Key HACCP Terminology

Question	Answer
Biological Contaminant	Relates to living organisms that cannot be seen with the naked-eye that cause illness (bacteria, viruses, pollen, etc.)
Chemical Contaminant	Substances that are not naturally found in food that may result in illness (e.g. dioxins)
Physical Contaminant	An extraneous object or foreign matter that may cause injury or illness.
Control Measure	Any measure that is taken in order to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard.
Control Point	Any step in order to control biological, chemical, or physical factors.
Corrective Action	Procedures undertaken when a critical limit is not met.
Critical Control Point (CCP)	A necessary step in the process where control can be exercised to stop, reduce, or eliminate a food safety hazard.
Critical Limit	This relates to the maximum or minimum level a biological, chemical, or physical factor must be raised or reduced to prevent, reduce or eliminate a food safety standard.
Deviation	Results when a critical limit is failed to be met.
Hazard	Biological, chemical, or physical contaminant that is likely to cause sickness or injury if not controlled for.
Hazard Analysis	Gathering and analysing data on hazards associated with food under consideration to decide which are significant and should be discussed in the HACCP plan.
Monitor	Systematic observation and measurement to analyse whether a CCP is under control and produce an accurate record so it can be verified.

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	Created by Andrew Burke over 7 years ago