Food Safety and Testing Microbiological Analysis Key Terms

Learn the terminology of food safety

Food safety and the microbiological testing of consumer products is a federally regulated business and is essential to the safety of consumers. Food products not only need to be tested for harmful contaminants, but also for potential allergens that could affect a specific part of the population. It is important that all food products go through a series of testing as products can pick up pathogens at any time during the production process. All food products need to go through many steps  before being approved for release to the public to avoid potential food safety hazards.

 

Contaminant

A contaminant is anything found in a food or beverage that should not be there. Contaminants can either be harmful or may just effect the flavor or texture of the food. Contaminants include everything from chemicals that are transferred to the food during processing to the wrong added flavoring.
Try: ExtoxNet explores some of the more harmful food contaminants.

Pathogen

Pathogens are harmful contaminants that can cause food-borne illnesses. These microorganisms, like Salmonella and Listeria, can be devastating to the intestinal tract or, at times, even be fatal if the body's immune system cannot combat them.
Try: The Pathogen Detection and Monitoring Database, maintained by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, details some of the most common food pathogens.

Mycotoxins

Mycotoxins are toxins released by fungi into the food supply and can, in turn, affect food products. The most common mycotoxins are found in grains, nuts and feeds.
Try: The Botany Department at The University of Hawaii at Manoa describes mycotoxins as well as how they can affect our food supply.

Food allergen

Only proteins are considered food allergens. Even trace amounts of residue from things such as peanuts, eggs and milk can trigger a reaction in people with food allergies, some of which can be severe. Due to the nature of reactions by some, the FDA requires proper labelling on products that contain possible food allergens.
Try: EMSL Analytical outlines the top food allergens they test for in food products.

GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe)

GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) refers to the approved status of food ingredients or additives. This recognition is determined by the FDA as to whether an ingredient or additive is safe for its intended use.
Try: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains how it identifies GRAS ingredients.

Turbidity

Turbidity is used to describe the lack of clarity in a liquid, oftentimes water. Turbidity refers to the cloudiness of a liquid caused by sediment that is either suspended or has been stirred up.
Try: Free Drinking Water details why turbidity shouldn't be ignored.

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