; valid 5 years demonstrating food safety knowledge.

Food Worker Card

California food handler training certificate valid 3 years for line employees.

Exclusion (Employee Health)

Prohibits ill employee from working in any capacity until cleared by health authority.

Restriction (Employee Health)

Limits ill employee from food & food-contact tasks but may perform non-food duties.

Reportable Diagnoses

Salmonella Typhi, Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Shiga-toxin E. coli, Entamoeba histolytica, Hepatitis A, Norovirus.

NSF/ANSI Equipment

Commercial food equipment certified to meet sanitation and cleanability standards.

Coving

Curved 4-inch base joining floor and wall for easy cleaning and pest prevention.

Foot-Candle Requirements

Lighting standards: 50 food prep, 20 warewashing, 10 dry storage areas.

Hand-Washing Procedure

Wash 15 sec with soap at 100 °F, rinse and dry; required on entry, task change, after restroom, etc.

Three-Compartment Sink

Manual warewashing setup: wash (110 °F), rinse, sanitize, then air-dry.

Chlorine Sanitizer

100 ppm for manual (30 sec) or 50 ppm for mechanical (30 sec) dish sanitizing.

Iodine Sanitizer

12.5–25 ppm with 1-minute contact time for manual or mechanical sanitizing.

Quaternary Ammonium (Quats)

200 ppm sanitizer requiring 1-minute contact; verify with test strips.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Preventive program using sanitation, exclusion and least-toxic controls before chemical pesticides.

Air Gap

Minimum 1-inch vertical space (or 2× pipe diameter) between water outlet and flood rim to prevent back-siphonage.

Backflow Preventer

Mechanical device (e.g., double-check valve) that stops reverse flow of contaminants into potable water.

Imminent Health Hazard

Condition requiring immediate correction or facility closure due to significant risk of illness or injury.

Impound

Legal control exercised by enforcement officer over suspect food or equipment.

Embargo (Food)

Official order prohibiting sale or movement of food suspected of being unsafe.

Foodborne Outbreak

Incident in which two or more persons experience a similar illness from a common food.

NORS (National Outbreak Reporting System)

CDC platform for states to report foodborne, waterborne and enteric disease outbreaks.

FDOSS

CDC’s Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System compiling national outbreak data.

Attack Rate

Percentage of exposed persons who become ill; used in outbreak investigations.

Relative Risk (RR)

Ratio comparing attack rates between exposed and unexposed groups to measure association strength.

Morbidity Rate

Incidence of illness in a specified population over a defined period, expressed per 100 persons.

Chi-Square Test

Statistical method comparing observed versus expected frequencies to assess association significance.

Chain of Custody (Samples)

Documented control of food specimens from collection through analysis to ensure integrity.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

A systematic, preventive food-safety system that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards; acronym stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point.

Hazard Analysis

The process of identifying and listing food-safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur at each step of production.

Critical Control Point (CCP)

A step at which control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

Critical Limit

The maximum and/or minimum value (e.g., temperature, pH) that must be met at a CCP to ensure food safety.

Monitoring Procedures

Planned observations or measurements that determine whether a CCP is under control and generate written records.

Corrective Actions

Pre-established steps taken when monitoring shows a CCP is outside its critical limits, including fixing the cause, disposing of affected product, and documenting actions.

Verification Procedures

Activities, other than monitoring, that confirm the HACCP plan is valid and operating effectively (e.g., audits, record review).

Record Keeping

The compilation and maintenance of documents summarizing hazard analysis, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, and verification results.

Enteric Pathogens

Illness-causing microorganisms (e.g., Escherichia coli) associated with the intestinal tract that can contaminate food.