CFPM Preventing Food Contamination 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manager discovers that a food employee did not disclose a diagnosis of Hepatitis A. Under the FDA Food Code, the manager must:
- Exclude the employee from the food establishment and notify the regulatory authority (Correct answer)
- Reassign the employee to non-food-handling duties only
- Require the employee to wear double gloves while awaiting results
- Allow the employee to work if they have no visible symptoms
Correct answer: Exclude the employee from the food establishment and notify the regulatory authority
Hepatitis A is a reportable diagnosis under the FDA Food Code requiring immediate exclusion and notification of the local regulatory authority.
Question 2: Which control measure MOST effectively prevents scombroid fish poisoning?
- Maintaining tuna and mahi-mahi at proper refrigeration temperatures from harvest to service (Correct answer)
- Cooking fish to an internal temperature of 145°F
- Rinsing fish with acidic solutions before preparation
- Marinating fish in the refrigerator for at least two hours
Correct answer: Maintaining tuna and mahi-mahi at proper refrigeration temperatures from harvest to service
Scombroid poisoning results from histamine formation in improperly refrigerated fish; cooking does not destroy histamine, so temperature control is the only effective prevention.
Question 3: What does the term 'adulterant' mean in the context of food safety?
- Any substance that makes food unsafe or unfit for consumption (Correct answer)
- A flavor-enhancing additive approved by the FDA
- A preservative used to extend shelf life
- A nutrient fortification agent added to food
Correct answer: Any substance that makes food unsafe or unfit for consumption
An adulterant is any substance—whether biological, chemical, or physical—intentionally or unintentionally added that renders food unsafe or unfit to eat.
Question 4: During a power outage, a refrigerator door is kept closed. After 4 hours the internal temperature reads 50°F. Perishable foods inside should be:
- Discarded because they have entered the temperature danger zone for too long (Correct answer)
- Served immediately since they are only slightly warm
- Moved to a cooler with ice and used within 24 hours
- Inspected visually; discard only items that appear spoiled
Correct answer: Discarded because they have entered the temperature danger zone for too long
Foods held above 41°F for more than 4 cumulative hours in the danger zone must be discarded because pathogen growth may have reached unsafe levels.
Question 5: An operation uses copper pots to cook acidic tomato sauce. The MAIN food safety concern is:
- Copper leaching into the sauce, creating a chemical contamination hazard (Correct answer)
- The acidic sauce corroding the pot and causing a physical hazard
- High heat causing the tomatoes to become biologically hazardous
- Copper affecting the flavor but posing no real safety risk
Correct answer: Copper leaching into the sauce, creating a chemical contamination hazard
Acidic foods can leach toxic levels of copper from unlined copper cookware, creating a chemical hazard that can cause acute illness.
Question 6: A food worker uses the same cutting board for raw onions and then immediately slices strawberries for a fruit salad. This is most accurately described as:
- Cross-contamination, because the board may transfer microbes from the onions to the strawberries (Correct answer)
- An acceptable practice because onions and strawberries are both produce items
- Cross-contact, because both items are potential allergens
- A temperature danger zone violation
Correct answer: Cross-contamination, because the board may transfer microbes from the onions to the strawberries
Using the same cutting board without sanitizing between tasks can transfer bacteria from one food to another, which is cross-contamination.
Question 7: Which practice BEST protects food from contamination during overhead maintenance work in a kitchen?
- Covering or removing all food and food-contact surfaces from the work area (Correct answer)
- Scheduling maintenance only during business hours when staff can monitor
- Placing a tarp over the nearest prep table while leaving others uncovered
- Allowing maintenance only if workers wear gloves and hairnets
Correct answer: Covering or removing all food and food-contact surfaces from the work area
All food and food-contact surfaces must be completely covered or removed to prevent physical and chemical contamination from debris, dust, or lubricants during maintenance.
CFPM Preventing Food Contamination 5
A manager discovers that a food employee did not disclose a diagnosis of Hepatitis A.
Under the FDA Food Code, the manager must: