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Acid foods - Foods which contain enough acid to result in a pH of 4.6 or lower. Includes all fruits except figs; most tomatoes; fermented and pickled vegetables; relishes; and jams, jellies, and marmalades. Acid foods may be processed in boiling water. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Agglutination the sticking together as with glue.
Altitude - The vertical elevation of a location above sea level.
This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Ascorbic acid - The chemical name for vitamin C. Lemon juice contains large quantities of ascorbic acid and is commonly used to prevent browning of peeled, light-colored fruits and vegetables. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Bacteria - A large group of one-celled microorganisms widely distributed in nature. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Bacteriocins are protein-containing substances that exert an antimicrobial action on susceptible microorganisms.
Blancher - A 6 to 8 quart lidded pot designed with a fitted perforated basket to hold food in boiling water, or with a fitted rack to steam foods. Useful for loosening skins on fruits to be peeled, or for heating foods to be hot packed. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Boiling-water canner - A large standard-sized lidded kettle with jar rack, designed for heat-processing 7 quarts or 8 to 9 pints in boiling water. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Botulism - An illness caused by eating toxin produced by growth of Clostridium botulinum bacteria in moist, low-acid food, containing less than 2 percent oxygen, and stored between 40 degrees and 120 degrees F. Proper heat processing destroys this bacterium in canned food. Freezer temperatures inhibit its growth in frozen food. Low moisture controls its growth in dried food. High oxygen controls its growth in fresh foods. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Canning - A method of preserving food in air-tight vacuum-sealed containers and heat processing sufficiently to enable storing the food at normal-home temperatures. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Canning salt - Also called pickling salt. It is regular table salt without the anticaking or iodine additives. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Citric acid - A form of acid that can be added to canned foods. It increases the acidity of low-acid foods and may improve the flavor and color. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Cold pack - Canning procedure in which jars are filled with raw food. "Raw pack" is the preferred term for describing this practice. "Cold pack" is often used incorrectly to refer to foods that are open-kettle canned or jars that are heat-processed in boiling water. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Control Point (CP) is a position in a food processing or handling system where inadequate control would result in food contamination, but there are managemenbt programs, procedures, or practices downstream of this position to prevent the material or food from reaching the consumer.
Critical Control Point (CCP) is a position in the food processing or handling system where inadequate control would result in food contamination and there are no management programs, procedures, or practices downstream of this position to prevent the adulterated food from reaching the consumer. It is any point in the process where loss of control may result in a health risk.
Critical control point specification is acceptable performance criteria at any CCP.
Critical control point deviation refers to failure to meet specification acceptance criteria at any CCP.
Cross-contamination contamination of one substance by another, for example, cooked chicken is contaminated with Salmonella organisms when it is cut on the same board used for cutting the raw chicken.
Enteropathogenic causing illness in the intestinal tract.
Enzymes - Proteins in food which accelerate many flavor, color, texture, and nutritional changes, especially when food is cut, sliced, crushed, bruised, and exposed to air. Proper blanching or hot-packing practices destroy enzymes and improve food quality. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Exhausting - Removal of air from within and around food and from jars and canners. Blanching exhausts air from live food tissues. Exhausting or venting of pressure canners is necessary to prevent a risk of botulism in low-acid canned foods. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Fermentation - Changes in food caused by intentional growth of bacteria, yeast, or
mold.
Native bacteria ferment natural sugars to lactic acid, a major flavoring and preservative in
sauerkraut and in naturally fermented dills. Alcohol, vinegar, and some dairy products are also
fermented foods. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Fermentation the transformation of organic molecules into smaller ones by the action of microorganisms; for example, yeast ferments glucose to carbon dioxide and alcohol.
Food intoxication illness produced by microbial toxin production in a food product that is consumed; the toxin produces the illness.
Food infection illness produced by the presence and growth of pathogenic microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract; they are often, but not necessarily, present in large numbers.
Food Safety a judgment of the acceptability of the risk involved in eating a food; if risk is relatively low, a food substance may be considered safe.
Food Safety Hazards include all microbiological, chemical, and foreign materials that, if consumed, could cause injury or harm.
Gastroenteritis inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Goitrogen a substance that is capable of causing enlargement (goiter) of the thyroid gland in the neck gland.
HACCP design and implementation team is a group of individuals representing each operating deparment charged with the responsibility of developing and implementing the HACCP system.
Hazard a source of danger, long-or short-term, such as microbial food poisoning, cncer, birth defects, and so on.
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a system based on the principle that food safety issues can be eliminated or minimized by prevention during production rather than by prevention during production rather than by detection in the finished product.
Headspace - The unfilled space above food or liquid in jars. Allows for food expansion as jars are heated, and for forming vacuums as jars cool. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Heat processing - Treatment of jars with sufficient heat to enable storing food at normal home temperatures. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Hemorrhagic colitis bleeding and inflammtion of the colon or large intestine.
Hermetic seal - An absolutely airtight container seal which prevents reentry of air or microorganisms into packaged foods. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Hot pack - Heating of raw food in boiling water or steam and filling it hot into jars. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Hepatitis inflammation of the liver.
Jaundice a condition in which the skin and eyeballs become abnormally yellow due to the presence of bile pigments in the blood.
Lacquerd cans cans with an inner lcquer or enamel coating; the coating is of variable composition and overlies the basic tin-coated steel, protecting certain foods from discoloration.
Low-acid foods - Foods which contain very little acid and have a pH above 4.6. The acidity in these foods is insufficient to prevent the growth of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Vegetables, some tomatoes, figs, all meats, fish, seafoods, and some dairy foods are low acid. To control all risks of botulism, jars of these foods must be (1) heat processed in a pressure canner, or (2) acidified to a pH of 4.6 or lower before processing in boiling water. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Microorganisms - Independent organisms of microscopic size, including bacteria, yeast, and mold. When alive in a suitable environment, they grow rapidly and may divide or reproduce every 10 to 30 minutes. Therefore, they reach high populations very quickly. Undesirable microorganisms cause disease and food spoilage. Microorganisms are sometimes intentionally added to ferment foods, make antibiotics, and for other reasons. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Mold - A fungus-type microorganism whose growth on food is usually visible and colorful. Molds may grow on many foods, including acid foods like jams and jellies and canned fruits. Recommended heat processing and sealing practices prevent their growth on these foods. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Mycotoxins - Toxins produced by the growth of some molds on foods. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Mycotoxins toxins produced by molds.
Nisin is a bacteriocin approved by the Food and Drug Administration for addition to pasteurized process cheese spread.
Open - Kettle canning A non-recommended canning method. Food is supposedly adequately heat processed in a covered kettle, and then filled hot and sealed in sterile jars. Foods canned this way have low vacuums or too much air, which permits rapid loss of quality in foods. Moreover these foods often spoil because they become recontaminated while the jars are being filled. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Pasteurization - Heating of a specific food enough to destroy the most heat-resistant pathogenic or disease-causing microorganism known to be associated with that food. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Pasteurize to treat with mild heat to destroy pathogens-but not all microorganisms-present in a food product.
Pathogenic Foodborne Organisms or poisonous substances in foods, either upon arrival or at any time after their arrival-during storage, handling, and processing-at food service establishment.
pH expression of the degree of acidity on a scale of 1 to 14, 1 being most acid, 7 neutal, and 14 most alkaline.
pH - A measure of acidity or alkalinity. Values range from 0 to 14. A food is neutral when its pH is 7.0: lower values are increasingly more acidic; higher values are increasingly more alkaline. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Pickling - The practice of adding enough vinegar or lemon juice to a low-acid food
to lower
its pH to 4.6 or lower. Properly pickled foods may be safely heat processed in boiling water. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Potentially Hazardous Foods - those that are either likely to contain dangerously large quantities of pathogenic foodborne microorganisms or poisonous substances, or those that by their nature (e.g., amino acid composition, pH, water activity) support growth and consequent multiplication of pathogenic foodborne microorganisms that happen to be present.
Pressure canner - A specifically designed metal kettle with a lockable lid used for heat processing low-acid food. These canners have jar racks, one or more safety devices, systems for exhausting air, and a way to measure or control pressure. Canners with 20- to 21-quart capacity are common. The minimum volume of canner that can be used is 16-quart capacity, which will contain 7 quart jars. Use of pressure saucepans with less than 16-quart capacities is not recommended. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Process hazard analysis includes the methodology and procedures of detailed examination and evaluation of food processing and handling for the purpose of identifying the location and severity of food safety hazards. A complete analysis encompases all processes from the field to the final consumer.
Process hazard control chart is a document that summarizes all CCPs, hzards, monitoring procedures, deviation responses, and assigned responsibilities.
Process hazard control plan includes the written procedures, practices, and all documents that explain the methodology of protecting food from any substances that could cause injury or harm if consumed.
Product Safety Committee is a group of individuals representing each operating department charged with the responsibility of managing the HACCP system after development and implementation.
Protease an enzyme that breaks down or digests proteins.
Protozoa one-celled animals.
Raw pack - The practice of filling jars with raw, unheated food. Acceptable for
canning low-acid foods, but allows more rapid quality losses in acid foods heat processed in boiling water. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Risk a measure of the probability and severity of harm to human health.
Septicemia the presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the blood.
Salmonellosis illness produced by ingestion of Salmonella organisms.
Spice bag - A closeable fabric bag used to extract spice flavors in a pickling solution. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
<Spore an encapsulated resistant form of a microorganism.
Sterilize to destroy essentially all microorganisms.
Style of pack - Form of canned food, such as whole, sliced, piece, juice, or sauce. The term may also be used to reveal whether food is filled raw or hot into jars. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Vacuum - The state of negative pressure. Reflects how thoroughly air is removed from within a jar of processed food--the higher the vacuum, the less air left in the jar. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Yeasts - A group of microorganisms which reproduce by budding. They are used in fermenting some foods and in leavening breads. This term was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning", Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA. Reviewed 1994.
Updated: Wednesday, October 31, 2007. |
