CP-FS Exam Questions (150+) – Food
Safety, Pathogens, HACCP, Risk
Factors & Food Code 2025/2026
1. Which term refers to a disease transmitted to people through contaminated food?
A. Chemical hazard
B. Physical injury
C. Foodborne illness
D. Biological accident
2. Which is NOT one of the CDC’s top five risk factors?
A. Improper holding temperatures
B. Inadequate cooking
C. Excessive use of PPE
D. Poor personal hygiene
3. Which type of contamination includes bacteria, viruses, and parasites?
A. Chemical
B. Physical
C. Biological
D. Radiological
4. Which acronym describes the six conditions that support bacterial growth?
A. FIFO
B. GMP
C. FAT TOM
D. CCP
,5. Bacteria grow best at what pH range?
A. 1.0–3.0
B. 8.5–12.0
C. 4.6–7.0
D. 10.0–14.0
6. Water activity (aw) required for bacteria to grow is:
A. ≤ 0.50
B. ≥ 0.85
C. ≤ 0.20
D. 1.5
7. A toxin-mediated infection occurs when:
A. Toxin is ingested from the environment
B. Bacteria grow in the intestine and produce toxins
C. Viruses attack the bloodstream
D. Parasites form cysts in tissues
8. Which pathogens are spore formers?
A. Salmonella and Shigella
B. Listeria and Vibrio
C. Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens
D. Hepatitis A and Norovirus
9. What is the FDA Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?
A. 0°F–50°F
B. 20°F–80°F
C. 41°F–135°F
D. 50°F–165°F
,10. How long can food stay in the TDZ before becoming unsafe?
A. 6 hours
B. 8 hours
C. 4 hours
D. 12 hours
11. Which pathogen is commonly linked to poultry and eggs?
A. E. coli
B. Salmonella
C. Hepatitis A
D. Norovirus
12. Which pathogen grows in refrigerated environments?
A. Campylobacter
B. Listeria monocytogenes
C. Shigella
D. Vibrio
13. Which virus is commonly associated with ready-to-eat foods and poor hand hygiene?
A. E. coli
B. Salmonella
C. Giardia
D. Norovirus
14. Which pathogen is linked to raw ground beef and produces Shiga toxin?
A. Vibrio
B. E. coli O157:H7
C. Listeria
D. Cryptosporidium
, 15. The primary reservoir for Campylobacter is:
A. Soil
B. Poultry
C. Seafood
D. Dairy farms
16. Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous because:
A. It forms spores
B. It grows at low temperatures
C. Its toxin is heat stable
D. It is a virus
17. Which pathogen is associated with improperly canned foods?
A. Norovirus
B. Salmonella
C. Staph aureus
D. Clostridium botulinum
18. Hepatitis A affects which organ?
A. Kidneys
B. Liver
C. Lungs
D. Stomach
19. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is typically linked to:
A. Beef
B. Grains
C. Raw or undercooked seafood
D. Untreated water
Safety, Pathogens, HACCP, Risk
Factors & Food Code 2025/2026
1. Which term refers to a disease transmitted to people through contaminated food?
A. Chemical hazard
B. Physical injury
C. Foodborne illness
D. Biological accident
2. Which is NOT one of the CDC’s top five risk factors?
A. Improper holding temperatures
B. Inadequate cooking
C. Excessive use of PPE
D. Poor personal hygiene
3. Which type of contamination includes bacteria, viruses, and parasites?
A. Chemical
B. Physical
C. Biological
D. Radiological
4. Which acronym describes the six conditions that support bacterial growth?
A. FIFO
B. GMP
C. FAT TOM
D. CCP
,5. Bacteria grow best at what pH range?
A. 1.0–3.0
B. 8.5–12.0
C. 4.6–7.0
D. 10.0–14.0
6. Water activity (aw) required for bacteria to grow is:
A. ≤ 0.50
B. ≥ 0.85
C. ≤ 0.20
D. 1.5
7. A toxin-mediated infection occurs when:
A. Toxin is ingested from the environment
B. Bacteria grow in the intestine and produce toxins
C. Viruses attack the bloodstream
D. Parasites form cysts in tissues
8. Which pathogens are spore formers?
A. Salmonella and Shigella
B. Listeria and Vibrio
C. Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium perfringens
D. Hepatitis A and Norovirus
9. What is the FDA Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?
A. 0°F–50°F
B. 20°F–80°F
C. 41°F–135°F
D. 50°F–165°F
,10. How long can food stay in the TDZ before becoming unsafe?
A. 6 hours
B. 8 hours
C. 4 hours
D. 12 hours
11. Which pathogen is commonly linked to poultry and eggs?
A. E. coli
B. Salmonella
C. Hepatitis A
D. Norovirus
12. Which pathogen grows in refrigerated environments?
A. Campylobacter
B. Listeria monocytogenes
C. Shigella
D. Vibrio
13. Which virus is commonly associated with ready-to-eat foods and poor hand hygiene?
A. E. coli
B. Salmonella
C. Giardia
D. Norovirus
14. Which pathogen is linked to raw ground beef and produces Shiga toxin?
A. Vibrio
B. E. coli O157:H7
C. Listeria
D. Cryptosporidium
, 15. The primary reservoir for Campylobacter is:
A. Soil
B. Poultry
C. Seafood
D. Dairy farms
16. Staphylococcus aureus is dangerous because:
A. It forms spores
B. It grows at low temperatures
C. Its toxin is heat stable
D. It is a virus
17. Which pathogen is associated with improperly canned foods?
A. Norovirus
B. Salmonella
C. Staph aureus
D. Clostridium botulinum
18. Hepatitis A affects which organ?
A. Kidneys
B. Liver
C. Lungs
D. Stomach
19. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is typically linked to:
A. Beef
B. Grains
C. Raw or undercooked seafood
D. Untreated water
