Food & Beverage Terminology
Technical terms, abbreviations and acronyms for the food and beverage industry: regulations, processes, certifications and supply chain.
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FSSC 22000
Food Safety System Certification 22000: a certification scheme for food safety management systems based on ISO 22000 plus sector-specific prerequisite programmes (ISO/TS 22002-x series). Recognized by GFSI.
GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative)
A business-driven initiative for the continuous improvement of food safety management systems throughout the supply chain. Benchmarks and recognizes standards including BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000 and SQF.
SQF (Safe Quality Food)
A GFSI-recognized certification scheme managed by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). Covers food safety (module 2) and food quality (module 3). Widely used in North America and Australia.
ATP Agreement
The Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs (ECE/TRANS/200): establishes technical requirements for vehicles and equipment used for temperature-controlled transport of perishable food products.
GS1
An international non-profit organization that develops and maintains global supply chain standards: barcodes (EAN/UPC), RFID (EPC), EDI (GS1 XML/EANCOM) and traceability standards for food chains.
GTIN (Global Trade Item Number)
The GS1 identifier for commercial products (encoded in EAN-13, EAN-8 and UPC-A barcodes on food packaging). Globally unique for each product variant.
EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)
Structured electronic exchange of commercial documents (purchase orders, invoices, delivery notes, ASNs) between food supply chain partners using standards such as GS1 XML or EDIFACT.
ASN (Advanced Shipping Notice)
An electronic document sent by the supplier to the customer before or concurrent with shipment, describing the detailed contents of the delivery (quantities, lots, packages, SSCC codes).
SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code)
An 18-digit GS1 code uniquely identifying a logistics unit (pallet, collective carton) in the supply chain. The fundamental identifier for lot-level logistics traceability.
GLN (Global Location Number)
A 13-digit GS1 code uniquely identifying physical locations (factories, warehouses, stores) or legal entities in the food supply chain. Used in EDI transactions and transport documents.
WMS (Warehouse Management System)
A software application managing warehouse operations: receiving, put-away, picking, packing and shipping. Integrated with ERP and MES for end-to-end lot traceability.
MES (Manufacturing Execution System)
A software system for real-time control and management of production processes. Links ERP to production lines, recording raw material consumption, process parameters and production output per lot.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
An integrated business management system. In food manufacturing, integrates order management, production, warehouse, quality, purchasing and finance. Examples: SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics.
EPCIS (Electronic Product Code Information Services)
A GS1 standard for sharing structured traceability events between supply chain partners. Each event records: what (EPC/GTIN), when (timestamp), where (GLN), why (business step and reason).
Sanitary Registration Number
An alphanumeric code assigned by the competent authority (ASL in Italy, ICQRF for wine products) to approved food establishments. Mandatory on labels for certain product categories.
ICQRF
Ispettorato Centrale della Tutela della Qualità e della Repressione Frodi (Central Inspectorate for Quality Protection and Food Fraud). Italian Ministry of Agriculture body that oversees quality and authenticity of agri-food products including PDO/PGI/organic/wine.
NIAS (Non-Intentionally Added Substances)
Substances not intentionally added to food contact materials (FCMs) but potentially present as impurities, degradation products or reaction byproducts. Subject to safety assessment under EU FCM legislation.
Water Activity (Aw)
A measure of the 'free' water available for chemical reactions and microbial growth in a food product (scale 0–1). Critical parameter for microbiological shelf life prediction and stability control.
CoA (Certificate of Analysis)
A document issued by the supplier or an accredited laboratory confirming that a raw material or finished product meets specified parameters. Essential for supplier qualification and incoming goods control.
OOS (Out of Specification)
Analytical result falling outside the defined limits of a product specification. Triggers a non-conformity procedure and lot hold pending investigation.
FIFO (First In, First Out)
A stock rotation principle where products received first are dispatched first. Fundamental for food inventory management; often superseded by FEFO for food products.
FEFO (First Expired, First Out)
A stock rotation principle where products with the nearest expiry date are dispatched first - preferred over FIFO in food logistics to minimize waste and safety risk.
VACCP (Vulnerability Assessment and Critical Control Points)
A systematic approach to identify and mitigate food fraud vulnerabilities in the supply chain. Required by IFS Food v8 and FSSC 22000 v6 as a complement to the traditional HACCP food safety approach.
Food Defence
Measures taken to protect food products from intentional adulteration by malicious actors (TACCP - Threat Assessment Critical Control Points). Distinct from food fraud (economically motivated) and food safety (unintentional contamination).
Mock Recall
A simulated recall exercise performed at least annually to test the effectiveness of the traceability system and recall plan without a real safety incident. Target: complete traceability in <4 hours.
CIP (Clean-In-Place)
Automated cleaning of closed processing equipment (pipework, tanks, pasteurizers) without disassembly. Standard in dairy, beverage and liquid food production. Validated for microbial and allergen removal.
VITAL (Voluntary Incidental Trace Allergen Labelling)
A risk-based allergen management tool (Food Standards Australia New Zealand, adopted in Europe) providing reference doses for 14 food allergens. Used to justify "may contain" precautionary labelling decisions.