Food Safety and Handling Quiz

Chapter 1: Providing Safe Food

• Foodborne illness is a disease transmitted to people through food.
• An outbreak occurs when two or more people experience similar symptoms after eating the same food, and an investigation by regulatory authorities confirms the link.
• Challenges to food safety include time constraints, language barriers, differing levels of literacy and education, pathogens, poor supplier practices, high-risk customers, and staff turnover.
• Costs associated with foodborne illness include loss of customers and sales, damaged reputation, negative media exposure, lowered staff morale, lawsuits and legal fees, increased insurance premiums, and staff retraining.
• Unsafe food results from biological, chemical, and physical contamination.
• Biological contaminants include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi.
• Chemical contaminants include cleaners, sanitizers, and polishes.
• Physical contaminants include metal shavings, staples, bandages, glass, and dirt.
• The five risk factors for foodborne illness are purchasing food from unsafe sources, failing to cook food correctly, holding food at incorrect temperatures, using contaminated equipment, and poor personal hygiene.
• Examples of time-temperature abuse, cross-contamination, and poor personal hygiene are included
• Time-temperature abuse occurs when food stays too long at temperatures suitable for pathogen growth.
• Cross-contamination transfers pathogens from one surface or food to another.
• Poor personal hygiene includes not washing hands properly after using the restroom, sneezing or coughing on food, and touching wounds and then touching food.
• Critical control points (CCPs) are food safety hazards that can be prevented, reduced, or eliminated through control measures.
• Food handlers need to be trained in the use of time and temperature controls, how to prevent cross-contamination, how to maintain proper personal hygiene, and how to handle food-contact surfaces properly.

Chapter 2: Forms of Contamination

• Contaminants can come from animals used for food, air, contaminated water, dirt, or people due to deliberate or accidental contamination.
• People may contaminate food by not washing hands after going to the restroom, or by touching and contaminating surfaces and food.
• Biological contamination involves harmful microorganisms known as pathogens, and toxins they produce.
• Common types of pathogens are bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi.
• Common symptoms of foodborne illness include diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, and jaundice.
• The Big Six pathogens (Shigella spp., Salmonella Typhi, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), Hepatitis A, and Norovirus) are particularly problematic in food service.
• Bacteria need food, acidity, temperature, time, oxygen, and moisture to grow.
• Time-temperature abuse at uncontrolled temperatures allows bacteria to grow rapidly into unsafe levels.
• Control of time, temperature, and moisture helps control bacteria from growing
• Viruses do not grow in food and can be transferred through food and water.
• Parasites require a host to live and reproduce and can contaminate seafood/wild game.
• Fungi (yeasts, molds, and mushrooms) can also cause issues, some of which produce toxins. Certain fish that eat smaller fish with toxins can also be affected.
• Chemical contaminants can come from various sources, including equipment, cleaners, and sanitizers. – Chemical contaminants can produce symptoms depending on what chemical was consumed and onset times vary.
• Physical contamination includes objects in food, like metal shavings and glass. Common symptoms may include mild to fatal injuries, cuts, dental damage, choking, bleeding, and pain. – Prevention of physical contamination includes: careful handling of food, correct use of equipment, careful checking of inventory, and good personal hygiene.
• Food handlers must be made aware of how to recognize, handle, and prevent food contamination to minimize the risk of foodborne illness.

Chapter 3: The Safe Food Handler

• Avoiding personal behaviors that contaminate food is crucial.
• Proper handwashing is essential.
• Staff should wear clean work clothes and uniforms.
• Areas where food preparation takes place must be restricted in their use by staff- do not eat, drink, or smoke in these areas, or chew gum and tobacco products. Staff can be restricted from certain duties if there is an illness, like vomiting and diarrhea and jaundice.
• Handwashing steps and frequency for general food safety.
• If a food handler has an infected wound, it must be covered.
• Gloves are used to protect food items being handled.
• Food handlers need to be properly trained on proper personal hygiene practices.
• Proper training and supervision are essential to prevent food contamination.

