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Food Science & Technology vocabulary · Shelf Life and Storage

Temperature abuse

Meaning in food science & technology, with examples

nounCommon term

In food science & technology, temperature abuse means: Exposure of a food to temperatures outside its safe range, for example leaving chilled food warm for too long, which allows microorganisms to grow.

In Turkish: uygunsuz sıcaklığa maruz kalma, sıcaklık ihlali, soğuk zincirin kırılması

How it is used

Used by quality and logistics teams when a delivery arrives warm or a cold room fails. The 'danger zone' for bacterial growth is roughly 5–60 °C, though definitions vary by country. After temperature abuse, the team decides whether to release the product, shorten its shelf life or destroy it.

Example sentences

  1. The truck's cooling failed, and the data logger confirmed six hours of temperature abuse.

  2. Swollen packs in the shop are usually a sign of temperature abuse, not a production fault.

Common collocations

  • evidence of temperature abuse
  • danger zone
  • temperature excursion
  • data logger
  • time and temperature control
  • cold chainThe unbroken series of refrigerated storage and transport steps that keeps chilled or frozen food at the right temperature from production to the consumer.
  • refrigerationKeeping food at low temperatures above freezing, usually 0–5 °C, to slow down microbial growth and chemical changes.
  • storage conditionsThe temperature, humidity, light and other conditions under which a food must be kept to stay safe and reach its stated shelf life.
  • spoilageAny change that makes food unacceptable to eat, such as off-flavors, bad smells, slime, gas or mold, often caused by microorganisms, enzymes or oxidation.
  • ListeriaA group of bacteria; the species Listeria monocytogenes causes listeriosis, a rare but serious foodborne illness that is especially dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, older people and people with weak immunity.

More terms: Shelf Life and Storage

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