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Understanding food safety techniques first requires an understanding of key terms and concepts. This article will define and explain some of the most important terms you need to know to keep you and your family healthy.

BACTERIA: Microorganisms that can cause food borne illness and food spoilage. Bacteria are more commonly involved in food-related illness than viruses, fungi, or parasites. Some bacteria spores can survive freezing and high temperatures.

CONTAMINATION: The presence of harmful substances in food. Some contamination occurs naturally. Some may be introduced by humans or other environmental agents.

CROSS-CONTAMINATION: When harmful substances or bacteria is physically transferred from one source (e.g. human) to another.

FOOD CONTACT SURFACE: Any surface that touches food.

FOODBORNE ILLNESS: Sickness or disease transmitted to people via food.

FUNGI: Molds and yeasts are examples of fungi. Fungi can range in size from microscopic single-celled organisms to large, multi-cellular organisms. Fungi are often the cause of food spoilage.

INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT: Programs to prevent pests from infesting food sources and serving establishments and measures to eliminate any pest intrusions.

MICROORGANISMS: Tiny living organisms that can be seen using a microscope.
The four types of microorganisms that can contaminate food and cause food borne illness are bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi.

PARASITE: An organism that needs a host organism to survive. Parasites can live inside many animals that are used for food including cows, chickens, pigs and fish. Proper heating, cooking and freezing kills parasites. Avoiding cross-contamination and proper hand washing is also vital in preventing food borne illness caused by parasites.

PATHOGENS: Microorganisms that cause disease including disease in food.

POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS FOOD: Types of food in which microorganisms are able to grow quickly. Potentially hazardous food groups often has a history of being involved in food borne illness outbreaks, has potential for contamination due to methods used to produce and process it, and has characteristics that generally allow microorganisms to thrive. Potentially hazardous food is often moist, high in protein, and chemically neutral or slightly acidic.

PRODUCE TRACEABILITY: The ability to accurately track fresh produce from its point of origin (field) to the time of purchase by the end consumer. Complete traceability, known as whole chain traceability.

SANITIZE: The action and process of reducing the number of harmful microorganisms on a surface to make it safe for contact with food.

TOXINS: Harmful substances or poisons.

VIRUS: The smallest microbial food contaminants. Viruses require a live host to survive and reproduce. Virus usually contaminates food via a food handlers insufficient and improper handling and hygiene. Virus can survive some cooking and freezing temperatures.

The 15 terms described above are examples of the most important core food safety terms. Use this information to as a starting point for your deeper research.

It is necessary that all individuals are prepared against potential disaster. It is impossible to be aware of exactly when an emergency might strike, and as such, one should take extensive actions to ensure that he or she knows exactly what to do in any situation. The implications of disaster preparation are numerous, and the process of readying oneself for emergency situations can seem daunting. Although, one can best protect himself or herself by starting with the basics.

The initial important step in amassing one’s stockpile would be to make it possible for one possesses a well balanced assortment of food items. It may be true that preservative-laden potato chips and snack foods will keep for many months, but if one ever had to actually use his or her foods stockpile, these food does not supply one with the energy and nutrients that his or her body demands. One should therefore ensure that the foodstuff in his or her stockpile represent every one of the significant nutrients that people demand for survival. This includes proteins, carbohydrates, and quality fats, plus a vast range of nutritional vitamins and minerals. Survival schools or a survival blog can be consulted for a entire checklist of the nutrients that the human body requires on a daily basis.

An easy way to make sure that one’s foods for an emergency features the vital nutrients would be to take on foods from several different groups. Although nutrition bars are very useful components of a survival kit, one should not rely completely on these snacks for his or her emergency sustenance. Great additions to a foodstuff stockpile would include nuts, dried fruit, jerky, crackers, canned beans and vegetables, and pretzels. One can visit a survival blog for more food ideas.

After collecting all of the vital components of his or her stockpile, a person needs to store his or her foodstuff in a protected place. The storage site needs to be very easily accessible even if the condition of one’s home has been affected by the disaster; for instance, if one lives in an site that is quickly flooded, then he or she should be certain to keep the foodstuff stockpile in the upper reaches of a cupboard or shelf making sure that the food items is not damaged. An emergency blog based in one’s specific location can be advantageous in determining a good location to keep one’s foodstuff for survival.

Eventually, it is required that one refreshes the meals in his or her stockpile on a regular basis. Many families setup a stash of crisis food and then overlook it over time. One really should be certain to check the stockpile each six months or so, changing any expired or spoiled foods as a way to assure optimal health in the case of a disaster.