Acceptable Level

The level of a food safety hazard not to be exceeded in the end product provided by the organization.

Accreditation

Recognition granted by an accreditation authority that verifies a certification body’s management systems and technical competence to deliver certification services in accordance with a specific standard.

Action Criterion

A clearly defined, measurable indicator used to assess the effectiveness of an Operational Prerequisite Programme (OPRP) in line with ISO 22000. It serves as a benchmark to verify whether the OPRP is functioning as intended. If the action criterion is achieved, the process is considered under control. If it is not met, this signals a loss of control, which is unacceptable and requires corrective measures as outlined in the Hazard Control Plan (such as the HACCP or OPRP Plan).

Adulteration

The intentional inclusion of undeclared substances in food products, typically to reduce costs or increase profit, often compromising safety, quality, or authenticity.

Agent

A company that facilitates trade between an organization and their raw material or packaging suppliers, but does not at any point own or take title to the goods.

Airlock

An enclosed transitional area designed with two interlocked doors that open one at a time, allowing controlled movement of people or materials between separate zones while reducing the risk of cross-contamination from pests, dust, odours, or airflow.

Allergen

A substance present in certain foods that can trigger an immune system reaction in sensitive individuals. Common examples include nuts, dairy, and other ingredients specified in local food safety regulations.

Allergen (EU)

A food substance that can provoke an adverse immune response in susceptible individuals. Under EU regulations, certain ingredients are classified as allergens due to their potential to cause serious health reactions. These include:

• Cereals containing gluten (such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, kamut, and their hybrid varieties)
• Crustaceans
• Eggs
• Fish
• Peanuts
• Soybeans
• Milk (including lactose)
• Tree nuts (e.g. almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamias)
• Celery
• Mustard
• Sesame seeds
• Lupin
• Molluscs
• Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at levels above 10 mg/kg or 10 mg/l, expressed as SO₂

These allergens are identified in EU legislation, including Commission Directive 2007/68/EC, which amends Directive 2000/13/EC concerning food ingredient labeling and safety.

Allergen (US)

In the United States, nine specific food groups are legally recognized as major allergens due to their high prevalence in triggering allergic reactions. These are:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod)
• Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp)
• Tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans)
• Peanuts
• Wheat
• Soybeans
• Sesame

Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) of 2004, any food regulated by the FDA must clearly label ingredients that are—or contain proteins derived from—any of these nine allergens. This requirement helps individuals with food allergies identify and avoid foods that may pose health risks.

Although more than 160 foods can cause allergic reactions, these nine account for the vast majority—about 90%—of all documented food allergies in the U.S.

Ambient High Care

A controlled ambient environment that is carefully designed and maintained to meet elevated hygiene standards. In this area, strict protocols for personnel, ingredients, equipment, packaging, and the surroundings work together to reduce the risk of contamination by harmful microorganisms.

Announced Audit

An audit where the organization/site agrees the scheduled audit day in advance with the certification body.

Assessor (for Accreditation Bodies)

An individual appointed by an Accreditation Body responsible for evaluating the operations and compliance of a Certification Body through formal assessments.

ATP Bioluminescence Techniques

A rapid surface cleanliness test that detects biological residues by measuring adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a molecule involved in cellular energy transfer. This method relies on a biochemical reaction similar to that of fireflies, where ATP from a surface interacts with luciferin and luciferase enzymes to produce light. The emitted bioluminescence is quantified by a luminometer and reported in Relative Light Units (RLU). Acceptable cleanliness levels can be established based on historical data from prior analyses.

Audit

1. A structured, independent, and documented process used to gather and objectively assess evidence to verify compliance with defined audit criteria. Audits can be internal (first-party), external (second- or third-party), or combined when multiple disciplines are evaluated together.

2. A systematic review aimed at assessing whether organizational practices conform to a predefined system and whether the system is effectively implemented and capable of achieving its goals.

3. A thorough and impartial examination conducted by a qualified food safety auditor to confirm that food safety systems, hygiene, and management practices align with documented procedures and comply with relevant food safety standards.

Audit Checklist

A detailed list of criteria or requirements used by an auditor as a reference tool during the audit process.

