Certified Professional Food Safety (CP-FS) Exam
Four phases of bacterial presence in food - (correct Answer) - 1. Lag Phase, 2. Log Phase, 3. Stationary
Phase, 4. Death Phase
Log phase - (correct Answer) - Most essential phase of bacterial presence in food due to the fastest
increase in populations
Lag phase - (correct Answer) - Time/temp play an important role in keeping bacteria in this phase (where
numbers are less dangerous and growth is slowed)
Norwalk virus - (correct Answer) - Rarely a pathogen associated with shellfish
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Vibrio spp (a bacteria) - (correct Answer) - 2 common pathogens associated
with shellfish
6 - 7 weeks - (correct Answer) - Incubation period for Hep A can be up to ___ to ___ weeks
Document retention rationale for shellfish - (correct Answer) - 6 - 7 week Hep A incubation period is part
of this rationale for retaining shellstock tags for 90 days beyond the date of harvest. Batches should not
be mixed. Time allows for the presentation of any Hep Aand gives infor on tracking the location and
source of the outbreak.
Pathogens found in soil - (correct Answer) - Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium
perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes. To a lesser extent: Salmonella spp, Yersinia enterocolitica
Cooked Rice - (correct Answer) - Food typically associated with an outbreak of Bacillus Cereus
Staphylococcus aureus - (correct Answer) - 50 - 70% of people are carriers of this pathogen
Upper respiratory tract; also frequently found in pimples, burns, sores, other skin lesions - (correct
Answer) - Location in the body where Staph is typically found
Cause of Staph foodborne illness - (correct Answer) - Toxins formed by bacteria and not the live bacteria
that cause the illness. Possible to have the bacteria without toxins. Staph bacteria in the upper
respiratory tract may not cause illness, but bacterial Staph toxins in the gastro intestinal tract in the same
person may cause illness.
Foods typically associated with Listeriosis outbreak - (correct Answer) - Unpasteurized milk and
associated milk products (raw milk cheese); prepared and chilled RTE foods like some soft cheeses, deli
meats, hot dogs, pate; raw veggies (makes sense given Listeria can be present in soil); pouttry, meat and
seafood
Salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 - (correct Answer) - Pathogens associated with unpasteurized juices
Aerobic bacteria - (correct Answer) - require oxygen for survival and for multiplication sufficient to cause
disease
, Anaerobic bacteria - (correct Answer) - bacteria that do not require oxygen to survive
Facultative - (correct Answer) - organism that can survive with or without oxygen
Which describes most foodborne pathogens: aerobic, anaerobic or facultative? - (correct Answer) -
Facultative (word means "to make do")
Most famous anaerobe - (correct Answer) - Clostridium botulinum (cousin of this, also an anaerobe, is
Clostridium perfringens)
Clostridium botulinum - (correct Answer) - Microbe of greatest concern in packaging situations (where
normal oxygen ambience of 21% is altered)
ROP, MAP and Vacuum sous vide Packaging - (correct Answer) - HACCP plans that must reflect elements
that prevent the proliferation of Clostridium botulinum and its toxins
Type of foodborne illness - Clostridium botulinum - (correct Answer) - Intoxication, not infection
ROP food - (correct Answer) - Must have one or more characteristics to assure not likely to support the
growth of Clostridium botulinum
0.91 aw - (correct Answer) - Maximum water activity for ROP food
4.6 - (correct Answer) - Maximum pH of ROP food
41F - (correct Answer) - Maximum temp of ROP food
14 days from processing to consumption - (correct Answer) - Maximum shelf life for ROP foods. First day
counts as day 1.
