ANNEX
GLOSSARY
Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety
of Food (ACMSF): a non-statutory Committee
advising Ministers on the risks to humans of micro-organisms which
are used or can occur in food. The Committee also offers advice
on exercising powers under the Food Safety Act 1990
Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes
(ACNFP): a non-statutory Committee providing
Ministers with advice on the irradiation of foodstuffs, and the
manufacture of novel foods including genetically-modified foods
and foods produced by novel processes
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE):
a degenerative brain disorder affecting cattle, one of the family
of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. A number of scientific
theories have been advanced regarding BSE's origins, including
the contamination of cattle feed with infective agents derived
from sheep carcasses, but precise causes are unknown
Campylobacter spp.: a
bacterial species which is the most common source of food poisoning
incidence in humans in the UK. The principal livestock reservoir
for this species is poultry, although infectious outbreaks have
been associated with milk and with contaminated water. The Campylobacter
group consists of 17 strains whose transmissibility to humans
is little understood
ciprofloxacin: an antibiotic
for controlling infectious intestinal diseases in humans
Clostridium botulinum:
a strain (q.v.) of the Clostridium bacteria
producing a potent toxin which can cause fatalities in humans
coccidiostat: an antibiotic
for controlling intestinal parasites found principally in poultry
Cryptosporidium parvum:
a parasitic micro-organism which can potentially act as a vector
of disease in humans
E.coli O157:H7 (commonly
abbreviated to E.coli O157): A strain (q.v.) of the bacterium
Escherichia coli. While many strains of E.coli cause
no adverse health problems for humans or animals, E.coli
O157 is highly virulent and often toxin-producing. It is the predominant
cause of verocytotoxin (q.v.) poisoning in humans, sometimes
resulting in haemolytic uraemic syndrome (q.v) and in extreme
cases death. The major livestock reservoirs for this bacteria
are cattle and sheep
EHO: Environmental Health
Officer. A local authority official responsible for enforcing
food hygiene legislation, among other responsibilities
eurofloxacin: one of the
fluoroquinolone (q.v.)-derived antibiotics
fluoroquinolone: a type
of antibiotic used prophylactically in poultry feedingstuffs to
enhance growth
Food Advisory Committee:
a non-statutory Committee advising Ministers on the labelling,
composition and chemical safety of food
haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS):
a clinical condition characterised in humans by anaemia and kidney
failure, which can be caused by E.coli O157 food poisoning
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points):
a structured approach to identifying food safety problems within
individual food businesses, and to controlling these problems
Hygiene Assessment System:
a system instituted by the Meat Hygiene Service (q.v.)
for assessing the cleanliness of abattoirs. On the basis of abattoir
inspections made by MHS staff using the Hygiene Assessment System,
abattoirs are assigned an individual Hygiene Assessment Score
infectious intestinal disease(IID):
any disease affecting humans and characterised by nausea, vomiting
and diarrhoea. Such diseases are often but not always foodborne
Listeria monocytogenes:
a strain (q.v.) of the bacterial species Listeria
found in soft cheeses and chilled meat products such as pâtés,
among other foods, and a cause of infectious intestinal disease
(q.v.) in humans. In pregnant women, it is possible for
L. monocytogenes to be passed from mother to child or in
extreme cases for the bacteria to cause miscarriage
Meat Hygiene Service (MHS):
An Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food with among other duties responsibility for carrying out
meat hygiene inspections at abattoirs and meat cutting plants
new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
(nvCJD): a degenerative brain disorder in humans, invariably
fatal, and analogous to BSE (q.v.) with which it has been
linked
outbreak: two or more
cases of illness linked to a common cause, affecting members of
more than one family or residents of an institution
pathogen: any micro-organism
causing disease
Pennington Group: An Expert
Group chaired by Professor Hugh Pennington set up by the previous
Government on 28 November 1996 to investigate the infectious outbreak
of E.coli O157 in central Scotland. The Pennington Group
was convened from December 1996 until March 1997, and submitted
its final Report in April of that year
Pesticides Safety Directorate (PSD):
An Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and
Food with among other duties responsibility for licensing all
pesticides used in the UK
Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS):
An organisation providing microbiological services to assist health
and local authorities in the investigation of outbreaks (q.v.)
of infection, as well as clinical diagnostic services to NHS Trusts
and General Practitioners
Salmonella spp.: a bacterial
species consisting of over 200 strains (q.v.). and causing
infectious intestinal disease (q.v.) in livestock (principally
poultry) and in humans. Salmonella enteritidis PT4 is still
the most common form of Salmonella infection in humans,
but Salmonella typhimurium DT104, the second most common
strain, is emerging as a more significant problem because of its
resistance to certain antibiotics
strain: a population of
bacteria within a species or sub-species identified by typing
(q.v.)
typing: any scientific
method used to distinguish between closely related micro-organisms
verocytotoxin: a poisonous
substance produced by the bacteria E.coli O157
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD):
An Executive Agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries
and Food with among other duties responsibility for the licensing
of veterinary medicines
VTEC: verocytotoxin (q.v.)-producing
E.coli. E.coli O157:H7 is the form of VTEC most
commonly associated with food poisoning
zoonosis: an animal disease
transmissible to humans
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