Auditor

An individual employed or contracted by an accredited certification body to evaluate a site’s food safety management system through systematic auditing.

Auditor Authenticity

The assurance that an auditor has the necessary qualifications, competence, and skills to effectively perform an audit.

Branded Product
A product that features the logo, trademark, or contact information of a company that is not a retailer.

Broker

An organization that buys products for resale primarily to other businesses, such as manufacturers, rather than to the final consumer.

Calibration

1. The process of comparing the measurements from a device against a known standard of accuracy to ensure reliable results. This involves using primary measurement standards to maintain traceability to the customer’s equipment.
2. A series of procedures performed under specific conditions to define the relationship between the readings of an instrument or system and the known values established by reference standards or materials.

CCP – Critical Control Point

A specific stage in a process where control measures are essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

Central Site

A certified location responsible for coordinating and overseeing a network of certified sub-sites within a multi-site certification program.

Certificate Suspension

A temporary revocation of certification for a specified period, pending corrective actions by the certified company.

Certificate Withdrawal

The complete removal of certification, which can only be reinstated after the site successfully undergoes a full audit process again.

Certification

The formal confirmation by a licensed certification body that a site’s food safety management system meets the requirements of a relevant standard or scheme (e.g., SQF Code, BRC), following an initial or re-certification audit.

Certification Audit

A comprehensive evaluation of a site’s entire food safety management system, including a desk review, conducted when the system is not currently certified.

Certification Body

An organization licensed by the Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme to certify sites in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065:2012 and the specific criteria of the certification program.

Certification Cycle

The time frame between certification or re-certification audits, commonly set as one year.

Certification Number

A unique identifier assigned by the Standard or Scheme Owner and displayed on the certificate issued to a site that has successfully passed its certification audit.

Clause

A specific requirement or statement that a site must fulfill to obtain certification.

Cleaning in Place (CIP)

A method for cleaning and sanitizing food processing equipment without dismantling, performed while the equipment remains assembled.

Codex Alimentarius Commission

1. An international body that develops recognized standards, codes of practice, and guidelines, including HACCP.
2. An entity jointly supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) tasked with harmonizing food definitions, standards, and requirements to support global trade and food safety.

Company

The legally responsible entity that owns the site being audited against a Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme.

Competence

The proven ability to apply relevant skills, knowledge, and understanding to successfully complete a task or meet objectives.

Compliance

The act of meeting legal regulations or customer specifications related to product safety and legality.

Conformity

The state of fulfilling a specified requirement.

Consultant

A registered expert who assists food industry sites with developing, validating, implementing, verifying, and maintaining their food safety management systems within their registered scope.

Consumer

The ultimate user or purchaser of a finished product, commodity, or service.

Contaminant

Any unintended substance found in food due to production, processing, packaging, transportation, or environmental sources.

Contamination

The introduction or presence of undesirable organisms, substances, or taints in food, packaging, or the surrounding environment. This includes physical, chemical, biological, and allergenic contamination and may also refer to cross-contamination between packages.

Continual Improvement

Ongoing efforts to enhance processes, systems, or performance.

Contract Manufacturer (Co-Manufacturer)

An external facility contracted to produce, process, package, or store products within a certified site’s scope, required to comply with the applicable Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme.

Contract Packer

A company engaged specifically to package the finished product into consumer-ready packaging.

Contractor or Supplier

An individual or organization that provides goods or services.

Control

The management of operational conditions to ensure compliance with established standards and procedures are properly followed.

Control (verb)

To take all necessary steps to ensure and maintain compliance with the criteria set out in the HACCP plan.

Control Measure

1. Any action or activity used to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
2. A specific action essential to control a significant food safety hazard or bring it within acceptable limits.

Controlled Document

A document that is clearly identifiable, with a system in place to track revisions and removal from circulation. It is distributed to designated individuals whose receipt of the document is recorded.

Cook

A heat treatment process designed to raise the temperature of a food item to at least 70°C for 2 minutes or an equivalent validated alternative process that complies with recognized national standards.

Corporate

An entity that does not directly manufacture or handle products but supports and oversees the food safety and quality management system at a certified site.

