and Safety
Key concept: Role of inspections in verifying sanitation and cold
chain controls.
Stem: A carrier receives a complaint of temperature abuse for
chilled produce on a 24-hour transit. An inspector finds
condensation on cargo floor and temperature log gaps.
According to best practice, what is the most appropriate
immediate action?
A. Release the load after a visual inspection if packaging is
intact.
B. Quarantine the shipment, secure records, and initiate
temperature / product disposition investigation.
C. Immediately dispose of the entire shipment to eliminate risk.
D. Return the shipment to origin without documenting findings.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Quarantining the shipment and
preserving records allows traceability, root-cause analysis and
disposition decisions consistent with inspection-led control and
HACCP verification steps (Chapter 1, Inspection). This follows
sanitary transport best practice to secure evidence before
disposition. (ScienceDirect, U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Visual inspection alone misses documentary and
temperature evidence; not sufficient for HACCP verification.
,C. Disposal may be unnecessary and wastes product; disposition
must follow risk assessment and evidence.
D. Returning without documentation removes critical
traceability and violates GDP/HACCP record requirements.
Teaching Point: Preserve evidence, quarantine, and investigate
before disposition.
Question 2
Chapter & Subtopic: Chapter 1 — The Need for Technology and
Hard Data to Enter the Certification Arena
Key concept: Value of continuous monitoring and tamper-
evident records.
Stem: Which of the following best explains why continuous
temperature monitoring systems (with immutable logs) are
favored for certification under modern food transport
standards?
A. They eliminate the need for sanitation procedures.
B. They provide verifiable, time-stamped data useful for CCP
verification and audits.
C. They guarantee that food will never be unsafe.
D. They replace traceability systems.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale — Correct: Immutable, time-stamped temperature
logs supply objective evidence for HACCP CCP verification and
, third-party audits required by many certification schemes (ISO
22000 / GDP), supporting investigations and corrective actions.
(ISO, ScienceDirect)
Rationale — Incorrect:
A. Monitoring supplements but does not replace sanitation.
C. Data reduce risk but cannot guarantee absolute safety.
D. Monitoring complements, not replaces, traceability systems.
Teaching Point: Time-stamped monitoring provides audit-
quality evidence for verification and corrective action.
Question 3
Chapter & Subtopic: Chapter 1 — Moving to Measurement and
Causal Analysis
Key concept: Root-cause analysis using measurement data.
Stem: A fleet shows repeated short temperature excursions
during cross-dock operations. Which analytical step best follows
measurement to find the causal factor?
A. Replace all refrigeration units immediately.
B. Correlate excursion timestamps with handling events, door
openings and power supply logs.
C. Ignore short excursions under 30 minutes as insignificant.
D. Assume sensor malfunction and disable alarms.
Correct Answer: B