Type of fish that can be ROP - (correct Answer) - Fish frozen before, during and after packaging
FATTOM stands for what? - (correct Answer) - Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture
Toxins - (correct Answer) - Not destroyed by cooking or freezing
Five symptoms must be reported to food service supervisor and/or may determine whether a person is
allowed to work around food - (correct Answer) - 1. Diarrhea
2. vomitting
3. Fever
4. Sore throat with fever
5. Jaundice
Campylobacter jejuni - (correct Answer) - Bacteria that causes most diarrheal illness
Jandice - (correct Answer) - classic symptom of Hep A where skin, palms and whites of eyes become
yellow
Symptoms (not part of 5 required to report to supervisor) that might think would exclude or restruct a
Four phases of bacterial presence in food - (correct Answer) - 1. Lag Phase, 2. Log Phase, 3. Stationary
Phase, 4. Death Phase
Log phase - (correct Answer) - Most essential phase of bacterial presence in food due to the fastest
increase in populations
Lag phase - (correct Answer) - Time/temp play an important role in keeping bacteria in this phase (where
numbers are less dangerous and growth is slowed)
Norwalk virus - (correct Answer) - Rarely a pathogen associated with shellfish
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Vibrio spp (a bacteria) - (correct Answer) - 2 common pathogens associated
with shellfish
6 - 7 weeks - (correct Answer) - Incubation period for Hep A can be up to ___ to ___ weeks
Document retention rationale for shellfish - (correct Answer) - 6 - 7 week Hep A incubation period is part
of this rationale for retaining shellstock tags for 90 days beyond the date of harvest. Batches should not
be mixed. Time allows for the presentation of any Hep Aand gives infor on tracking the location and
source of the outbreak.
Pathogens found in soil - (correct Answer) - Bacillus cereus, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium
perfringens, Listeria monocytogenes. To a lesser extent: Salmonella spp, Yersinia enterocolitica
Cooked Rice - (correct Answer) - Food typically associated with an outbreak of Bacillus Cereus
Staphylococcus aureus - (correct Answer) - 50 - 70% of people are carriers of this pathogen
Upper respiratory tract; also frequently found in pimples, burns, sores, other skin lesions - (correct
Answer) - Location in the body where Staph is typically found
Cause of Staph foodborne illness - (correct Answer) - Toxins formed by bacteria and not the live bacteria
that cause the illness. Possible to have the bacteria without toxins. Staph bacteria in the upper
respiratory tract may not cause illness, but bacterial Staph toxins in the gastro intestinal tract in the same
person may cause illness.
Foods typically associated with Listeriosis outbreak - (correct Answer) - Unpasteurized milk and
associated milk products (raw milk cheese); prepared and chilled RTE foods like some soft cheeses, deli
meats, hot dogs, pate; raw veggies (makes sense given Listeria can be present in soil); pouttry, meat and
seafood
Salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 - (correct Answer) - Pathogens associated with unpasteurized juices
Aerobic bacteria - (correct Answer) - require oxygen for survival and for multiplication sufficient to cause
disease
, Anaerobic bacteria - (correct Answer) - bacteria that do not require oxygen to survive
Facultative - (correct Answer) - organism that can survive with or without oxygen
Which describes most foodborne pathogens: aerobic, anaerobic or facultative? - (correct Answer) -
Facultative (word means "to make do")
Most famous anaerobe - (correct Answer) - Clostridium botulinum (cousin of this, also an anaerobe, is
Clostridium perfringens)
Clostridium botulinum - (correct Answer) - Microbe of greatest concern in packaging situations (where
normal oxygen ambience of 21% is altered)
ROP, MAP and Vacuum sous vide Packaging - (correct Answer) - HACCP plans that must reflect elements
that prevent the proliferation of Clostridium botulinum and its toxins
Type of foodborne illness - Clostridium botulinum - (correct Answer) - Intoxication, not infection
ROP food - (correct Answer) - Must have one or more characteristics to assure not likely to support the
growth of Clostridium botulinum
0.91 aw - (correct Answer) - Maximum water activity for ROP food
4.6 - (correct Answer) - Maximum pH of ROP food
41F - (correct Answer) - Maximum temp of ROP food
14 days from processing to consumption - (correct Answer) - Maximum shelf life for ROP foods. First day
counts as day 1.
Type of fish that can be ROP - (correct Answer) - Fish frozen before, during and after packaging
FATTOM stands for what? - (correct Answer) - Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture
Toxins - (correct Answer) - Not destroyed by cooking or freezing
Five symptoms must be reported to food service supervisor and/or may determine whether a person is
allowed to work around food - (correct Answer) - 1. Diarrhea
2. vomitting
3. Fever
4. Sore throat with fever
5. Jaundice
Campylobacter jejuni - (correct Answer) - Bacteria that causes most diarrheal illness
Jandice - (correct Answer) - classic symptom of Hep A where skin, palms and whites of eyes become
yellow
Symptoms (not part of 5 required to report to supervisor) that might think would exclude or restruct a
