Glossary

A physical activity level (PAL) is a way of estimating physical activity in a person by looking at energy (calorie) usage over 24 hours in relation to the amount of energy needed to fuel the body at rest.

An epidemic that becomes very widespread and affects a region, continent or the whole world.

The reporting and investigation of increased mortality, other signs of serious disease or significantly reduced production rates with an undetermined cause in a targeted animal population

Organism (e.g. bacterium, virus and parasite) that can cause disease.

The interaction between a pathogen (a disease-causing organism such as a bacterium, virus or parasite) and the living organism, or host, which can develop the disease.

A way of visualising the low, medium and high occurrences of a measurement (e.g. vitamin C intake) by splitting the whole distribution into one hundred equal parts.

Maximum level of a substance or other agent to which people can safely be exposed over a specified period of time.

Persistence refers to the ability of harmful organisms like bacteria to survive and thrive despite regular cleaning and disinfection efforts, potentially lingering in hidden places for months or even years.

A living organism (e.g. an insect, rodent, weed, fungus or virus) that is harmful to plants and/or their products (e.g. seeds, fruits)

A reporting procedure that identifies actual or potential risk from the occurrence, outbreak or spread of a pest defined as requiring quarantine in a particular geographical area.

Substance used to kill or control pests, including disease-carrying organisms and undesirable insects, animals and plants.

A way of estimating physical activity in a person by looking at energy (calorie) usage over 24 hours in relation to the amount of energy needed to fuel the body at rest.

Products used to protect, preserve or influence the growth of desirable plants or to destroy or control the growth of unwanted plants or parts of plants.

Monitoring of the effects of a new product (e.g. a GM plant) following its release onto the market. This may reveal adverse effects which were not predicted in the risk assessment conducted prior to market release. It stands for post-market environmental monitoring.

The point on a dose–response curve established from experimental data used to derive a safe level.

Community of humans, animals or plants from the same species.

The intake of a nutrient that is likely to meet the needs of almost all healthy people in a population.

A level set within a population to indicate when a significant change in risk occurs; for example, the point at which a certain number of people has been exposed to a chemical.

Monitoring of the effects of a new product (e.g. a GM plant) following its release onto the market. This may reveal adverse effects which were not predicted in the risk assessment conducted prior to market release.

A measure of the capacity of a chemical substance to exert an effect, described in terms of the relationship between the dose used and the magnitude of the resulting effect.

TUs assessed for the QPS list should not represent a hazard to human and animal health and to the environment when used in the food or feed chain.

A plant protection product (PPP) is used to protect, preserve or influence the growth of desirable plants or to destroy or control the growth of unwanted plants or parts of plants.

Good hygiene practices that are the basic conditions and activities necessary to maintain a hygienic environment. 

The proportion of a population found to have a condition.

The intake of a nutrient that is likely to meet the needs of almost all healthy people in a population. It stands for population reference intake.

An infectious agent, prions are abnormal proteins that can be transferred between species attacking cellular proteins found mostly in the brain.

The likelihood that a particular event will occur or that a measured value will fall within a particular range.

The process of defining the specific problem being addressed in, for example, an environmental risk assessment. It involves articulating a question and defining how it may be answered (e.g. by identifying the endpoints to be measured).

A substance which is added during food processing to confer particular characteristics; for example, yeast added to bread.

Crops grown in greenhouses or cultivations grown under cover (e.g. in polytunnels).

A type of molecule composed of complex strings of amino acids (protein building blocks).

One of the family of so-called 'omics methods: an approach to the study of proteins whereby the entire complement of proteins in a given sample (of tissue, cells or a biological fluid such as blood) is analysed simultaneously.