Glossary/en

Glossary

Biocide or biocidal product	Active substance (or preparations containing one or more active substances) intended to destroy, deter or exert a controlling effect on harmful organisms by chemical or biological means. The term biocide (or biocidal product) implies that the active substance(s) are present in a form or product which can be supplied to the user (cp. Directive 98/8/EC).
Codex Alimentarius	(Latin for “food code”) Collection of internationally adopted food standards, guidelines and codes of practice. Although the standards described in the “Codex Alimentarius” are not binding, they serve as a guideline for national food-law regulations. Codex Alimentarius follows the principle that consumers have a right to expect their food to be safe, of good quality and suitable for consumption. The Codex Alimentarius is prepared by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, a working group of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), consisting of 188 Codex Members and 219 Codex Observers.
Codex Contact Point	Codex Contact Points act as the link between the Codex Alimentarius Secretariat and member countries. Codex Contact Points receive all Codex final texts (standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other advisory texts) and working documents of Codex sessions and ensure that they are circulated to those concerned within their own countries.
Competent authority	An organisation that has the legally delegated authority to perform a designated function.
Contaminant	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. Extraneous matter, such as, for example, insect fragments, animal hair, etc, is not covered by this definition (Regulation (EEC) No. 315/93).
Drinking water	Water from the tap, intended for human consumption.
EFSA Focal Point	EFSA Focal Points act as link between the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and EU Member States and neighbouring countries.
EU Directive	EU Directives are legislative acts of the EU, which have to be implemented into national law by the Member States.
EU Regulation	EU regulations apply directly in all Member States of the EU without the Member State having to enact national laws.
Feed or Feedingstuff	Any substance or product, including additives, whether processed, partially processed or unprocessed, intended to be used for oral feeding to animals (Commission Recommendation 2011/25/EU).
Food or Foodstuff	Processed, partially processed or unprocessed product or substance intended or reasonably expected to be ingested by humans (Regulation (EC) No. 178/2002).
Food hygiene	Five keys of food hygiene defined by WHO: 1) Prevention of contaminating food with pathogens spreading from people, pets and pests; 2) Separation of raw and cooked foods to prevent contaminating the cooked foods; 3) Cooking of foods for the appropriate length of time and at the appropriate temperature to kill pathogens; 4) Storage of food at the proper temperature; 5) Use of safe water and raw materials.
Food safety	Food safety ensures that food consumption (according to its intended use) does not cause harm and/or foodborne illness to the consumer. Appropriate food hygiene contributes towards food safety; however the term food safety also includes the absence of harmful substances such as environmental contaminants or residues of veterinary medicinal products.
Food supplements	Nutrients or other substances with a nutritional or physiological effect aimed to supplement the normal diet. Food supplements are usually on the market as capsules, pastilles, tablets, pills, sachets of powder, ampoules of liquids, drop dispensing bottles, and other similar forms of liquids and powders designed to be taken in measured small unit quantities (Directive 2002/46/EC).
Genetic engineering	All modern molecular biology techniques used to isolate, manipulate and transfer genes from one organism to another.
Institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002	Organisations which are approved to undertake work on behalf of EFSA (i. e. data collection, preparatory work for the development of scientific opinions or other scientific and technical support). EFSA distributes “calls for proposals” which describe EFSA's research questions that need to be answered, and “Article 36 Organisations” can apply for the “job”. An up-to-date list of the institutions involved in the EFSA network pursuant to Article 36 Reg. (EC) No. 178/2002 is available in the internet at: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/art36listg.pdf
Mineral water	Bottled water for human consumption either a) natural mineral water, b) natural spring water or c) processed tap water. Natural mineral water is groundwater that has emerged from the ground and contains a certain amount of minerals. Spring water is also groundwater that has emerged from the ground but contains a lower amount of minerals. The icon does not refer to bottled water that is intended for medicinal purposes.
Multi-annual national control plans	A multi-annual national control plan describes how certain aspects of governmental control and inspection in the area of food and feed safety are organised, conducted and/or implemented. This includes the frequency of inspections, the distribution of inspections amongst business sectors and operators and number of samples to be analysed.
Novel food	Novel foods are foods and food ingredients that have not been used for human consumption to a significant degree within the EU before 15 May 1997. In order to ensure the highest level of protection of human health, novel foods must undergo a safety assessment before being placed on the EU market. Only those products considered to be safe for human consumption are authorised for marketing.
Plant protection products or Pesticides	Active substances and preparations containing one or more active substances intended to protect plants (or plant products) against harmful organisms. The term plant protection product (or pesticide) implies that the active substance(s) are present in a form or product which can be supplied to the user. Active substances in plant protection products may also destroy undesired plants or influence life processes of plants in a way other than as a nutrient (for example growth regulators).
Primary food production	Growth, cultivation, harvesting, collection or catching of food, for example harvesting, slaughter, milking or fishing. The term primary food production does not include substantial transformation of food, for example manufacturing or canning, or sale or service of food directly to the public.
RASFF Contact Point	The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) is an information exchange tool for national control authorities within the EU. RASFF has 35 members. Each member has an RASFF Contact Point. When a RASFF member has any information about a serious health risk from food or feed, it must immediately notify the European Commission using RASFF. In particular, Member States have to notify the Commission if they take measures such as withdrawing or recalling food or feed products from the market in order to protect consumers' health and if rapid action is required. The Commission immediately transmits the notification to all members of the network through the contact points.
REACH	Regulatory framework for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals to ensure greater safety in the manufacture and use of chemical substances.
Residue	Substance present in or on plants, plant products, edible animal products or drinking water resulting from the use of plant protection products or veterinary drugs, including their metabolites, breakdown or reaction products.
Residues of veterinary medicinal products	Substances contained in plants, plant products, edible animal products or drinking water which originate from the use of veterinary medicines, including metabolites, decomposition and reaction products.
Risk assessment	Scientific activity consisting of hazard identification, hazard characterisation, exposure assessment and risk characterisation.
Risk communication	Interactive exchange of information of risk assessors, risk managers, consumers, feed and food businesses, academic community and other interested parties with regard to risks, hazards and risk perceptions. Risk communication also includes explanation of scientific risk assessment and risk management decisions.
Risk management	Process of weighing policy alternatives, taking decisions and implementing control and inspection procedures to handle risk associated with the food chain.
Zoonosis	Any disease and/or infection which is naturally transmissible directly or indirectly between animals and humans.