Correction

1. Action taken to address and eliminate a detected non-conformity or deviation.
2. Measures to manage a non-conformity, which may include reprocessing, additional processing, disposal, or relabeling to mitigate any negative effects.

Corrective Action

1. Steps taken when monitoring at a Critical Control Point (CCP) indicates loss of control.
2. Actions aimed at identifying and eliminating the root cause of a non-conformity to prevent recurrence, including thorough cause analysis.
3. This process involves:
   • Documenting immediate actions taken
   • Investigating the root cause
   • Assessing and implementing necessary corrective steps
   • Checking for similar issues elsewhere in the system
   • Recording the results and verifying effectiveness with evidence.

CP – Control Point

A point identified through hazard analysis as essential to control the risk of introducing or spreading food safety hazards in the product or environment.

Crisis Management

A planned response process to handle events such as floods or fires that disrupt a site’s ability to safely supply food, involving activation of a crisis management plan.

Critical Control Point (CCP)

A stage in the food production process where control measures are applied to prevent or reduce a significant food safety hazard to acceptable levels, with defined critical limits and monitoring that enable timely corrective actions.

Critical Limit

A specific, measurable threshold that marks the boundary between acceptable and unacceptable results at a Critical Control Point (CCP). These limits are set to confirm that the CCP is under control. If the limit is not met or is exceeded, any impacted product must be treated as potentially unsafe.

Cross-Docking

A logistics method in which goods are received at a distribution facility, briefly handled or sorted, and then dispatched without being placed into long-term storage.

Customer

1. An individual or organization receiving a product or service.
2. A purchaser or buyer who obtains goods or services from a certified facility.
3. A business, company, or individual to whom products are sold.

Customer Focus

A systematic process of identifying and fulfilling the requirements of the organizations or clients that receive the company’s products. Effectiveness can be monitored using defined performance measures or indicators.

Desk Audit

A preliminary review of a site’s documented procedures and systems, conducted by an authorized certification body. This stage serves as the starting point of the certification audit, confirming that the documented food safety management system substantially meets the criteria of the applicable Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme.

Deviation

1. A situation in which a critical limit is not achieved.
2. A non-conformance with a specified requirement that does not directly impact food safety for the products or processes in question.

Dispatch / Despatch

The point at which goods depart from the facility or when responsibility for them is formally transferred from the company.

Distribution

The organized transport of goods, in suitable containers or vehicles, by road, rail, air, or sea.

Documented Information

Any information that must be retained and controlled by an organization, along with the format and medium in which it is kept. This may include operational documents, management system materials, or records that demonstrate results achieved, regardless of their source or format.

Dose Response Assessment

An evaluation process that identifies the relationship between the level of exposure to a chemical, biological, or physical hazard and the likelihood or severity of the resulting health effects.

Effectiveness

The measure of how successfully planned activities are carried out and intended results are obtained.

Enclosed Product Area

A designated area within a production site where products remain fully enclosed, preventing any exposure to environmental contaminants.

End Consumer

The final individual who uses or eats a food product and does not incorporate it into any food business operation.

End Product

A product that will not undergo any further processing or transformation by the producing organization. If the product is processed or transformed by another organization, it is considered an end product for the first organization but becomes a raw material or ingredient for the second.

Environmental Monitoring Program (EMP)

A structured program that uses pathogen or indicator testing, such as swabbing, to identify potential risks in the production environment. It serves as verification of how effective a facility’s pathogen controls are, particularly for high-risk food products.

Exempt

A designation for elements of the Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme that a site requests to exclude from its certification audit, with written approval sought from the certification body before the audit begins. Normally, mandatory requirements cannot be exempted. The certification body reviews and confirms the justification during the audit. The term can also refer to products, processes, or areas that the site intends to exclude from audit coverage.

Exposure Assessment

The process of evaluating, either qualitatively or quantitatively, the expected intake of biological, chemical, or physical hazards through food, as well as from other relevant sources.

Facility

The physical location of the site, including production, processing, packaging, or storage areas, along with associated processes, equipment, materials, environment, and personnel. A facility must operate under unified management and supervision. This is the location assessed during a site audit.

