Certified Professional - Food Safety
Complete Review (NEHA Edition 2025)
UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Define: Simply a *disease-producing* organism. - CORRECT ANSWER - Pathogen.
Define: An organism that *requires oxygen* to reproduce. - CORRECT ANSWER -
Aerobe. Aerobic Organism.
Define: An organism that requires the *absence of oxygen* to reproduce. - CORRECT
ANSWER - Anaerobe. Anaerobic Organism.
Define: An organism that can multiply *with or without the presence of oxygen.* - CORRECT
ANSWER - Facultative Anaerobe.
Biological Contaminants. These organisms can affect human health through what *3 health
issues*? - CORRECT ANSWER - Infection, intoxication, and even death.
What agency enforces food safety in restaurants? - CORRECT ANSWER - State or Local
Health Department.
How does the *FDA Food Code* affect individual states and jurisdictions? - CORRECT
ANSWER - The "Code" provides a model for new laws and rules in state, local, and tribal
jurisdictions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all potentially harmful
substances have a document on file that provides information for emergency treatment should an
employee be injured with the product. This document is called? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Safety Data Sheet. SDS.
,Define: A raw, cooked, or processed edible substance, ice, beverage, or ingredient used or
intended for use or for sale in whole or in part for human consumption, or chewing gum. -
CORRECT ANSWER - The *Food Code* definition of food.
Define: An operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food
for human consumption. - CORRECT ANSWER - The *Food Code* definition of a *Food
Establishment.*
Is an establishment that offers *only* prepackaged foods that are not Time/ Temperature Control
for Safety foods considered a food establishment by the *Food Code*? - CORRECT
ANSWER - This is not considered a food establishment.
What is defined as: an illness that is carried or transmitted to people by food? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Foodborne Illness (*FBI*).
As stated in the *Food Code*, what needs the occurrence of *two or more cases* of similar
illness resulting from ingestion of a common food? - CORRECT ANSWER - Foodborne
Disease Outbreak.
What are the *conditions* that define a foodborne outbreak? - CORRECT ANSWER - 1.
*Two* or more people.
2. Same food.
3. Same illness/ symptoms.
What is defined as: A biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause an unacceptable
consumer risk. - CORRECT ANSWER - Hazard.
What is the *acronym* used to remember that items most commonly associated with the *spread
and prevention* of foodborne illness? - CORRECT ANSWER - FUELSS.
,What does the *FUELSS* acronym stand for? - CORRECT ANSWER - Exposed *F*ood.
Clean *U*tensils.
Clean *E*quipment.
Clean *L*inens.
Unwrapped *S*ingle *S*ervice or Single Use items (Plastic forks, straws, etc).
Define: The initial growth phase of a culture, during which, cell number remains relatively
constant prior to rapid growth. - CORRECT ANSWER - Lag Phase.
Define: The steepest slope of the growth curve of a culture - the phase of vigorous growth during
which cell number doubles every 20-30 min. - CORRECT ANSWER - Log (Logarithmic)
or Exponential Phase.
Define: The plateau of the growth curve after log growth in a culture, during which cell number
remains constant. New cells are produced at the same rate as older cells die. - CORRECT
ANSWER - Stationary Phase.
What is defined as the ability to produce toxins, is an underlying mechanism by which many
bacterial pathogens produce disease? - CORRECT ANSWER - Toxigenesis.
What is generated by the bacteria and are actively secreted during exponential growth. This
remain part of the bacterial outer membrane, and are not released until the bacterium is killed by
the immune system. - CORRECT ANSWER - Exotoxins.
What *exotoxin* produces a *neurotoxin* of unusual potency that affects *ONLY* neurological
tissue? - CORRECT ANSWER - Clostridium botulinum.
What occurs when bacteria produce and release exotoxin *into* the food and cause illness? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Intoxication.
, Illnesses caused by *intoxication* normally have what kind of onset time? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Short.
What are the common kinds of bacteria that produce toxins (exotoxin) that cause illness by
releasing toxins in the gut when large number of vegetative cells are eaten? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Staphylococcus aureus.
Clostridium botulinum.
Clostridium perfringens.
When an infection occurs when the bacteria release toxins in the intestine of the affected person
and cause illness. - CORRECT ANSWER - Endotoxin.
Illness caused by infection of endotoxins normally have what kind of onset time? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Long. It may take up to one or two days before the infection makes the person
feel ill.
What are common endotoxin infections? - CORRECT ANSWER - Salmonella.
Campylobacter.
Hermorrhagic E. coli.
Listeria.
This substance enters the stomach and intestines when on eats tainted food or water, causing
symptoms such as cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. - CORRECT ANSWER -
Enterotoxin.
What infection occurs when a person eats food containing harmful bacteria that die and release
toxins while in the intestines of the affected person? - CORRECT ANSWER - Toxin-
mediated infection.
Norovirus, Hepatitis A, and Rotavirus are directly related to contamination from human feces.
What causes these illnesses? - CORRECT ANSWER - These are viruses caused by
humans.
