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U.S. Food Safety Systems definitions

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  • Environmental Protection Agency
    Federal agency responsible for setting pesticide residue limits and water quality standards at the farm or food origin level.
  • United States Department of Agriculture
    Federal department overseeing food safety, especially through its Food Safety and Inspection Service for meat, poultry, and eggs.
  • Food Safety and Inspection Service
    Branch of the USDA that inspects and regulates meat, poultry, and eggs, ensuring compliance with pesticide residue limits.
  • Food and Drug Administration
    Federal agency enforcing pesticide limits and monitoring safety for most foods from production to retail, excluding meat, poultry, and eggs.
  • Centers for Disease Control
    Federal agency monitoring and investigating foodborne illness outbreaks and educating the public on food safety.
  • Pesticide Residue Limit
    Maximum amount of pesticide allowed to remain on food, set to ensure consumer safety and regulated by federal agencies.
  • Water Quality Standard
    Regulation defining acceptable levels of contaminants in water used at the farm level to protect food safety.
  • Food Product Dating Label
    Printed date on food packaging, such as sell by, best by, or expiration, indicating freshness or quality but not guaranteeing safety.
  • Sell By Date
    Date by which a store should remove a product from shelves; food is often still safe for consumption after this date.
  • Best By Date
    Date indicating when a food is at its highest quality or flavor; food is typically still safe after this date.
  • Expiration Date
    Last recommended day for consuming a food product, especially important for safety in certain items like baby formula.
  • Use By Date
    Final date recommended for use of a product for best quality and, in some cases, safety; strictly followed for baby formula.
  • Foodborne Illness
    Disease resulting from consuming contaminated food, monitored and investigated by federal health agencies.
  • Food Spoilage
    Physical or sensory changes in food, such as odor, texture, or color, indicating reduced quality or potential safety risk.
  • Baby Formula
    Infant nutrition product requiring strict adherence to use by dates due to the importance of maintaining nutritional quality.