Food Safety Fundamentals and Food Hazards

Vocabulary flashcards focusing on fundamental definitions, food safety laws in the Philippines, hazard classifications, bacterial growth phases, and safe handling guidelines.

Food

Any material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair vital processes, and furnish energy, or any substance/product intended for human consumption.

Food Safety

The assurance that food will not cause harm to the consumer when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use, as defined by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC).

Food Suitability

A concept defined by the CAC regarding aspects that make food unfit for human consumption without necessarily presenting a danger to health.

Food Hygiene

The conditions and measures necessary for ensuring both the safety and suitability of food at all stages of its production and preparation.

Republic Act No. 10611

Also known as the Food Safety Act (FSA) of 2013, passed on June 5, 2013, and signed on August 23, 2013, to strengthen the food safety regulatory system in the Philippines.

Presidential Decree No. 856

Promulgated on December 23, 1975, by former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., also known as the Code on Sanitation of the Philippines, aimed at protecting and promoting public health.

Food Safety Regulation Coordinating Board (FSRCB)

A board established under RA 10611 to monitor and coordinate the performance and implementation of food safety regulation mandates across DOH, DA, DILG, and LGUs.

Contamination

The unintended presence of harmful organisms or substances in food.

Hazard

Any substance in food that can cause illness, injury, or harm.

Biological Hazard

A danger to food safety caused by disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, molds, yeasts, viruses, or fungi.

Chemical Hazard

A danger to food safety caused by chemical substances, especially cleaning agents, pesticides, and toxic metals.

Physical Hazard

A danger to food safety caused by particles such as glass chips, metal shavings, bits of wood, or other foreign matter.

Allergen

A substance that causes an allergic reaction.

Direct Contamination

The contamination of raw food items or the plants or animals from which they come in their natural settings or habitats.

Cross-Contamination

The transference of hazardous substances, mainly microorganisms, to food from another food or surface such as equipment, worktables, or hands.

Foodborne Illnesses

Diseases, usually either infectious or toxic, caused by agents that enter the body through the ingestion or consumption of contaminated food.

Foodborne Disease Outbreak

An incident in which $2$ or more people experience a similar illness after eating a common food.

Pathogens

Disease-causing microorganisms or bacteria that are dangerous when consumed by humans.

Intoxications

Foodborne illnesses that occur when a pathogen produces toxins in food before it is eaten, such as botulism and staphylococcal food poisoning.

Infections

Foodborne illnesses caused when viable food pathogens survive through the host's stomach into the intestine and multiply.

Toxin-Mediated Infection

A foodborne illness caused by eating food containing harmful microorganisms that produce a toxin once inside the human body.

Lag Phase

The resting period in bacterial growth lasting from $1$ to $4\text{ hours}$ during which bacteria adjust to new conditions and very little growth occurs.

Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)

The temperature range between $41^\text{o}\text{F}$ and $135^\text{o}\text{F}$ ($5^\text{o}\text{C}$ to $57^\text{o}\text{C}$) where most disease-causing bacteria multiply rapidly.

Temperature Abuse

A condition applied to food items that have not been heated to a safe temperature or kept at an improper temperature.

Water Activity ($A_w$)

A measure of unbound water available for bacterial activity measured on a scale of $0$ to $1.0$, where disease-causing bacteria require a level higher than $0.85$ to grow.

Minimum Internal Cooking Temperature

The internal temperature for a food product at which microorganisms are killed when held at that temperature for a specified period.

Four-Hour Rule

A guideline stating that food must not remain in the Temperature Danger Zone for a cumulative total of more than $4\text{ hours}$ between receiving and serving.

Convenience Food

Any food product that has been partially or completely prepared or processed by a manufacturer.

First In, First Out (FIFO)

A storage method or principle where stock is rotated to ensure that older deliveries are used first while new deliveries are stored behind or under them.