Factory Inspection (versus Internal Audits)

An evaluation conducted by an appropriately qualified person to confirm compliance with good practices such as hygiene, pest control, product handling, construction standards, and prevention of foreign object contamination.

Feed

Any raw, semi-processed, or processed material, whether single or combined, intended for direct consumption by food-producing animals.

Feed Safety

The application of measures and procedures in feed production and processing to ensure the feed does not pose a risk to animal or human health.

Food

1. Any substance of plant or animal origin, whether processed, partially processed, or unprocessed, that is intentionally consumed by humans. This can include water, beverages (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), ingredients used in food products, and other substances recognized as food under relevant regulations.
2. A substance, typically of plant or animal origin, in processed, semi-processed, or raw form, intended for consumption. This includes drinks, chewing gum, and any ingredient used in preparing or manufacturing food, but excludes cosmetics, tobacco, and substances used solely as medicines.
   Food may be intended for both human and animal consumption. Feed is intended for food-producing animals, while animal food is intended for non-food-producing animals, such as pets.

Food Additive

A substance not usually consumed on its own or used as a common food ingredient, intentionally added to food for technological purposes, including enhancing sensory qualities such as taste, texture, or appearance. Food additives help preserve flavor, improve visual appeal, or modify other characteristics, but do not include substances used solely to maintain or improve nutritional value.

Food Authenticity

The assurance that food and raw materials purchased or offered for sale are genuine and meet the expected nature, quality, and composition.

Food Chain

The complete sequence of steps in food production, processing, distribution, storage, and handling, from the point of primary production to the moment of consumption.

Food Defence

Measures and procedures implemented to safeguard food materials and products from intentional contamination, tampering, or theft.

Food Defense

Activities designed to protect the food supply from deliberate contamination or adulteration intended to cause harm to public health or disrupt the economy. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, food defense involves protecting food products against intentional acts that could compromise safety.

Food Fraud

The intentional and deceptive substitution, dilution, addition, or misrepresentation of a food product or raw material for financial benefit, either by increasing its perceived value or lowering production costs.

Food Handler

Any individual involved in the handling, preparation, or serving of food.

Food Hygiene

The conditions and practices required during food production, processing, storage, and distribution to ensure the product is safe, wholesome, and suitable for human consumption.

Food Packaging

The finished material or container used to enclose and protect food.

Food Quality Plan

A plan—often based on the principles of CODEX HACCP but focused on quality rather than safety—that outlines controls at key quality points in production. It specifies monitoring procedures, identifies deviations, and defines corrective actions to maintain product quality.

Food Raw Materials

Ingredients, additives, and processing aids used in the creation of a food product.

Food Safety

The guarantee that food will not cause harm to the consumer when prepared and consumed according to its intended use.

Food Safety Hazard

Any biological, chemical, physical, or radiological element in food that could potentially cause an adverse health effect.

Food Safety Objective (FSO)

The highest acceptable level or frequency of a hazard in a food at the time of consumption that meets the intended level of public health protection.

Food Safety Plan

A documented plan developed using the CODEX HACCP methodology that details controls at critical points in production to ensure food safety, monitor deviations, and implement corrective actions.

Food Sector Category (FSC)

A specific segment of the food or feed industry, or a service sector that supports food safety.

Food Security

Measures taken to ensure the ongoing availability of raw materials and finished products.

Formula

A detailed specification listing the quantities and qualities of raw materials to be used in producing a product, as defined by customer requirements.

Fundamental Requirement

A mandatory element of a Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme that must be implemented, maintained, and monitored by an organization. Failure to meet this requirement could have serious legal or safety implications for the supplied product.

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

An organism whose genetic material has been intentionally altered to include genes that are not naturally present.

Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)

An international program, managed by the Consumer Goods Forum, that aims to align and benchmark food safety standards worldwide.

GMO

Any organism, excluding humans, whose genetic material has been modified by means other than natural reproduction or recombination.

Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs)

Guidelines for farming operations that promote best practices in production, integrating crop management, pest control, and hygiene measures to ensure safe and high-quality food.

