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Food Safety & Quality Control Flashcards

7 cards from real CCS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Food Safety & Quality Control flashcards as text

  1. High-Pressure Processing (HPP) is classified as which type of food preservation technology?

    Answer: Non-thermal processing

    HPP uses isostatic pressure (typically 400–600 MPa) at near-ambient temperatures to inactivate pathogens and spoilage organisms without significant heat application.

  2. Which of the following best describes the concept of 'hurdle technology' in food safety?

    Answer: Combining multiple mild preservation factors to inhibit microbial growth synergistically

    Hurdle technology uses multiple simultaneous preservation factors (e.g., pH, aw, temperature, preservatives) at sub-lethal levels that together prevent microbial survival.

  3. In the context of food allergen management, the 'Big Nine' allergens mandated for disclosure on US food labels under FASTER Act (2023) includes which newly added allergen?

    Answer: Sesame

    The FASTER Act of 2021 added sesame as the ninth major food allergen requiring mandatory labeling in the US, effective January 1, 2023.

  4. What is the primary analytical method used to detect adulterants and confirm species identification in meat products?

    Answer: PCR (polymerase chain reaction)

    PCR-based DNA analysis is the gold standard for species identification in meat, capable of detecting trace amounts of undeclared species like horse or pork in processed products.

  5. A food manufacturer discovers that a batch of product exceeded the critical limit at a CCP. According to HACCP principles, what is the immediate required action?

    Answer: Initiate a corrective action to address the product and the process deviation

    HACCP Principle 5 (Corrective Actions) requires addressing the affected product's disposition and correcting the process cause whenever a critical limit deviation occurs.

  6. Which environmental monitoring program (EMP) target organism indicates sanitation failures in ready-to-eat (RTE) food facilities?

    Answer: Listeria species (spp.)

    Listeria species serve as indicator organisms in environmental monitoring because their presence signals conditions that could allow L. monocytogenes to harborage, even if the specific pathogenic species isn't found.

  7. The D-value in thermal processing represents the time required to:

    Answer: Reduce the microbial population by 90% (1 log) at a given temperature

    The D-value (decimal reduction time) is the time in minutes at a specific temperature needed to reduce a microbial population by one log (90%) under defined conditions.