Ontario Food Handler Certificate Personal Hygiene for Food Workers 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When should disposable gloves be changed during food preparation?
- Every hour on the hour
- Only when they tear
- When switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods, after any interruption, or when damaged (Correct answer)
- At the end of each shift
Correct answer: When switching between raw and ready-to-eat foods, after any interruption, or when damaged
Gloves must be changed when switching between tasks (especially raw to ready-to-eat), after any interruption in work, when damaged, and after handling non-food items. Hands must be washed before putting on new gloves.
Question 2: What is the correct order of steps for proper handwashing?
- Wet, soap, scrub 20 seconds, rinse, dry with paper towels (Correct answer)
- Soap, rinse, dry
- Wet, scrub, sanitize
- Rinse, soap, air dry
Correct answer: Wet, soap, scrub 20 seconds, rinse, dry with paper towels
The correct handwashing procedure is: wet hands with warm water, apply soap, scrub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds (including between fingers and under nails), rinse thoroughly, and dry with single-use paper towels.
Question 3: Why must food handlers avoid touching their face, hair, or body while handling food?
- It looks unprofessional
- The face, hair, and body harbor bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus that can contaminate food (Correct answer)
- It is uncomfortable for customers to watch
- It only matters for workers with visible skin conditions
Correct answer: The face, hair, and body harbor bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus that can contaminate food
The human body naturally harbors bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus on the skin, in the nose, and in the hair. Touching these areas transfers bacteria to hands and subsequently to food.
Question 4: A food handler is diagnosed with Hepatitis A. What action is required?
- They may continue working if they wear gloves
- They must be immediately excluded from food handling and the local health unit notified (Correct answer)
- They can work if they avoid handling ready-to-eat food
- They only need to stay home for 24 hours
Correct answer: They must be immediately excluded from food handling and the local health unit notified
Hepatitis A is a reportable disease. Infected food handlers must be immediately excluded from food handling duties and the local Medical Officer of Health must be notified, as the virus is easily transmitted through food.
Question 5: Which of the following is TRUE about bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food?
- It is always acceptable if hands are washed
- It should be minimized; utensils, tongs, or gloves should be used instead (Correct answer)
- It is only restricted for workers with cuts
- It is permitted for foods that will be cooked later
Correct answer: It should be minimized; utensils, tongs, or gloves should be used instead
Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food should be avoided whenever possible. Utensils, tongs, deli paper, or disposable gloves provide a barrier between hands and food that will not be further cooked.
Question 6: What personal hygiene practice is required before entering a food preparation area?
- Applying perfume to mask body odor
- Removing all jewelry except a plain band, securing hair, and putting on clean work clothes (Correct answer)
- Only putting on an apron
- Checking appearance in a mirror
Correct answer: Removing all jewelry except a plain band, securing hair, and putting on clean work clothes
Before entering a food preparation area, workers must remove jewelry (except a plain band), secure hair with a net or hat, put on clean work clothes, and wash hands thoroughly.