Good Aquaculture Practices (GAPs)

Best practice procedures for aquaculture farms and wild-catch fisheries, covering water quality management, veterinary care, growth practices, handling, and hygiene to maintain product safety and quality.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

A set of management and operational practices designed to ensure that food products are consistently produced in compliance with relevant legislation and customer requirements.

HACCP

1. A systematic approach to identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazards that pose a risk to food safety.
2. The Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system, based on CODEX Alimentarius guidelines, which provides a structured method to prevent, eliminate, or reduce food safety hazards.

HACCP Method

The application of prerequisite hygiene programs and HACCP principles, following the logical sequence of twelve steps as defined in the CODEX Alimentarius guidelines.

HACCP Plan

A documented strategy, developed according to CODEX HACCP principles, outlining control measures for hazards that are significant for food safety within a specific segment of the food chain.

HACCP Training

Instruction provided in line with CODEX HACCP guidelines, aimed at equipping personnel with the knowledge to identify, assess, and control hazards critical to food safety.

Hazard

Any biological, chemical, physical, or radiological factor in food, or condition of food, with the potential to cause harm to human health.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)

A systematic approach for identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazards that are significant to food safety.

Hazard Characterization

The assessment, either qualitative or quantitative, of the nature and severity of potential health effects associated with biological, chemical, or physical hazards in food.

Hazard Identification

The process of recognizing biological, chemical, or physical agents that may cause adverse health effects and could be present in a particular food or group of foods.

Hazardous Chemicals and Toxic Substances

Solids, liquids, or gases that are radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, or pathogenic. This includes, but is not limited to, detergents, sanitizers, pesticides, lubricants, paints, processing aids, and biochemical additives. Improper handling or excessive exposure may harm handlers or consumers.

High Risk Food

1. Food or products prone to microbial growth, chemical or physical contamination, or processes that may allow survival of pathogenic microorganisms, which, if uncontrolled, could cause illness in consumers.
2. Food classified as high risk by regulatory authorities, customers, or that has been linked to significant foodborne illness outbreaks.

High Risk Food Process(es)

Processes that demand strict hygiene standards, including proper management of personnel, ingredients, equipment, packaging, and environment to prevent pathogen contamination.

High-Care Area

A production area designed to maintain elevated hygiene standards, with practices in place to protect products from contamination by pathogenic microorganisms.

High-Care Product

A food item requiring chilled or frozen storage, vulnerable to microbial growth, treated to reduce contamination to safe levels, and intended for consumption without further cooking or after minimal heating.

High-Risk Area

A physically separated space designed to maintain high hygiene standards, where personnel, equipment, ingredients, packaging, and the environment are managed to prevent contamination by pathogens.

High-Risk Product

A chilled, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat food item with a significant risk of pathogen growth.

Highly Perishable Products

Foods that, from a microbiological perspective, can become an immediate health hazard if not consumed within a short period.

Identity Preserved

A product with a defined origin or purity trait that must be maintained throughout the food chain, ensuring traceability and protection from contamination to guarantee its authenticity.

Importer

A business responsible for bringing products into a country, managing the regulatory and logistical requirements of international trade.

Industry Code of Practice

Guidelines, norms, or protocols established by industry groups that provide practical, sector-specific best practices for complying with regulations while addressing industry requirements.

Industry Code of Practice

Norms, rules, or protocols set by industry groups that provide practical, sector-specific guidelines to comply with regulations while addressing industry needs.

Initial Audit

An audit conducted at a company or site that does not yet hold a valid certification.

Management System

A set of interrelated or interacting elements within an organization designed to establish policies, objectives, and processes to achieve those objectives. System elements include the organization’s structure, roles and responsibilities, planning, and operations.

Mandatory Elements

Requirements within a Food Safety Management Standard or Scheme that must be implemented by an organization to achieve certification.

Manufacturer

A company that produces a product from raw materials and/or components, packing it into retail units or supplying it in bulk.

Maximum Limit for Pesticide Residues (MRL)

The highest concentration of a pesticide residue (mg/kg) recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted in or on food commodities and animal feeds. MRLs are based on GAP data, and foods compliant with these limits are considered toxicologically acceptable.

Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)

Regulatory limits, often set locally or by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, for the maximum allowable levels of agricultural or veterinary chemical residues in agricultural produce, especially those entering the food chain.

May

Indicates guidance or a recommended practice within a Food Safety Management Standard/Scheme; compliance is not mandatory.

Objective

A result to be achieved. In the context of a Food Safety Management System (FSMS), objectives are set by the organization, aligned with the food safety policy, to achieve specific outcomes.

On-site Laboratories

Designated and enclosed areas within a site where chemical, microbiological, and other product testing is conducted. If not properly controlled, they may pose contamination risks, requiring adherence to good laboratory practices.

Open Product Area

An area where the product is exposed to the environment, such as when not fully enclosed in packaging or filling equipment, tanks, or pipes.

Operational Prerequisite Programme (OPRP)

A control measure, or combination of measures, applied to prevent or reduce a significant food safety hazard to an acceptable level, where defined action criteria and monitoring enable effective control of the process and/or product.

Organization

A group of people with defined functions, responsibilities, authorities, and relationships working together to achieve objectives.

Outsource (verb)

An arrangement in which an external organization performs part of an organization’s function or process, including services.

Pasteurization

A heat treatment process, usually below 100°C, applied to certain foods to eliminate pathogens and extend shelf life. It reduces health risks from microorganisms while minimizing chemical, physical, and sensory changes. Examples include milk, cream, eggs, fruit juices, fermented products, and soups.

Performance

A measurable result.

Performance Criterion (PC)

The required effect in terms of hazard frequency and/or concentration in food that must be achieved by applying one or more control measures, contributing to a Performance Objective (PO) or a Food Safety Objective (FSO).

Performance Indicators

Quantitative measures that summarize compliance levels against agreed targets, such as customer complaints, product conformity, or audit results.

Pesticide

A substance intended to prevent, destroy, attract, repel, or control pests, including unwanted plants or animals, during food production, storage, transport, distribution, and processing, or in animal feed. This may include substances administered to animals to control ectoparasites. Fertilizers, nutrients, food additives, and veterinary drugs are normally excluded.

Pesticide Residue

Any specified substance present in food, agricultural commodities, or animal feed as a result of pesticide use. This includes derivatives such as metabolites, reaction products, and impurities considered toxicologically significant.

Pests

Unwanted species, including birds, rodents, insects, or other vermin, that can transmit disease and pose risks to food, feed, or packaging.

Preventive Action

An action taken to eliminate the root cause of a detected non-conformity and prevent its recurrence.

Primary Packaging

The packaging that forms the unit of sale and is used and disposed of by the consumer (e.g., bottle, closure, label).

Primary Producer (Producer)

An entity engaged in pre-farm gate activities such as production, field packing, storage, and supply of food under its exclusive control.

Processed Food

Food that has undergone one or more processes such as aseptic filling, baking, blending, bottling, brewing, canning, cooking, curing, drying, freezing, fermentation, pasteurization, roasting, slicing, smoking, steaming, sterilization, or similar treatments.

Processing

The transformation of food through one or more steps that change its nature. This includes activities such as repacking, re-labeling, slaughtering, sorting, grading, cleaning, drying, salting, smoking, cooking, canning, and pasteurization.

Processing Aid

A substance or material, other than apparatus or utensils, used intentionally during processing to achieve a technological purpose. It is not consumed as an ingredient but may leave unavoidable residues or derivatives in the final product.

Product Recall

A measure to recover a dangerous or unfit product already supplied or made available to consumers by the producer or distributor.

Product Requirements

Criteria that a product must meet, including safety, quality, legality, process, and specification.

Product Withdrawal

A measure to prevent distribution, display, or sale of a dangerous or unfit product before it reaches final consumers.

Programme

A structured plan to establish objectives and processes necessary to achieve results, aligned with customer requirements and organizational policies (e.g., environmental monitoring programme).

Protective Clothing

Clothing designed to protect food products from potential contamination by the wearer.

Provenance

The origin or source of food or raw materials.

Purity

The state of being free from contaminants.

