Food Safety Foodborne Illness & Pathogens 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which food is most commonly associated with Clostridium botulinum toxin?
- Raw chicken
- Improperly home-canned or commercially canned foods (Correct answer)
- Fresh produce
- Pasteurized dairy products
Correct answer: Improperly home-canned or commercially canned foods
Clostridium botulinum thrives in the anaerobic environment of improperly canned foods and produces a deadly neurotoxin.
Question 2: What does TCS food mean?
- Food requiring temperature and chemical sanitizing
- Food requiring Time/Temperature Control for Safety to prevent pathogen growth (Correct answer)
- Food that must be stored in a temperature-controlled storage unit only
- Food that always causes foodborne illness if not refrigerated
Correct answer: Food requiring Time/Temperature Control for Safety to prevent pathogen growth
TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) foods are those that support pathogen growth and require careful monitoring of both time and temperature.
Question 3: Which pathogen is associated with raw or undercooked shellfish?
- Salmonella
- Vibrio vulnificus (Correct answer)
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Clostridium perfringens
Correct answer: Vibrio vulnificus
Vibrio vulnificus is a naturally occurring pathogen found in warm coastal waters and is strongly associated with raw or undercooked oysters and shellfish.
Question 4: What is the primary way foodborne illness is spread in food service operations?
- Improper equipment maintenance and rust
- Poor personal hygiene practices by food handlers (Correct answer)
- Inadequate kitchen ventilation
- Using non-commercial grade equipment
Correct answer: Poor personal hygiene practices by food handlers
Poor personal hygiene, including inadequate handwashing and working while ill, is the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in food service.
Question 5: Which of the following is NOT included in the FDA's Big 6 pathogens requiring food handler exclusion?
- Shigella
- E. coli O157:H7
- Salmonella Typhi
- Campylobacter jejuni (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Campylobacter jejuni
Campylobacter jejuni is not included in the FDA's Big 6 pathogens that require food handler exclusion, despite being a common cause of foodborne illness.
Question 6: Norovirus is most commonly spread in food service when:
- Food is not cooked to the proper minimum internal temperature
- An infected food handler contaminates food through bare-hand contact (Correct answer)
- Food is improperly refrigerated overnight
- Insects gain access to the food storage area
Correct answer: An infected food handler contaminates food through bare-hand contact
Norovirus is most frequently transmitted in food service through bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food by an infected handler.
Food Safety Foodborne Illness & Pathogens 2
Which food is most commonly associated with Clostridium botulinum toxin?