Glossary of the food sector

Precautionary measures

The measures that must be taken by operators at all stages of production, preparation, and distribution to prevent contamination by products or substances not authorized for use in organic production in accordance with this Regulation and to prevent the mixing of organic and non-organic products.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(5)

Preparation

Preservation or processing operations of organic or in-conversion products, or any other operation performed on an unprocessed product without modifying the initial product, such as slaughter, cutting, cleaning, or grinding, as well as packaging, labeling, or changes to the labeling with regard to organic production.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(44)

Prepared fishery products

Unprocessed fishery products subjected to operations such as gutting, heading, slicing, filleting, and mincing.

—Source: Regulation (EC) 853/2004, Annex I

Pressure sterilization [ref. animal by-products or products derived from them, Ed.]

Treatment of animal by-products, after reduction to particles no larger than 50 mm, at a core temperature exceeding 133°C for at least 20 minutes without interruption, at an absolute pressure of at least 3 bar.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 1069/2009, Art. 3(19)

Preventive Controls (US term)

(a) (1) You must identify and implement preventive controls to provide assurances that any hazards requiring a preventive control will be significantly minimized or prevented and the food manufactured, processed, packed, or held by your facility will not be adulterated under section 402 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act or misbranded under section 403(w) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

(2) Preventive controls required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section include:

-- (i) Controls at critical control points (CCPs), if there are any CCPs; and

-- (ii) Controls, other than those at CCPs, that are also appropriate for food safety.

(b) Preventive controls must be written.

(c) Preventive controls include, as appropriate to the facility and the food:

(1) Process controls. Process controls include procedures, practices, and processes to ensure the control of parameters during operations such as heat processing, acidifying, irradiating, and refrigerating foods. Process controls must include, as appropriate to the nature of the applicable control and its role in the facility's food safety system:

-- (i) Parameters associated with the control of the hazard; and

-- (ii) The maximum or minimum value, or combination of values, to which any biological, chemical, or physical parameter must be controlled to significantly minimize or prevent a hazard requiring a process control.

(2) Food allergen controls. Food allergen controls include procedures, practices, and processes to control food allergens. Food allergen controls must include those procedures, practices, and processes employed for:

-- (i) Ensuring protection of food from allergen cross-contact, including during storage, handling, and use; and

-- (ii) Labeling the finished food, including ensuring that the finished food is not misbranded under section 403(w) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

(3) Sanitation controls. Sanitation controls include procedures, practices, and processes to ensure that the facility is maintained in a sanitary condition adequate to significantly minimize or prevent hazards such as environmental pathogens, biological hazards due to employee handling, and food allergen hazards. Sanitation controls must include, as appropriate to the facility and the food, procedures, practices, and processes for the:

-- (i) Cleanliness of food-contact surfaces, including food-contact surfaces of utensils and equipment;

-- (ii) Prevention of allergen cross-contact and cross-contamination from insanitary objects and from personnel to food, food packaging material, and other food-contact surfaces and from raw product to processed product.

(4) Supply-chain controls. Supply-chain controls include the supply-chain program as required by subpart G of this part.

(5) Recall plan. Recall plan as required by § 117.139.

(6) Other controls. Preventive controls include any other procedures, practices, and processes necessary to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section. Examples of other controls include hygiene training and other current good manufacturing practices.

— Source: FSMA; 21 CFR 117.135

Preventive measures

Measures that must be taken by operators at each stage of production, preparation, and distribution to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and soil quality, measures to prevent and control harmful organisms and diseases, and measures to avoid adverse effects on the environment, animal health, and plant health.

— Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(4)

Primary ingredient

The ingredient or ingredients of a food that represent more than 50% of that food or that are usually associated with the name of that food by the consumer and for which, in most cases, a quantitative indication is required.

— Source: Reg. (EU) 1169/2011, Art. 2(2)(q)

Primary production

All stages of production, rearing, or cultivation of primary products, including harvesting, milking, and livestock production prior to slaughter, including hunting, fishing, and the gathering of wild products.

— Source: Regulation (EC) 178/2002, Art. 3(17)

Primary products

Products of primary production, including products of the soil, livestock farming, hunting, and fishing.

—Source: Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004, Art. 2(1)(b)

Process hygiene criterion

A criterion that defines the acceptable performance of the production process. This criterion, which does not apply to products placed on the market, establishes an indicative contamination level above which corrective measures are required to maintain the hygiene of the production process in compliance with food legislation.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 2073/2005, Art. 2(d)

Processed fishery products

Processed products resulting from the processing of fishery products or from the further processing of such processed products.

—Source: Regulation (EC) No 853/2004, Annex I

Processed products

Food products obtained from the processing of unprocessed products. These products may contain ingredients necessary for their processing or to give them specific characteristics.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 852/2004, Art. 2(1)(o)

Processed products

Processed products pursuant to Article 2(1)(o) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, regardless of packaging or labeling operations.

—Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/848, Art. 3(72)

Produced from GMOs

A product derived, in whole or in part, from GMOs, but which does not contain or consist of them.

— Source: Reg. (EC) 1829/2003, Art. 2(10)

Producer (bivalve molluscs)

The natural or legal person who harvests live bivalve molluscs for processing and placing them on the market.

—Source: Regulation (EC) 853/2004, Annex I