Food Safety UPDATED Exam Questions
and CORRECT Answers
Food borne illness - CORRECT ANSWER - disease transmitted to humans by food
Outbreak - CORRECT ANSWER - 2 or more people have same symptoms after eating the
same food, investigation of state & local regulatory authorities, confirmed by lab test
Common reported food preparation practices contribute to food borne illness - CORRECT
ANSWER - improper holding temperatures, poor personal hygiene, inadequate cooking,
contaminated equipment, unsafe food source
Potentially hazardous foods ( TCS: Temperature Control for Safety Foods) - CORRECT
ANSWER - high-protein, low acid foods that can support rapid growth of infectious or
disease causing microorganisms: milk/milk products, shell eggs, meats, baked or boiled potatoes,
tofu/soy products, raw seed sprouts (alfalfa or bean sprouts)
Challenges to food safety - CORRECT ANSWER - time & money to train employees,
language & culture barriers of employees, literacy/education level of employees, pathogens
found more frequent & getting stronger, unapproved suppliers, high-risk customers (elderly, pre-
school age, compromised immune systems), high staff turnover (hire & train)
Costs $ to food borne illness - CORRECT ANSWER - human life, loss work,
medical/disability, media exposure, loss reputation/legal fee, insurance premiums go up
High Risk Consumers - CORRECT ANSWER - infants, young children, pregnant women,
elderly, people chronically ill
Food becomes hazardous 3 ways ~ harmful microorganisms in food - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1. chemical (cleaning solutions, sanitizers)
2. physical (foreign particles: glass, metal, staples, bandages)
, 3. biological (microorganisms ~ bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi)
Cross-Contamination - CORRECT ANSWER - transportation of harmful substances to
food by: hands (touch raw meat ~ then ready to eat foods), surfaces (cutting boards, cleaning
cloths), raw or contaminated foods (drip fluids on cooked ready to eat foods), poor personal
hygiene (wash hands after restroom, cough/sneeze, touch or scratch face, do NOT work while
sick)
Viruses - CORRECT ANSWER - microorganism ~ cause of food borne illness, need living
host to grow, can survive for short time on door handles, etc..., can be resistant to extreme
heat/cold
Hepatitis A - CORRECT ANSWER - virus contacted by fecal oral route, found in ready to
eat foods, shellfish, contaminated water. Use good hygiene, exclude workers who are sick:
vomiting, diarrhea, workers who have been diagnosed
Norovirus - CORRECT ANSWER - airborne in vomit particles; Use good hygiene,
exclude workers who are sick: vomiting, diarrhea, workers who have been diagnosed
Parasites - CORRECT ANSWER - need to live in a host; pork (trichinosis); fish
(roundworm~Anisakis); purchase from reputable approved supplier, cook at correct temperature,
seafood frozen correctly
Fungi - CORRECT ANSWER - molds produce dangerous toxins in food
Bacteria - CORRECT ANSWER - greatest threat to food, grow quickly at favorable
temperatures. Some bacteria useful: cheese, buttermilk, sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt. OTHERs are
infectious disease-causing agents = pathogens Bacteria can double every 10-30 minutes. Two
become four, four become eight, etc.... A single cell can become billions in 10-12 hours.
Botulism - CORRECT ANSWER - improperly canned foods, temperature abused veg.,
meats, sausage, fish
and CORRECT Answers
Food borne illness - CORRECT ANSWER - disease transmitted to humans by food
Outbreak - CORRECT ANSWER - 2 or more people have same symptoms after eating the
same food, investigation of state & local regulatory authorities, confirmed by lab test
Common reported food preparation practices contribute to food borne illness - CORRECT
ANSWER - improper holding temperatures, poor personal hygiene, inadequate cooking,
contaminated equipment, unsafe food source
Potentially hazardous foods ( TCS: Temperature Control for Safety Foods) - CORRECT
ANSWER - high-protein, low acid foods that can support rapid growth of infectious or
disease causing microorganisms: milk/milk products, shell eggs, meats, baked or boiled potatoes,
tofu/soy products, raw seed sprouts (alfalfa or bean sprouts)
Challenges to food safety - CORRECT ANSWER - time & money to train employees,
language & culture barriers of employees, literacy/education level of employees, pathogens
found more frequent & getting stronger, unapproved suppliers, high-risk customers (elderly, pre-
school age, compromised immune systems), high staff turnover (hire & train)
Costs $ to food borne illness - CORRECT ANSWER - human life, loss work,
medical/disability, media exposure, loss reputation/legal fee, insurance premiums go up
High Risk Consumers - CORRECT ANSWER - infants, young children, pregnant women,
elderly, people chronically ill
Food becomes hazardous 3 ways ~ harmful microorganisms in food - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1. chemical (cleaning solutions, sanitizers)
2. physical (foreign particles: glass, metal, staples, bandages)
, 3. biological (microorganisms ~ bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi)
Cross-Contamination - CORRECT ANSWER - transportation of harmful substances to
food by: hands (touch raw meat ~ then ready to eat foods), surfaces (cutting boards, cleaning
cloths), raw or contaminated foods (drip fluids on cooked ready to eat foods), poor personal
hygiene (wash hands after restroom, cough/sneeze, touch or scratch face, do NOT work while
sick)
Viruses - CORRECT ANSWER - microorganism ~ cause of food borne illness, need living
host to grow, can survive for short time on door handles, etc..., can be resistant to extreme
heat/cold
Hepatitis A - CORRECT ANSWER - virus contacted by fecal oral route, found in ready to
eat foods, shellfish, contaminated water. Use good hygiene, exclude workers who are sick:
vomiting, diarrhea, workers who have been diagnosed
Norovirus - CORRECT ANSWER - airborne in vomit particles; Use good hygiene,
exclude workers who are sick: vomiting, diarrhea, workers who have been diagnosed
Parasites - CORRECT ANSWER - need to live in a host; pork (trichinosis); fish
(roundworm~Anisakis); purchase from reputable approved supplier, cook at correct temperature,
seafood frozen correctly
Fungi - CORRECT ANSWER - molds produce dangerous toxins in food
Bacteria - CORRECT ANSWER - greatest threat to food, grow quickly at favorable
temperatures. Some bacteria useful: cheese, buttermilk, sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt. OTHERs are
infectious disease-causing agents = pathogens Bacteria can double every 10-30 minutes. Two
become four, four become eight, etc.... A single cell can become billions in 10-12 hours.
Botulism - CORRECT ANSWER - improperly canned foods, temperature abused veg.,
meats, sausage, fish
