Welcome to the Glossary

The physical or visual division of a food production factory into sub-areas, leading to the segregation of different activities with different hygiene levels. Zoning cannot be defined for all plants and processes in black and white as there will always be local influences that play a role. Most important is that zoning fits into the overall plan of prevention with respect requirements of process and safety of consumers.      High hygiene (high care or high risk) : a critical hygienic area within the factory where products and ingredients vulnerable to contamination and/or microbial growth are processed, treated, handled or stored. Normally an area where the products and ingredients are processed or stored destined for a highly susceptible consumer group, immediate consumption or a refrigerated supply chain and which are susceptible to growth of pathogenic micro-organisms such as Listeria monocytogenes.      Medium hygiene (medium care or medium risk) : refers to a process area for products, susceptible to contamination but where the consumer group is not especially sensitive and where also no further growth is possible in the product in the supply chain. Can also be the intermediate area leading into the high hygiene zone but where access is only across certain barriers.      Low (Basic) hygiene (Low care or low risk) : refers to an area where products are not susceptible to contamination and are protected in their final packages. Can also be an area where raw materials are handled before being subjected to a thermal process step (pasteurisation or sterilisation)