Quality

The degree to which a product or service meets or exceeds customer or organizational expectations, characterized by being free from defects, deficiencies, and significant variation.

Quantity Check (Mass Balance)

Reconciliation of incoming raw materials (including packaging) against finished products, accounting for waste and rework.

Quantity Control

Verification of the amount of product in a pack, which may relate to weight, volume, piece count, or size.

Quarantine

The status assigned to materials or products that are set aside and isolated pending confirmation of their suitability for intended use or sale.

Raw Material

Any base or semi-finished material, including packaging, used in the manufacture of a product.

Re-certification

Renewal of a site’s food safety management system certification by a certification body following a re-certification audit.

Re-certification Audit

An audit of a site’s SQF food safety or quality system conducted within 30 calendar days of the certification anniversary date.

Ready-To-Cook Food

Food requiring cooking or other processing to eliminate or reduce microorganisms of concern to acceptable levels.

Ready-To-Eat Food

Food intended for direct human consumption without further cooking.

Ready-To-Heat Food

Food suitable for direct human consumption without cooking, where heating improves palatability.

Recognised Laboratory Accreditation

Accreditation of laboratories by competent national or international bodies, widely recognized (e.g., ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for testing and calibration laboratories).

Recoup

A product that remains intact, requires no further processing, and is only repackaged for distribution.

Reference Sample

Agreed product or component sample used by the manufacturer as a reference during production.

Requirement

A stated, generally implied, or obligatory need or expectation. A specified requirement is one explicitly documented.

Residues of Veterinary Drugs

Parent compounds, metabolites, or impurities of veterinary drugs present in edible portions of animal products.

Retail Brand

A trademark, logo, copyright, or address belonging to a retailer.

Retailer

A business selling products directly to the public.

Retailer-Branded Products

Products carrying a retailer’s identity (e.g., logo, trademark, address, ingredients) and considered the retailer’s legal responsibility.

Retained Production Sample

Representative product or component sample from a production run, kept for future reference.

Reviewer

A certification body staff member responsible for assessing audit reports prior to certification decisions.

Rework

Food, materials, or ingredients removed from normal product flow that require corrective action before being suitable for reuse or release.

Risk

1. The effect of uncertainty, defined as deviation from the expected outcome (positive or negative).
   • Uncertainty refers to incomplete information about an event, its consequence, or likelihood.
   • Food safety risk is the probability and severity of adverse health effects caused by food hazards (Codex Procedural Manual).
2. The likelihood of harm resulting from a hazard.

Risk Analysis

A process with three components: risk assessment, risk management, and risk communication.

Risk Assessment

1. The identification, evaluation, and estimation of risks to determine appropriate controls.
2. A scientifically based process including: (i) hazard identification, (ii) hazard characterization, (iii) exposure assessment, and (iv) risk characterization.

Risk Characterization

Qualitative and/or quantitative estimation (including uncertainties) of the probability and severity of adverse health effects in a population, based on hazard identification, characterization, and exposure assessment.

Risk Estimate

A qualitative or quantitative estimation of risk derived from risk characterization.

Risk Management

The process of evaluating policy options, consulting stakeholders, and selecting prevention and control measures, considering risk assessment outcomes, consumer health protection, and fair trade practices.

Risk Profile

A description of a food safety problem and its context.

Root Cause

The underlying reason for a problem; when addressed effectively, it prevents recurrence.

Sampling Plan

A documented plan specifying the number of samples to be selected and the acceptance or rejection criteria.

Satellite Depot

A warehouse or distribution site that receives products only from another site within the same company.

Schedule

A structured timetable detailing actions and/or their timing.

Scope of Certification

The food sector categories and products covered by a certification.

Season or Seasonal

A defined period, usually not exceeding five consecutive months in a calendar year, during which the major activity (e.g., harvesting, packing) takes place.

Seasonal Products

Products processed at a specific time of year, or through processes performed only at certain times, producing different products than those made year-round.

Secondary Packaging

Packaging used to group and transport sales units to the retail environment.

Senior Management

Individuals with strategic or high-level operational responsibility, authorized to allocate financial or human resources for implementing the Standard.