Complete Review (NEHA Edition 2025)
UPDATED ACTUAL Questions and
CORRECT Answers
Define: Simply a *disease-producing* organism. - CORRECT ANSWER - Pathogen.
Define: An organism that *requires oxygen* to reproduce. - CORRECT ANSWER -
Aerobe. Aerobic Organism.
Define: An organism that requires the *absence of oxygen* to reproduce. - CORRECT
ANSWER - Anaerobe. Anaerobic Organism.
Define: An organism that can multiply *with or without the presence of oxygen.* - CORRECT
ANSWER - Facultative Anaerobe.
Biological Contaminants. These organisms can affect human health through what *3 health
issues*? - CORRECT ANSWER - Infection, intoxication, and even death.
What agency enforces food safety in restaurants? - CORRECT ANSWER - State or Local
Health Department.
How does the *FDA Food Code* affect individual states and jurisdictions? - CORRECT
ANSWER - The "Code" provides a model for new laws and rules in state, local, and tribal
jurisdictions.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that all potentially harmful
substances have a document on file that provides information for emergency treatment should an
employee be injured with the product. This document is called? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Safety Data Sheet. SDS.
,Define: A raw, cooked, or processed edible substance, ice, beverage, or ingredient used or
intended for use or for sale in whole or in part for human consumption, or chewing gum. -
CORRECT ANSWER - The *Food Code* definition of food.
Define: An operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, vends, or otherwise provides food
for human consumption. - CORRECT ANSWER - The *Food Code* definition of a *Food
Establishment.*
Is an establishment that offers *only* prepackaged foods that are not Time/ Temperature Control
for Safety foods considered a food establishment by the *Food Code*? - CORRECT
ANSWER - This is not considered a food establishment.
What is defined as: an illness that is carried or transmitted to people by food? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Foodborne Illness (*FBI*).
As stated in the *Food Code*, what needs the occurrence of *two or more cases* of similar
illness resulting from ingestion of a common food? - CORRECT ANSWER - Foodborne
Disease Outbreak.
What are the *conditions* that define a foodborne outbreak? - CORRECT ANSWER - 1.
*Two* or more people.
2. Same food.
3. Same illness/ symptoms.
What is defined as: A biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause an unacceptable
consumer risk. - CORRECT ANSWER - Hazard.
What is the *acronym* used to remember that items most commonly associated with the *spread
and prevention* of foodborne illness? - CORRECT ANSWER - FUELSS.
,What does the *FUELSS* acronym stand for? - CORRECT ANSWER - Exposed *F*ood.
Clean *U*tensils.
Clean *E*quipment.
Clean *L*inens.
Unwrapped *S*ingle *S*ervice or Single Use items (Plastic forks, straws, etc).
Define: The initial growth phase of a culture, during which, cell number remains relatively
constant prior to rapid growth. - CORRECT ANSWER - Lag Phase.
Define: The steepest slope of the growth curve of a culture - the phase of vigorous growth during
which cell number doubles every 20-30 min. - CORRECT ANSWER - Log (Logarithmic)
or Exponential Phase.
Define: The plateau of the growth curve after log growth in a culture, during which cell number
remains constant. New cells are produced at the same rate as older cells die. - CORRECT
ANSWER - Stationary Phase.
What is defined as the ability to produce toxins, is an underlying mechanism by which many
bacterial pathogens produce disease? - CORRECT ANSWER - Toxigenesis.
What is generated by the bacteria and are actively secreted during exponential growth. This
remain part of the bacterial outer membrane, and are not released until the bacterium is killed by
the immune system. - CORRECT ANSWER - Exotoxins.
What *exotoxin* produces a *neurotoxin* of unusual potency that affects *ONLY* neurological
tissue? - CORRECT ANSWER - Clostridium botulinum.
What occurs when bacteria produce and release exotoxin *into* the food and cause illness? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Intoxication.
, Illnesses caused by *intoxication* normally have what kind of onset time? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Short.
What are the common kinds of bacteria that produce toxins (exotoxin) that cause illness by
releasing toxins in the gut when large number of vegetative cells are eaten? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Staphylococcus aureus.
Clostridium botulinum.
Clostridium perfringens.
When an infection occurs when the bacteria release toxins in the intestine of the affected person
and cause illness. - CORRECT ANSWER - Endotoxin.
Illness caused by infection of endotoxins normally have what kind of onset time? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Long. It may take up to one or two days before the infection makes the person
feel ill.
What are common endotoxin infections? - CORRECT ANSWER - Salmonella.
Campylobacter.
Hermorrhagic E. coli.
Listeria.
This substance enters the stomach and intestines when on eats tainted food or water, causing
symptoms such as cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. - CORRECT ANSWER -
Enterotoxin.
What infection occurs when a person eats food containing harmful bacteria that die and release
toxins while in the intestines of the affected person? - CORRECT ANSWER - Toxin-
mediated infection.
Norovirus, Hepatitis A, and Rotavirus are directly related to contamination from human feces.
What causes these illnesses? - CORRECT ANSWER - These are viruses caused by
humans.
