Practice Test 1 Flashcards
Besides purchasing foods from unsafe sources, which of the following two practices can make food dangerous for human consumption?
Transmitting from your body to food
Letting food stay for more than 6 hours at a temperature ideal for pathogen growth
The number one cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in restaurants or food service operations is the transfer of pathogens from your body to food, either by coughing, sneezing, or using unclean hands to handle food. The second most common cause of foodborne illness is letting food stay for more than 6 hours at temperatures ideal for bacterial, viral, or fungal growth.
Cleaning chemicals are generally safe because they are usually rinsed with water. Leaving prepared food on an unclean surface does not necessarily cause food-borne illness, although it should be avoided. Using the same gloves to cook or handle meat and vegetables also does not make food dangerous for human consumption.
Which of the following naturally occurring physical hazards makes food unsafe?
Fruit Pits and Catilage
The question asks for physical hazards naturally present in food, like fruit pits and bones. Cartilage is a form of bone that can cause choking and/or mouth infection. Bacteria and viruses are biological hazards because they are considered life forms. Partially-cooked food does not occur naturally and is not a physical hazard.
Scraping off baked-on food from an otherwise clean plate is an example of which of the following unsafe food practices?
Cross-contamination
When scraping off baked food from a clean plate, you risk transferring any contamination in the baked food by scraping it and letting the airborne particles land on clean surfaces or food. It is not a time-temperature abuse because the food is not kept at temperatures ideal for pathogen growth. It is not an example of poor personal hygiene because you are not contaminating it with your bodily fluids.
The most common foodborne illness in the United States is called norovirus. It is caused by
- Shellfish
- Dirty Hands and Clothes
According to the CDC, norovirus is caused by having direct contact with another infected person when sharing or eating food handled by the infected person. Dirty hands play a big part in transmitting norovirus. It can also be present in shellfish. Washing hands before handling food is the best way to prevent norovirus illness. The virus doesn’t spread through coughing, sneezing, or blowing air into a liquid container.
When cooling the food for storage, what should be done if the food temperature doesn’t reach 70°F within 2 hours?
Reheat the food and then cool it again.
Cooling food is a separate process to ensure food safety and prevent food-borne illness. It must be cooled down before refrigeration for reuse to keep its freshness and prevent pathogenic growth. The first step is to cool it from 135°F to 70°F for two hours. The second step is cooling it to 41°F or lower in the next four hours. If the food doesn’t reach 70°F in the first two hours, it should be reheated and cooled. You can place it in a blast chiller to cool it down to 41°F. Hot food shouldn’t be placed in a cooler or chiller, and it should not be discarded because it can be reheated and used. Consuming food items in the kitchen is strictly forbidden for workers.
Which of these actions can cause cross-contamination when prepping food?
Placing ready-to-eat food on surfaces used to prep raw meat, seafood, or poultry.
Using the same utensils and equipment for vegetables and ready-to-eat food.
Soaking fresh potatoes and leafy greens in standing icy water.
When you prep food, you may handle both raw and ready-to-eat food. Pathogens can be transferred from one food or surface to another if you are not careful. Never place ready-to-eat food on surfaces used to prep raw meat, seafood, or poultry. Some ready-to-eat food cannot be washed. Placing ready-to-eat food on a cutting board for prepping meat can result in cross-contamination. Never use the same utensils or equipment for fresh vegetables like leafy greens and ready-to-eat food because leafy greens are a magnet for germs. They can contaminate ready-to-eat food easily. Never soak fresh or visibly clean potatoes and leafy greens in standing or icy water because they can be soiled even in the icy water.
What are the big 8 allergens
The big eight that cause allergic reactions are milk, eggs, soy, bass, flounder, cod fish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and crustaceans like shellfish.
What is the main risk pests pose in a food service operation?
Biological contamination
Pests carry pathogens that make people sick. Cockroaches, mice, and other pests can biologically contaminate food items without visible cues. The germs or pathogens they carry can make even the most healthy people sick. Removing pests from food service operations as quickly as possible is necessary to ensure food safety.
Which of the following options are valid for cooking lamb, veal, beef, and pork meat?
Prepare steaks or chops at 145°F for 15 seconds
Roast beef or veal at 145°F for 4 minutes
ServSafe recommends preparing steaks, chops, or roast meat items at an optimal temperature of 145°F. It helps kill pathogens and makes the food safe for consumption. Preparing them below 145°F can be risky because the heat is insufficient to kill the germs. Anything higher than 145°F can burn those steaks and chops. High-temperature cooking is recommended for ground meat or shell eggs that will be hot-held for service.
Which procedure should be followed if people other than food handlers are allowed in prep, storage, or dishwashing areas?
Provide the personnel with unique protective clothing and masks before allowing them in restricted areas
Encourage the personnel to wash their hands and faces and sanitize their tools or other equipment before entering restricted areas
To ensure food safety, it is essential to restrict access to prep, storage, and dishwashing areas. If people other than the designed personnel are allowed in these areas, steps must be taken to protect food, utensils, and equipment from contamination. These steps may include the following:
Requiring all non-food handlers to wear hairnets, beard nets, and gloves.
Prohibiting non-food handlers from touching food or food-contact surfaces.
Cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces that non-food handlers have touched.
Maintaining a physical barrier between food preparation areas and non-food preparation areas.
Providing separate handwashing sinks for food handlers and non-food handlers.
Which type of bacteria found in ready-to-eat food and beverages can be controlled by cooking food to a proper internal temperature?
Salmonella Typhi
Salmonella Typhi is primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water, making it crucial to maintain proper hygiene and food safety practices to prevent its spread. Understanding the biology and epidemiology of this bacterium is essential for implementing effective control measures and safeguarding public health. Cooking food to a proper internal temperature can destroy Salmonella Typhi, leading to better management of typhoid fever cases in the American population.
What are two basic characteristics of a virus?
They require a living host to grow
They are not destroyed by average cooking temperatures
Which toxin causes paralytic shellfish poisoning that may result in paralysis or death if high amounts of shellfish are consumed?
Saxitoxin
Saxitoxin causes paralytic poisoning when certain shellfish are consumed in large quantities. The toxin might cause paralysis and death in some instances. Saxitoxin attacks the human nervous system, causing paralysis. Brevetoxin is a neurotoxic shellfish poisoning that causes nervous system problems. Acetic acid is a beneficial acid found in vinegar and other foods. Maleic Acid is not a toxin and is found in certain fruits and wines.
A few guests eating shellfish in a fast food operation suddenly fell sick. Some were vomiting and having abdominal cramps, while others reported headaches and dizziness. What causes these symptoms?
Amnesic shellfish poisoning
Domoic Acid causes amnesic shellfish poisoning. It damages the neurons and causes calcium influx.
Gastrointestinal symptoms can show up 24 hours after eating affected shellfish. These symptoms might involve throwing up, feeling nauseous, having diarrhea, experiencing stomach cramps, and developing hemorrhagic gastritis. In worse situations, neurological symptoms may take several hours or even up to 3 days to appear. These symptoms can include headaches, feeling dizzy, being disoriented, having vision problems, losing short-term memory, experiencing weakness in muscles, having seizures, producing a lot of respiratory secretions, having hiccups, having unstable blood pressure or abnormal heart rhythms, and even falling into a coma.