Senior Site Management

The highest-level individuals on-site responsible for business operations and the implementation and continual improvement of the food safety and quality management system.

Shall

Indicates a mandatory requirement.

Should

Indicates an expected requirement, though not mandatory.

Significant Food Safety Hazard

A hazard identified during hazard assessment that must be controlled through specific control measures.

Site

Any food-related business engaged in production, manufacturing, processing, transport, storage, distribution, or sale of food, beverages, packaging, animal feed, or pet food, or providing related services, audited and certified by a licensed certification body.

Site Audit

An on-site review of products and processes to evaluate the effective implementation of the documented food safety management system, including certification audits.

Specification

A precise description of a material, product, or service.

Specifier

An individual or organization requesting a product or service.

SQF Practitioner

A designated individual responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, review, and maintenance of a site’s SQF System.

Step

A point, procedure, operation, or stage in the food chain, from raw materials and primary production to final consumption.

Sterilisation

A process applied to products in final packaging (e.g., milk, soups, beverages) to achieve commercial sterility and extend shelf life under ambient conditions, primarily by inactivating heat-resistant spores such as Clostridium botulinum.

Supplier

An entity providing a product or service to a site.

Surveillance Audit

A routine audit of a site with current certification, performed to verify ongoing compliance.

Suspension

Temporary withdrawal of certification pending corrective actions by the company.

System

A set of interrelated or interacting elements forming a structured, sustainable course of action. Systems typically include documentation, procedures, controls, corrective actions, and monitoring processes.

Technical Expert

An individual with proven expertise and technical competence in a food sector category, with a strong understanding of the HACCP method.

Threat

An identified risk that, if not controlled, could negatively affect the product.

Top Management

The person or group of people who direct and control an organization at the highest level, with authority to delegate responsibilities and allocate resources.

Traceability

The ability to track and follow raw materials (including packaging), components, and products through all stages of receipt, production, processing, and distribution, both forward and backward along the supply chain.

Traceability / Product Tracing

The ability to track the movement of a food product through specified stages of production, processing, and distribution.

Traded Goods

Products not manufactured or processed on-site, but purchased and sold by the organization.

Trademarks

Recognizable labels, logos, or marks identifying raw materials or finished products with a specific producer, manufacturer, or retailer.

Trend

A recurring or identifiable pattern observed in results over time.

Unannounced Audit

An audit conducted on a date not disclosed to the company in advance.

Update

An immediate or planned activity to ensure the use of the most current information.

Utilities

Essential commodities or services, such as electricity and water.

Validation

The process of obtaining evidence that a control measure (or combination of measures) is capable of effectively controlling a significant food safety hazard. Validation is carried out when a control measure is designed, or when changes are made to the implemented control measures.

Vehicle

Any device used to transport products, capable of moving on highways, waterways, or airways.

Verification

1. The application of methods, procedures, tests, and other evaluations, in addition to monitoring, to determine compliance with the HACCP plan.
2. The confirmation, through objective evidence, that specified requirements have been fulfilled.

Verification Schedule

A documented schedule defining the frequency and responsibility for conducting verification activities to confirm that the HACCP study was correctly completed, that the food safety management system complies with the food safety plan, and that it remains effective.

Veterinary Drug

Any substance administered to food-producing animals (e.g., meat, milk, poultry, fish, or bees) for therapeutic, prophylactic, diagnostic purposes, or to modify physiological functions or behavior.

Vision and Mission Statement

A statement issued by senior site management outlining the site’s quality goals and objectives. It may be included within, or presented separately from, the site’s food safety policy.

Water Treatment

The microbiological, chemical, or physical treatment of water to ensure it is potable and suitable for processing or cleaning.

Work in Progress / Work in Process

Partially manufactured products, intermediate products, or materials awaiting completion of the manufacturing process.

Workwear

Authorized clothing designed to protect the product from potential contamination by the wearer.

• Audit
• CAPA
• ccontamination
• certificate
• digitalization
• EMP & Lab
• food safety
• Inspections
• ISO/TS 22002-1:2009
• listeria
• PRP
• rapid testing
• risk analysis
• risk management
• salmonella
• Sanitation
• smart food safety