CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL FOOD SAFETY STUDY
EXAMS GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE
A+
✔✔Time/temperature control for safety food means a food that requires time/
temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin
formation.
Time/temperature control for safety food includes the following: - ✔✔(a) An animal food
that is raw or heat treated; a plant food that is heat treated or consists of raw seed
sprouts, cut melons, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes or mixtures of cut tomatoes that are
not modified in a way so that they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism
growth or toxin formation, or garlic-in-oil mixtures that are not modified in a way so that
they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation;
(b) Except as specified in subparagraph (3)(d) of this definition, a food that because of
the interaction of its water activity (Aw) and pH value is designated as Product
Assessment required (PA) in Table 1.2 and Table 1.3 of this definition.
✔✔Factors that Encourage or Limit the Growth of Microorganisms - ✔✔Several factors
encourage, prevent, or limit the growth of microorganisms in foods; the most important
are Aw, pH, and temperature.
,✔✔moisture - ✔✔a major variable affecting the growth of bacteria. Bacteria require
water to transport the nutrients from the food in their cell and take away waste products.
Most food items contain sufficient moisture to enable bacteria to multiply.
✔✔Water activity Aw - ✔✔Is a measure of the energy status of the water in a system.
When other substances (solutes) are added to water, water molecules orient
themselves on the surface of the solute and the properties of the solution change
dramatically. A solution of pure water has an Aw of 1.00. The addition of solute
decreases the Aw to less than 1.00
✔✔pH - ✔✔A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution and is stated as a number
on a scale, in which a value of 7 represents neutral. pH values lower than 7 indicate
increasing acidity; higher number indicate increasing alkalinity. Most bacteria prefer a
pH between 4.6 and 7- that is, mildly acidic foods.
✔✔Transmission - ✔✔Transmission of organisms can take place is via the ingestion of
contaminated food, with or without subsequent spread from person to person by the
fecal-oral route.
✔✔Cross-contamination - ✔✔one of the most common-and dangerous-types of
bacterial contamination, it occurs when bacteria from contaminated foods-usually raw-
transfers to other foods.
✔✔Cross-contamination
Direct - ✔✔When raw meat come into contact with another food.
✔✔Cross-contamination
By drip - ✔✔When raw meat incorrectly stored above ready-to-eat food drips blood onto
that food
✔✔Cross-contamination
Indirect - ✔✔When raw food and ready-to-eat food are prepared using the same
equipment.
✔✔Aerosolization - ✔✔When raw food is mechanically tenderized, this should be
conducted in an area where ready-to-eat products are not being handled and after
tenderizing is complete the machine and the immediate area is cleaned and sanitized.
✔✔Asymptomatic - ✔✔Without obvious symptoms; not showing or producing
indications of disease or other medical condition, such as an individual infected with a
pathogen but not exhibiting or producing any signs or symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea,
or jaundice.
✔✔Acid food - ✔✔A food that has a natural pH of 4.6 or below.
, ✔✔Acidified food - ✔✔A low-acid food to which acid(s) or acid food(s) are added and
which has a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below and a water activity greater than
0.85.
✔✔Amines - ✔✔Any class of basic compounds derived from ammonia by replacement
of hydrogen by one or more univalent hydrocarbon radicals or other no acidic organic
radicals.
✔✔Anaerobe - ✔✔An organism, especially a bacterium, not requiring oxygen or litte
oxygen.
✔✔Aerobe - ✔✔An organism, especially a bacterium, requiring oxygen to live.
✔✔Backflow - ✔✔A flow of contaminated water entering the potable-water supply as a
reslut of back-pressure.
✔✔Bacteriocin - ✔✔A protein (peptide) that is produced by certain strain of bacteria and
which are lethal (or inhibitory) on particular against closely related strains of bacteria.
✔✔Biogenic amines - ✔✔Amines produced by the action of living organisms or amines
that are essential to life and its maintenance.
✔✔Botulism - ✔✔The disease (intoxication) typically caused by ingestion of botulism
toxin formed by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
✔✔Clean - ✔✔Free of visible soil.
✔✔Colony - ✔✔A cluster of microorganisms that is growing within, or on the surface of,
a nutrient medium and that contains millions of bacteria cells.
✔✔Communicable disease - ✔✔An illness that is easily transmitted from person to
person.
✔✔Contaminated ingrediants - ✔✔Ingredients contaminated by chemical, physical, or
microbiological sources.
✔✔Critical items - ✔✔Items that are spelled out in the Food Code as more likely to
contribute to food contamination, illness, or environmental degradation and that pose a
serious public health risk.
✔✔Critical limit - ✔✔The maximum or minimum value to which physical, biological, or
chemical hazards must be controlled at a critical control point to minimize the risk that a
food safety hazard may occur.
