WHAT IS THE DEFINITION ACCORDING TO DUBAI MUNICIPALITY

Definitions

Audit: A systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining audit evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled.

Auditor: The person with necessary competency in food safety approved by Dubai Municipality to conduct an audit.

Authorised Officer/Person: An Authorised person from the Food Control Department who can conduct inspections or investigations in food establishments.

Cleaning: The process of removing soil, food residues, dirt, grease and other objectionable matter.

Codex: Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), a United Nations Organisation that supports FAO and WHO by developing food standards, guidelines and Codes of practice.

Concerned Department: Departments of Dubai Municipality authorised to ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

Contamination: The introduction or occurrence of a contaminant in food or the food environment.

Control Measure: An action or activity that can be used to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level.

Corrective action: An Action to be taken when the results of monitoring at the CCP indicate a loss of control.

Disinfection: The reduction of microbial load, by means of hygienic chemical or physical agents, to a level that will not compromise food stability or lead to harmful contamination of food.
Equivalent: In respect to different systems, capable of meeting the same objectives.

Food: Any substance or product intended to be or reasonably expected to be ingested by people. This includes beverages and drinks (except alcohol), chewing gum and any substance including water.

Food Establishment/Food Business: Any place where food is manufactured, prepared, traded or sold directly or indirectly to the consumer. The term includes any such place regardless of whether

consumption is on or off the premises. The term includes but is not limited to trading companies, manufacturing companies, hotels, restaurants, cafés, cafeterias, caterers in hospitals, private clubs, caterers or cafeterias in labour camps, public and private educational bodies, groceries, supermarkets, meat and fish shops, bakeries, mobile vendors, temporary kitchens and snack houses in petrol stations. Unless specified otherwise, the term refers to establishments located in the Emirate of Dubai.

Food Establishment/Food Business Operators: A ‘food business operator’ means the person who is actively engaged in running the food establishment and is responsible for ensuring that the legal requirements are met.

Food Handler: Any person handling food directly or indirectly in a food establishment, whether packaged or unpackaged food, food equipment and utensils or food contact surfaces.

Food Hygiene: All conditions and measures necessary to control hazards and ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food chain.

Food Safety Course/Qualification: A course/qualification approved by the Department in accordance with the provisions of this Code.

Food Safety Programme: A food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP.

Food Transportation Vehicle: Any mode of transport, designated for food, whether self-propelled or not and whether used on land, sea or in the air.

Food Service Establishments: Food establishments such as catering, restaurants, cafeteria, cafe and supermarkets etc. that sell portions of foods directly to the consumers for immediate consumption either on-site or off-site. The definition excludes business activities such as manufacturing, processing, trading, grocery stores etc.

Good Hygiene Practices: All practices regarding the conditions and measures necessary to ensure the safety and suitability of food at all stages of the food chain.

HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point): A preventive system of food safety management that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards which are significant to food safety based on product design, hazard analysis and process control.

HACCP plan: A document prepared in accordance with the principles of HACCP to ensure control of hazards that are significant for food safety in the segment of the food chain under consideration.

Hazard: A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the potential to cause an adverse effect.

Hazard analysis: The process of collecting and evaluating information on hazards and conditions leading to their presence to decide which are significant for food safety and therefore should be addressed in the HACCP plan.

High–Risk Foods: High-risk foods are foods which will support the growth of food poisoning bacteria or the formation of toxins AND which are ready to eat.

Foods such as:
- ready to eat foods such as sandwiches, pizzas, hot meals;
- cooked products containing meat, fish, cheese etc.;
- cooked products that are reheated and served – pies, ready made meals, etc.;
- smoked or cured meats and fish;
- raw ready to eat foods -e.g. Oysters, Kebneyah, Sushi;
- dairy based desserts;
- ripened soft or moulded cheese – e.g. Brie, Danish Blue, etc.;
- prepared vegetable salads including those containing fruit;
- foods labelled/described as needing to be kept at a specific temperature;
- frozen food such as ice cream.

Packaging: Any operation consisting of placing the food in containers (i.e. primary packaging) or placing the food containers in further packaging material (i.e. secondary packaging).

Raw Animal Foods: Raw foods of animal origin such as meat, poultry products, fish, shellfish etc. that are likely to be contaminated with pathogenic or spoilage microorganisms. They are usually stored chilled or frozen to minimise spoilage

Person in Charge: A person directly responsible for the food related operations in the food establishment and has direct authority, control or supervision over employees who engage in the storage, preparation, display, or service of foods.

Pests: The term pest in this document refers to any undesirable animal or insects including, but not limited to, birds, rodents, flies, larvae etc. that live in or on our food and are objectionable or a nuisance.

Potable Water: Drinking water that is pure and healthy at the point of usage, and meets the requirements of Gulf Standards.

Primary Product: Products of primary production including products of the soil, farming and fishing.

Processing: Action(s) that substantially alters the initial product, including heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of those processes.

Raw Food: Food that is neither cooked nor heat processed.

Ready-to-Eat Foods: Any food for consumption without further treatment or processing. Examples of ready-to-eat food items may include: sliced cooked meats, cooked meat products and preparations, cooked/roast chickens, sandwiches and filled rolls, dairy products such as milk and cheese, fruits, pre washed/ topped and tailed vegetables, prepared vegetable salads, whole salad items such as tomatoes or cucumbers, open and canned ready-to-eat fish and fish products such as salmon, tuna or sardines, shellfish, preserves and jams, condiments, bread, confectionery and biscuits.

Recall: A recall is an action taken to remove from distribution, sale and consumption, food which may pose a health risk to consumers.

Shelf- life: The period during which a food product maintains its microbiological safety and suitability at a specified storage temperature and where appropriate, specified storage and handling conditions.

Traceability: The ability to track any food, feed, food-producing animal or substance that will be used for consumption, through all stages of production, processing and distribution.

Validation: Obtaining evidence that a control measure or combination of control measures, if properly implemented, is capable of controlling the hazard to a specified outcome.

Verification: The application of methods, procedures, tests and other evaluations, in addition to monitoring, to determine whether a control measure is or has been operating as intended.