Glossary
Bacillus Cereus
Found in grains, particularly rice, this bacterium can develop a toxin as a result of bulk quantities of rice being cooked and left to cool slowly. It may cause severe sickness within minutes. It is essential to cook rice thoroughly and cool it rapidly.
Bactericide
Chemical that kills bacteria; effectively a disinfectant or sanitiser.
Botulism
Sometimes fatal, but fortunately rare in the UK, botulism is usually linked to poorly canned, bottled or vacuum-packed foods, particularly those that have low acid.
COSHH
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health regulations of 1989. Suppliers should provide COSHH sheets for all their products.
Campylobacter
This bacterium causes more food poisoning than any other, although it can be killed by thorough cooking. Sources include chicken, raw meat and poor water. The onset of illness may take two to five days.
Clostridium Perfingens
This bacterium can survive cooking and grow on food that is kept warm. To avoid it, it is essential to keep food properly hot and to rapidly cool pre-cooked meat and casseroles.
Critical control points
Steps in the food chain at which hazards must be eliminated or reduced to a safe level. See HACCP.
Danger zone
The temperature range most suitable for bacterial growth - usually 5/8ºC-63ºC.
Detergent
Like soap, detergents help to remove dirt. However, where it is important to clean and kill bacteria, both detergents and bactericides should be used, or a combined cleanser-sanitiser.
Due diligence
The principal legal defence against offences under the Food Safety Act. It enables someone to be acquitted if they can prove they took all reasonable precautions and exercised due diligence to avoid committing an offence.
E Coli
There are many strains of this bacterium, some of which do not produce harmful effects, while others are potentially fatal - such as E coli 0157, which caused the outbreak of food poisoning in Lanarkshire last year. It is most commonly found in raw meat, but is killed with thorough cooking. It is also important to avoid cross-contaminating cooked meat with raw. In the USA E coli is often called the "barbecue bug" because undercooked burgers and mince are a common source.
Food poisoning
The provisional figure for the number of cases of food poisoning notified in England and Wales last year is 83,200 - as compared with 24,000 in 1986. Campylobacter accounts for about 40,000 and salmonella for about 30,000.
HACCP
Hazard Analysis, Critical Control Points. This is a formal system of identifying potential hazards and introducing controls. Regulations do not require businesses to use a specific system, or to keep written records. However, records may be helpful to demonstrate that you do comply with the regulations. Moreover, records may be essential to establish a defence of due diligence.
Listeria Monocytogenes
Rarely a problem for healthy people, but it can be serious for those with poor immune systems, and pregnant women because it can cause abortion. Foods most likely to harbour high levels of listeria are soft cheese and pâtés. The bacterium can grow in a refrigerator, albeit slowly. It can be killed by thorough cooking or reheating.
Salmonella
Bacterium that is a common cause of food poisoning. Many foods can be contaminated with it, but it is most commonly associated with chicken and eggs. Salmonella can be killed by thorough cooking. It is also important to avoid cross-contamination, especially from raw poultry.
Scombrotoxin
This used to be rare, but is now on the increase. It is produced by bacteria in dark, oily fish such as mackerel and tuna. Poor temperature control of fish before processing enables the toxin to develop and it is hard to eliminate by cooking afterwards. Choose your supplier with care; keep fish very cold and use it quickly.
Staphylococcus
The bacterium produces a toxin that causes violent illness within a few hours. Food is usually contaminated by food handlers with infected cuts, boils or discharges from the ear, nose or throat.
