CFS Food Microbiology Flashcards
6 cards from real CFS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CFS Food Microbiology flashcards as text
Biofilm formation on food-contact surfaces is a significant food safety concern because biofilms:
Answer: Protect embedded bacteria from sanitizers and facilitate persistent contamination
Biofilms are structured communities of bacteria encased in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix that dramatically increases their resistance to sanitizers and enables persistent contamination of processing equipment.
Which group of bacteria forms heat-resistant endospores that survive standard pasteurization and pose a risk in canned and retorted foods?
Answer: Clostridium and Bacillus species
Clostridium and Bacillus species form endospores capable of surviving temperatures above 100°C, requiring retort processing (121°C/15 psi) for sterilization in low-acid canned foods.
Coliform counts and E. coli testing in food products are used as what type of microbiological indicator?
Answer: Indicators of fecal contamination and sanitation adequacy
Coliform and E. coli counts serve as indicator organisms, reflecting the likelihood of fecal contamination and the adequacy of sanitation practices, since testing every sample for all pathogens is impractical.
ATP bioluminescence testing in food plant sanitation programs measures what?
Answer: The total amount of adenosine triphosphate as a proxy for organic residue and microbial contamination
ATP bioluminescence quantifies adenosine triphosphate from microbial and food residues on surfaces; high RLU (relative light unit) readings indicate inadequate cleaning before sanitization.
The logarithmic (log) growth phase in bacterial kinetics is defined by which characteristic?
Answer: Exponential doubling of cell numbers at a constant generation time
During the log (exponential) phase, bacteria divide at a constant maximum rate, doubling in number each generation time, which is when predictive microbiology models are most applicable for food safety.
Hurdle technology in food preservation refers to which approach?
Answer: Combining multiple mild preservation factors that collectively inhibit microbial growth
Hurdle technology combines multiple sub-lethal preservation factors (pH, a_w, temperature, modified atmosphere, antimicrobials) so that each 'hurdle' contributes to overall microbial stability without requiring extreme individual treatments.