SAFE QUALITY FOOD (SQF) INSTITUTE
A division of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), established to administer the SQF Program, a HACCP-based global food safety and quality certification and management system for farmers, food manufacturers and distributors. SFQ offers three levels of certification: Food Safety Fundamentals, Food Safety Plans and Comprehensive Food Safety and Quality Management Systems. 

SALMONELLA
Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella heidelberg,Salmonella javiana and Salmonella dublin are all bacteria that cancause the foodborne illness salmonellosis. Salmonella is commonly foundin meat, poultry and eggs but is usually destroyed by cooking foodthoroughly.

SALMONELLOSIS
The foodborne illness salmonellosis is causedby various strains of Salmonella. Symptoms include fatigue, cough,bloody stools, headache, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea andfever. Symptoms of arthritis may occur 3-4 weeks after the initialsymptoms. AIDS patients frequently suffer from recurrent episodes ofsalmonellosis. Foodborne transmission can come from many sourcesincluding: infected food handlers, poor personal hygiene,cross-contamination, inadequate cooking, refrigeration or sewagedisposal or from food such as shellfish harvested fromsewage-contaminated waters.

Estimated # of cases: 696,000 to 3.8 million (1993 USDA estimate)
Estimated # of deaths: 696 to 3,840 (1993 USDA estimate)
Estimated monetary cost: 0.6 to 3.5 billion dollars (1993 USDA estimate)

SANITARIAN
A member of a local, state or federal publichealth department who conducts inspections, files reports and offersadvice to foodservice operators in addressing sanitation problems.

SANITARY
An establishment, surface, utensil, or other areathat is clean and free of illness-causing levels of bacteria or othercontaminants.

SANITIZATION (see FDA Food Code Chapter 1)
The hygienic process of reducing the number of microorganisms to a safe level. According to the FDA, a sanitizer must be capable of killing 99.999% (5 log reduction) of a specific bacteria within 30 seconds.

SANI-TWICE™
A waterless hand cleaning protocol using a combination of paper towels, friction and absorption properties together with the germ killing power of alcohol based hand-sanitizer.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
An atypical form of pneumonia that first appeared in China in 2002. SARS is now known to be caused by the SARS coronavirus> (SARS-CoV), a novel coronavirus. SARS has a mortality rate of around 10%.

SECONDARY CONTAMINATION
Pathogens (virus, bacteria, parasite) that has been transferred from one location to another, such as from hands to face or from a contaminated utensil to skin.  It can also refer to transfer from one infected or contaminated person to another. When food is not handled properly in a foodservice setting, a virus or bacteria such as Norovirus or Salmonella can quickly extend beyond the boundaries of the kitchen. Secondary contamination generally occurs when workers with poor handwashing skills handle ready-to-eat food, or inadequately clean utensils, countertops and equipment, passing along the pathogens to others.

SEVERITY
The seriousness of the effects of a hazard.

ServeReady™
A behavior-changing hand cleaning system to reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks. In involves risk assessment, setting and optimizing safe levels, and effective hand washing training and monitoring. 

ServeReady™ Hands
Hands, bare or gloved, which meet the operator's safe level standard. 

SHIGELLA
Shigella flexneri, Shigella dysenteriae, Shigellasonnei and Shigella boydii are all strains of bacteria that can causefoodborne shigellosis. This bacterium is usually transmitted throughfeces, and therefore, any prepared food contaminated by an infectedfood handler is potentially hazardous.

SHIGELLOSIS
Shigella bacteria cause foodborne shigellosis.Symptoms include watery, bloody or mucus tainted diarrhea, nausea,vomiting, abdominal pain or cramps and fever. Infected individuals maybe asymptomatic. Shigellosis is very common in AIDS patients. Possiblelong-term effects include Reiter's disease, arthritis and hemolyticuremic syndrome. In cases of foodborne transmission, a person becomesinfected with Shigella by swallowing the bacteria after eating ordrinking contaminated food or water. Unsanitary handling of food (alongwith fecally contaminated water) by infected food handlers is the mostcommon cause of foodborne contamination.
Estimated # of cases: 300,000 (FDA number due to food contamination is unknown). Reported # of cases: 30,000 (FDA)

SPOILAGE BACTERIA
Bacteria in any food item that causes it to rot. They are usually not harmful but make food look and smell bad (old milk).+

SPORES
Microscopic dormant "eggs" formed by some pathogens as a defensve method. A spore is a reproductive cell produced by certain fungi, plants and some bacteria.
Bacterial spores often have thick walls and are very resistant to high temperatures, humidity, and chemical action.

STAPHYLOCOCCAL FOODBORNE INTOXICATION
Staphylococcus aureusbacteria causes Staphylococcal foodborne intoxication. Symptoms includenausea, retching, abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea and prostration.In severe cases, muscle spasms, blood pressure and pulse rate changesand headaches may accompany regular symptoms. Foodborne transmission ofStaphylococcal aureus may come from food handlers with infectionscontaining pus, storing cooked foods in large containers, holding foodsat warm temperatures and preparing foods many hours before servingallowing bacteria to multiply to dangerous levels. Other foodbornetransmission vehicles include food processing equipment and surfaces(cross-contamination).

Estimated # of cases: 1,513,000 (1993 USDA estimate)
Estimated # of deaths: 1,210 (1993 USDA estimate)
Estimated monetary cost: 1.2 billion dollars (1993 USDA estimate)

STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS
Staphylococcus aureus is the bacteriaresponsible for Staphylococcal foodborne intoxication. Staphylococciare in the air, sewage, water, milk products and on food preparationsurfaces and equipment. Animals and many healthy humans harbor thebacteria in their nasal passages, throats, skin and hair. Any foodrequiring substantial handling to prepare is often associated withStaphylococcus aureus.

STERILIZATION
The act of making food, utensils, surfaces or facilities sanitary by heat, chemicals or other methods. Sterilization destroys spores as well as bacteria.

STREPTOCOCCUS PYOGENES
Streptococcus pyogenes is the bacteria responsible for Streptococcus group A and Scarlet Fever.

STREPTOCOCCUS GROUP A
Streptococcus group A is caused byStreptococcus pyogenes. Symptoms include septic sore throat and painwith swallowing, fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, headache andpossible rash. The source of a foodborne Streptococcus outbreak isusually a food handler with poor hygiene, an ill food handler orunpasteurized milk. Once contaminated, if food is left at roomtemperature for several hours before being eaten, bacteria can multiplyto illness-causing levels. Estimates as to the number of foodbornetransmissions is unknown, although the bacteria has a prominent placeon the CDC's listing of pathogens that can cause disease after aninfected person handles food.

STRICT LIABILITY
Legal term meaning that the injured person need only prove:

1. I was injured,
2. the product was defective, and
3. the defect caused the injury.

It is not necessary to prove negligence,and neither good faith nor the fact that the defendant took allpossible precautions are valid defenses.

Additional Content: Read about Strict Liability >  

SWINE FLU VIRUS (SIV) (see Novel H1N1)
Any strain of influenza virus that is endemic in pigs. It is common in pigs worldwide but rarely transmitted to human. If virus transmission does occur and cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. Its symptoms mirror those of common influenza A, however only 50 cases of zoonotic swine flu have been confirmed since the 1950's. The current influenza A H1Ni pandemic was originally called swine flu due to perceived gene similarities between the two strains. However, research has proven that the current influenza outbreak is significantly different from the swine flu virus found in North American pigs.