EXAMS GUIDE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SURE
A+
✔✔Time/temperature control for safety food means a food that requires time/
temperature control for safety (TCS) to limit pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin
formation.
Time/temperature control for safety food includes the following: - ✔✔(a) An animal food
that is raw or heat treated; a plant food that is heat treated or consists of raw seed
sprouts, cut melons, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes or mixtures of cut tomatoes that are
not modified in a way so that they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism
growth or toxin formation, or garlic-in-oil mixtures that are not modified in a way so that
they are unable to support pathogenic microorganism growth or toxin formation;
(b) Except as specified in subparagraph (3)(d) of this definition, a food that because of
the interaction of its water activity (Aw) and pH value is designated as Product
Assessment required (PA) in Table 1.2 and Table 1.3 of this definition.
✔✔Factors that Encourage or Limit the Growth of Microorganisms - ✔✔Several factors
encourage, prevent, or limit the growth of microorganisms in foods; the most important
are Aw, pH, and temperature.
,✔✔moisture - ✔✔a major variable affecting the growth of bacteria. Bacteria require
water to transport the nutrients from the food in their cell and take away waste products.
Most food items contain sufficient moisture to enable bacteria to multiply.
✔✔Water activity Aw - ✔✔Is a measure of the energy status of the water in a system.
When other substances (solutes) are added to water, water molecules orient
themselves on the surface of the solute and the properties of the solution change
dramatically. A solution of pure water has an Aw of 1.00. The addition of solute
decreases the Aw to less than 1.00
✔✔pH - ✔✔A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution and is stated as a number
on a scale, in which a value of 7 represents neutral. pH values lower than 7 indicate
increasing acidity; higher number indicate increasing alkalinity. Most bacteria prefer a
pH between 4.6 and 7- that is, mildly acidic foods.
✔✔Transmission - ✔✔Transmission of organisms can take place is via the ingestion of
contaminated food, with or without subsequent spread from person to person by the
fecal-oral route.
✔✔Cross-contamination - ✔✔one of the most common-and dangerous-types of
bacterial contamination, it occurs when bacteria from contaminated foods-usually raw-
transfers to other foods.
✔✔Cross-contamination
Direct - ✔✔When raw meat come into contact with another food.
✔✔Cross-contamination
By drip - ✔✔When raw meat incorrectly stored above ready-to-eat food drips blood onto
that food
✔✔Cross-contamination
Indirect - ✔✔When raw food and ready-to-eat food are prepared using the same
equipment.
✔✔Aerosolization - ✔✔When raw food is mechanically tenderized, this should be
conducted in an area where ready-to-eat products are not being handled and after
tenderizing is complete the machine and the immediate area is cleaned and sanitized.
✔✔Asymptomatic - ✔✔Without obvious symptoms; not showing or producing
indications of disease or other medical condition, such as an individual infected with a
pathogen but not exhibiting or producing any signs or symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea,
or jaundice.
✔✔Acid food - ✔✔A food that has a natural pH of 4.6 or below.
, ✔✔Acidified food - ✔✔A low-acid food to which acid(s) or acid food(s) are added and
which has a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below and a water activity greater than
0.85.
✔✔Amines - ✔✔Any class of basic compounds derived from ammonia by replacement
of hydrogen by one or more univalent hydrocarbon radicals or other no acidic organic
radicals.
✔✔Anaerobe - ✔✔An organism, especially a bacterium, not requiring oxygen or litte
oxygen.
✔✔Aerobe - ✔✔An organism, especially a bacterium, requiring oxygen to live.
✔✔Backflow - ✔✔A flow of contaminated water entering the potable-water supply as a
reslut of back-pressure.
✔✔Bacteriocin - ✔✔A protein (peptide) that is produced by certain strain of bacteria and
which are lethal (or inhibitory) on particular against closely related strains of bacteria.
✔✔Biogenic amines - ✔✔Amines produced by the action of living organisms or amines
that are essential to life and its maintenance.
✔✔Botulism - ✔✔The disease (intoxication) typically caused by ingestion of botulism
toxin formed by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
✔✔Clean - ✔✔Free of visible soil.
✔✔Colony - ✔✔A cluster of microorganisms that is growing within, or on the surface of,
a nutrient medium and that contains millions of bacteria cells.
✔✔Communicable disease - ✔✔An illness that is easily transmitted from person to
person.
✔✔Contaminated ingrediants - ✔✔Ingredients contaminated by chemical, physical, or
microbiological sources.
✔✔Critical items - ✔✔Items that are spelled out in the Food Code as more likely to
contribute to food contamination, illness, or environmental degradation and that pose a
serious public health risk.
✔✔Critical limit - ✔✔The maximum or minimum value to which physical, biological, or
chemical hazards must be controlled at a critical control point to minimize the risk that a
food safety hazard may occur.
