Glossary of the food sector

Good Agricultural Practice (GAP)

Safe use of plant protection products recommended, authorized, or registered at national level, under field conditions, at all stages of production, storage, transport, distribution, and processing of food and feed products; this also involves the application, in accordance with Directive 91/414/EEC, of ​​the principles of integrated pest management in a given climate zone, as well as the use of minimum levels of pesticides and the setting of MRLs/temporary MRLs at the lowest level that achieves the desired effect.

— Source: Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, Art. 3(2)(a)

Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) criticism

The GAP, which, when more than one GAP exists for an active substance/product combination, results in the highest acceptable level of pesticide residues in a treated crop and forms the basis for setting the MRL.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 396/2005, Art. 3(2)(b)

Good experimental practice

Practice compliant with the provisions of Guidelines 181 and 152 of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO).

—Source: Reg. (EU) 1107/2009, Art. 3(20)

Good laboratory practice

Practice defined in point 2.1 of Annex I to Directive 2004/10/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 February 2004 on the approximation of laws, regulations, and administrative provisions relating to the application of the principles of good laboratory practice and the verification of their applications for tests on chemical substances.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 1107/2009, Art. 3(19)

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

Quality assurance aspects that ensure that materials and articles are consistently manufactured and controlled to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and quality standards appropriate to their intended use, without posing a risk to human health or causing unacceptable changes to the composition of the food product or a deterioration in its organoleptic characteristics.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/2006, Art. 3(a)

Good phytosanitary practice

The practice of selecting, calibrating, and scheduling treatments involving the application of plant protection products to specific plants or plant products, in accordance with their authorized uses, so as to ensure acceptable efficacy with the minimum necessary amount, taking due account of local conditions and the possibilities of cultural and biological control.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 1107/2009, Art. 3(18)

GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) (US term)

Any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excepted by the definition of a food additive.

Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Act, and FDA's implementing regulations in 21 CFR 170.3 and 21 CFR 170.30, the use of a food substance may be GRAS either through scientific procedures or, for a substance used in food before 1958, through experience based on common use in food Under 21 CFR 170.30(b), general recognition of safety through scientific procedures requires the same quantity and quality of scientific evidence as is required to obtain approval of the substance as a food additive. General recognition of safety through scientific procedures is based upon the application of generally available and accepted scientific data, information, or methods, which ordinarily are published, as well as the application of scientific principles, and may be corroborated by the application of unpublished scientific data, information, or methods.

Under 21 CFR 170.30(c) and 170.3(f), general recognition of safety through experience based on common use in foods requires a substantial history of consumption for food use by a significant number of consumers.

— Source: FFDCA Sec. 201(s); 21 CFR 170.3

Greaves

The protein residues from the melting process [of the fat parts, Editor's note], after partial separation of fat and water.

—Source: Reg. (EC) 853/2004, Annex I

Greenhouse

A closed, static, and accessible environment used for crop production, featuring a typically translucent outer covering that allows for a controlled exchange of matter and energy with the surrounding environment and prevents the release of plant protection products into the environment. For the purposes of this Regulation, closed environments used for plant production whose outer covering is not translucent (e.g., for mushroom or endive production) are also considered greenhouses.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 1107/2009, Art. 3(27)

Growing vegetables in soil

Production on living soil or on soil mixed or fertilized with materials and products permitted in organic production, in combination with subsoil and rock substrate.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(70)

Harmful organism

Harmful organism as defined in Article 1(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/2031 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

—Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(24)

Harmful organisms

Any species, strain, or biotype belonging to the animal or plant kingdom, as well as other pathogens harmful to plants or plant products.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 1107/2009, Art. 3(7)

Harmonized standard

Harmonized standard pursuant to Article 2(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012.

—Source: Regulation (EU) 2019/1009, art. 2, point 17

Hatchery

A site intended for the breeding, incubation, and early-life rearing of aquaculture animals, particularly fish, molluscs, and crustaceans.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(36)

Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls (HARPC) (US term)

A risk-based food safety management system requiring hazard analysis and implementation of preventive controls.

— Source: FSMA; 21 CFR 117 Subpart C