Glossary beginning with I

I

Ice Wands

Sterile plastic containers are frozen and then placed into pots of soup or sauce to help cool them without dilution.

Imminent Health Hazard

Any violation and/or condition making it probably that food or drink served to the public by an eating establishment, or its operation, can injure the health of the consumer or the public.

Immunocompromized

A person who may become ill easily from a foodborne illness due to a weakened immune system. AIDS patients frequently suffer from recurrent episodes of salmonellosis.

Incubation Period

The time it takes for symptoms to appear after the invasion or ingestion of a pathogen.

Infection

An illness caused by the invasion of a host by a living pathogen (bacteria, virus, parasite) which multiplies in the body.

Infection Control

The systems of prevention and control of cross-infection in health care settings, including effective hand hygiene.

Infectious Dose

The number of organisms needed to make a person ill or a carrier.

Insulate

To "cover or protect to maintain heat."

Irradiation

The use of radiation, regulated by the FDA, to eliminate or destroy disease-causing microorganisms.

ISO

International Organization for Standardization, an international, non-governmental organization and the world's largest developer and publisher of industrial and commercial standards. The organization's standards often become law either through treaties or national standards.

ISO 22000

An internationally recognized generic food safety management system and set of requirements aimed at controlling food safety hazards throughout all stages and operations in the food chain in order to ensure that food is safe for human consumption.

ISO 9000

A family of detailed and precise management guidelines to assist companies of all types maintain and improve quality performance standards. ISO 9000 outlines definitions and terminology; ISO 9001 contains requirements and is often used for certification; ISO 9004 offers a set of guidelines used to develop quality management systems that go beyond ISO 9001.