Laboratory & QA/QC Terminology

ACS: American Chemical Society

ANSI: American National Standards Institute

AOAC: Association of Official Analytical Chemists

APHA: American Public Health Association

ATC: Automatic Temperature Compensation

ATP: adenoisine 5'-triphosphate

Bacteriophage: Virus that affects bacterial cell, sometimes bringing about a dissolution of bacteria or cells.

BOD: Biological Oxygen Demand

Buffer: A solution containing either a weak acid and its salt or a weak base and its salt, which is resistant to changes in pH.

CIP: Clean in Place

COP: Clean out of Place

Culture: The act of succesfully growing a unique stain or a consortium of microorganisms, or a viable collection of a single strain of microorganisms which has been selectively grown.

DI: Deionization

Diluent: Fluid used to dilute a substance

Enzyme: A protein functioning as a catalyst in living organisms, which promotes specific reactions or groups of reactions.

DO: Dissolved Oxygen

FCC: Food Chemical Codex

FDA: Food and Drug Administration

GMP: Good Manufacturing Practices

HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

HTST: High Temperature Short Time

Membrane Filtration: The use of a non-absorbent porous membrane to trap particles (including bacteria) which allow the water to filter through. Pore sizes commonly used are of 0.22 and 0.45 microns diameter.

mL: Micro liter

N: Normal or Normality (concentration)

Neutralization: Reaction between an acid and a base which produces a neutral (pH=7) solution.

NIST: National Institute of Standards & Technology

NTEP: National Type Evaluation Program

PMO: Pasteurized Milk Ordinance

PMP: Polymethylpentene

PE: Polyethylene

PP: Polypropylene

PPB: Parts per Billion

PPM: Parts per Million

RTD: Resistance Temperature Detector

Sterile: Free of microorganisms

USP: United States Pharmacopeia

USDA: United States Department of Agriculture

UV: Ultraviolet

UHT: Ultra High Temperature

μ Or U: Micro

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