1. Calibration is the comparison of measurement values delivered by a device under test with those of a calibration standard of known accuracy. Primary standards of measurement are used to provide traceability to customer's instruments by calibration.

2. Set of operations that establish, under specified conditions, the relationship between values of quantities indicated by a measuring instrument or measuring system, or values represented by a material measure or a reference material and the corresponding values realized by standards.

A step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.

A certified site at which activities are planned to control and manage a network of certified sub-sites within a multi-site programme.

A certificate is issued to a site by a licensed certification body following the successful completion of a food safety certification audit and/or a recertification audit.

Revocation of certification for a given period, pending remedial action on the part of the company.

Where certification is revoked. Certification may only be regained following successful completion of the full audit process.

Certification by a licensed certification body of a site’s food safety management system as complying with the relevant standard/scheme (e.g. SQF Code, BRC, etc.) as appropriate, following a certification audit or re-certification audit.

An audit of a site’s whole food safety management system, including a desk audit, where the site’s food safety management system is not currently certified.

An entity that has entered into a license agreement with the Food Safety Management Standard/Scheme authorizing it to certify a site’s food safety management system in accordance with the ISO / IEC 17065:2012 and the Standard/Scheme’s Criteria for Certification Bodies.

The period between a site’s certification/re-certification audits, typically annually.

A unique numerical provided by the Food Safety Management Standard/Scheme’s Owner and included in the certificate, issued to a site that has successfully completed a certification audit.

A specific requirement or statement of intent that a site must comply with in order to achieve certification.

The process of cleaning and disinfecting food processing equipment in its assembled position without the need for dismantling and cleaning the individual parts.

1. A body responsible for establishing internationally recognized standards, codes of practice and guidelines, of which HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is one standard

2. The internationally recognized entity whose purpose is to guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions, standards and requirements for foods, and to assist in their harmonization and, in doing so, to facilitate international trade. The Commission Secretariat comprises staff from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. The Codex Alimentarius Commission adopted the principles of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP).

The entity with legal ownership of the site which is being audited against a Food Safety Management Standard/Scheme.

Demonstrable ability to apply skills, knowledge, and understanding of a task or subject to achieve intended results.

Meeting the regulatory or customer requirements concerning product safety and legality.

Fulfillment of a requirement.

An expert in an area, a person who may be registered to assist in the development, validation, verification, implementation, and maintenance of a food safety management system on behalf of client site in the food industry categories appropriate to their scope of registration.

The end-user of the finished product, commodity or service.

Any substance not intentionally added to food, which is present in such food as a result of the production (including operations carried out in crop husbandry, animal husbandry and veterinary medicine), manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing, packaging, transport or holding of such food, or as a result of environmental contamination.

Introduction or occurrence of an unwanted organism, taint or substance to packaging, food or the food environment. Contamination includes physical, chemical, biological and allergen contamination. Contamination can also mean a correlation of packages among themselves.

Recurring activity to enhance performance.

Facilities that are contracted by a certified site to produce, process, pack and /or store part of or all of one or more products included in the site’s scope of certification. Contract manufacturers must follow the requirements outlined in the Food Safety Management Standard/Scheme.

A company that packages the final product into consumer packaging.

A person or organization providing services or materials.

To manage the conditions of an operation to maintain compliance with established criteria, and/or the state wherein correct procedures are being followed and criteria are being met.

The state wherein correct procedures are being followed and criteria are being met.

To take all necessary actions to ensure and maintain compliance with criteria established in the HACCP plan.

1. Any action and activity that can be used to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.

2. Action or activity that is essential to prevent a significant food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.

A document that is identifiable and for which revisions and removal from use can be tracked. The document is issued to identified individuals and their receipt of the document is recorded.

A thermal process designed to heat a food item to a minimum of 70°C for 2 minutes or equivalent. Alternative cooking processes may be accepted if they meet recognized national guidelines and are validated by scientific data.

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

1. Action to eliminate a detected non-conformity or deviation.

2. Action to eliminate a detected nonconformity. A correction includes the handling of potentially unsafe products and can, therefore, be made in conjunction with corrective action. A correction may be, for example, reprocessing, further processing and/or elimination of the adverse consequences of the non-conformity (such as disposal for other use or specific labeling).

1. Any action to be taken when the results of monitoring at the CCP indicate a loss of control.

2. Action to eliminate the cause of nonconformity and to prevent a recurrence. Corrective action includes cause analysis.

3. Action to eliminate the cause of a detected nonconformity or other undesirable situation. Corrective action includes:

• Determining & documenting any immediate action required and taken.
  
• Determining the cause of the problem.
  
• Evaluating action needed on the identified cause.
  
• Determining if the problem exists elsewhere in the system and implement actions needed.
  
• Documenting the actions taken and the results of the action taken.
  
• Reviewing, verifying and documenting the effectiveness of action taken with objective evidence.
  

4. Action to eliminate the cause of a detected nonconformity, deviation or other undesirable situation.

Identified by the hazard analysis as essential in order to control the likelihood of introducing or proliferation of food safety hazards in the product and/or the environment.

The process by which a site manages an event (e.g. flood, fire) that adversely affects the site’s ability to provide continuity of supply of safe food, and requires the implementation of a crisis management plan.

A step in the process at which control measure(s) is(are) applied to prevent or reduce a significant food safety hazard to an acceptable level, and defined critical limit(s) and measurement enable the application of corrections.

A measurable value which separates acceptability from unacceptability. Critical limits are established to determine whether a CCP remains in control. If a critical limit is exceeded or not met, the products affected are to be handled as potentially unsafe products.

Material is unloaded at distribution premises, and handled, but not formally put away into storage.

1. A business or person to whom a service or product has been provided.

2. A buyer or person that purchases goods or services from a certified site.

3. A customer is a business company or person to whom products are sold.

A structured approach to determining and addressing the needs of an organization to which the company supplies products and which may be measured by the use of performance indicators.