Cooking Lessons Food Safety and Sanitation 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which pathogen is most often spread to food by workers who fail to wash hands after using the restroom?
- Norovirus (Correct answer)
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Bacillus cereus
- Clostridium perfringens
Correct answer: Norovirus
Norovirus spreads easily via the fecal-oral route when infected workers handle food with unwashed hands.
Question 2: Which food is considered a TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) food?
- Dry uncooked pasta
- Unopened crackers
- White sugar
- Cut melons (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Cut melons
Cut melons are moist and low-acid, so they support bacterial growth and require temperature control.
Question 3: What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for a whole pork roast?
- 125°F (52°C) with a 5-minute rest
- 180°F (82°C) with no rest
- 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest (Correct answer)
- 165°F (74°C) with no rest
Correct answer: 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest
Whole cuts of pork are safe at 145°F followed by a three-minute rest time.
Question 4: Why is it unsafe to wash raw chicken in the sink before cooking?
- It makes the chicken cook unevenly
- Splashing water can spread bacteria onto counters, utensils, and nearby food (Correct answer)
- Washing removes essential nutrients from the meat
- Tap water toughens the chicken skin
Correct answer: Splashing water can spread bacteria onto counters, utensils, and nearby food
Rinsing poultry aerosolizes bacteria like Campylobacter and spreads them around the kitchen.
Question 5: Pregnant women are advised to avoid unpasteurized soft cheeses primarily because of which pathogen?
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Shigella
- Listeria monocytogenes (Correct answer)
- Bacillus cereus
Correct answer: Listeria monocytogenes
Listeria grows even at refrigeration temperatures and can cause severe harm to a fetus.
Question 6: When hot-holding food on a buffet, at what minimum temperature must the food be kept?
- 125°F (52°C)
- 115°F (46°C)
- 100°F (38°C)
- 135°F (57°C) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 135°F (57°C)
Hot food must be held at 135°F or above to stay out of the temperature danger zone.
Question 7: A cutting board has deep grooves and scratches that cannot be cleaned out. What should be done?
- Keep using it after a quick rinse
- Cover the grooves with plastic wrap before each use
- Replace or resurface the board because grooves harbor bacteria (Correct answer)
- Flip it over and use only the other side indefinitely
Correct answer: Replace or resurface the board because grooves harbor bacteria
Deep grooves trap food particles and bacteria that sanitizing cannot reliably reach.
Cooking Lessons Food Safety and Sanitation 5
Which pathogen is most often spread to food by workers who fail to wash hands after using the restroom?