Chapter 4: The Flow of Food: An Introduction

• To maintain food safety, cross-contamination and time-temperature abuse must be controlled throughout the whole process (receiving, storing, preparation, cooking, holding, cooling, reheating, and serving).
• Separate equipment for different types of foods prevents cross-contamination.
• Sanitization of surfaces, equipment, and utensils is essential.
• Proper time and temperature control throughout the flow of food prevent bacterial growth.
• Thermometers should be regularly checked to ensure that food temperatures are in established safe parameters (danger zone).
• Time and temperature indicators (TTI) may be used to monitor the temperature and time of food storage.
• Thermometers must be correctly calibrated to maintain food safety standards.
• All utensils, containers, and tools used in food prep need to be cleaned and sanitized.
• Using suitable and correct equipment and utensils is essential for safe food preparation.

Chapter 5: The Flow of Food: Purchasing, Receiving, and Storage

• Purchasing food from approved, reputable suppliers ensures that foods have been inspected and meet local, state, and federal laws.
• Receiving food properly is crucial for preventing time-temperature abuse.
• Inspecting food upon delivery will ensure that the food is good.
• Reject deliveries if there is any indication of contamination or damage.
• Use the FIFO (First In, First Out) method for storing and using food to prevent waste but also to ensure that food doesn't get past its useable date.
• Properly store food and nonfood items to minimize contamination risk and maintain time-temperature controls.
• Store foods with proper temperature controls.
• Understand the various temperature requirements for different food items.

Chapter 6: The Flow of Food: Preparation

• Preventing cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods.
• Thaw food safely by using one of the allowed methods.
• Properly cook food to the required internal temperature.
• Correctly cool and reheat food to ensure safety.
• Food and color additives can only be used in ways approved by food agencies and local regulators.
• Food should be treated and/ or presented honestly.
• Corrective actions may need to be taken when food handling procedures are not followed.
• Establish a proper method of handling leftover food items to minimize contamination.
• Be aware of food safety implications of foods being handled in certain ways (packaging food, smoking food, or curing food).

Chapter 7: The Flow of Food: Service

• Properly hold hot foods at 135°F (57°C) or higher or cold food at 41°F (5°C) or lower.
• Use time as a temperature control method, and be able to throw out food that is not done correctly.
• Prevent contamination in self-service areas (using proper utensils and containing food correctly), ensuring that proper food handling steps are followed.
• Use or store serving utensils correctly to maintain food safety standards.
• Serve food items properly and in a safe manner.

Chapter 8: Food Safety Management Systems

• Food safety management systems are intended to control all potential foodborne illnesses.
• Active managerial control emphasizes the need for managers to control behaviours and the facility to maintain overall food safety standards.
• Understand the need for proper employee training, manager supervision, and proper food-service protocols.
• Actively implement a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) system and monitoring critical activities to maintain overall safety standards.
• Be aware of certain food-service practices where a variance might be needed.

Chapter 9: Safe Facilities and Pest Management

• Facility and equipment standards are important in maintaining food safety.
• Maintain floor, walls, ceilings, equipment, and other surfaces in a way that ensures easy cleaning.
• Install and maintain the proper equipment.
• Address foodborne hazards caused by utilities or plumbing and water systems.
• Handle emergencies to effectively minimize contamination risks.
• Prevent and control pests.
• Understand the implications of pests in service.
• How to work with Pest Control Organizations (PCOs)
• Be able to identify and prevent contamination from pests.

Chapter 10: Cleaning and Sanitizing

• Understand the purpose and proper methods of cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces, stationary equipment, and utensils to minimize contamination risks.
• Understand and use chemical sanitizers correctly.
• Maintain proper and effective cleaning routines.
• Clean up after incidents/ illness correctly to prevent contamination.
• Understand how to create a master cleaning schedule and monitor the effectiveness of the cleaning process.

Additional Information

• Understanding the methods and requirements for properly handling food prevents foodborne illness, maintains food safety, and satisfies customer demands.
• Food safety standards and requirements must be known and followed diligently to meet all regulations required to maintain a high standard of food safety.

Test your knowledge on food safety regulations regarding food handlers. This quiz covers topics such as the required actions for handling illness among food workers, contamination factors, and the types of pathogens that can affect food safety. Ensure you understand the protocols to maintain health standards in food service.