Food-Borne Illness Prevention Flashcards
6 cards from real Ontario Food Handler Certificate practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Food-Borne Illness Prevention flashcards as text
Which of the following conditions does Clostridium perfringens need to multiply rapidly in food?
Answer: Warm temperatures and low oxygen
C. perfringens is an anaerobic bacterium that thrives in warm, low-oxygen environments. It multiplies rapidly in large quantities of food that cool slowly, such as stews and gravies.
What role do spores play in food-borne illness caused by Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens?
Answer: Spores can survive cooking and germinate when food is improperly cooled
Bacterial spores are heat-resistant structures that can survive cooking. When improperly cooled food enters the danger zone, spores germinate and bacteria multiply rapidly.
A customer reports becoming ill 1-6 hours after eating at your establishment, with vomiting as the primary symptom. Which pathogen is most likely responsible?
Answer: Staphylococcus aureus
S. aureus intoxication has a rapid onset of 1-6 hours with vomiting as the predominant symptom, caused by preformed heat-stable enterotoxins in the food.
Which of the following is a correct statement about food allergies versus food-borne illness?
Answer: Food allergies can cause anaphylaxis, which can be fatal
Food allergies involve an immune system response to specific proteins and can cause anaphylaxis — a severe, potentially fatal allergic reaction. Cooking does not destroy most food allergens.
Under Ontario's Food Premises Regulation, which of the following is a requirement for food handlers?
Answer: Food handlers must have knowledge of food safety principles
Ontario Regulation 493/17 requires that food handlers have adequate knowledge of food safety principles to handle food safely. While certification is recommended, knowledge is mandatory.
What is the significance of pH in controlling bacterial growth in food?
Answer: Most pathogenic bacteria prefer neutral pH (6.6–7.5) and grow poorly below pH 4.6
Most pathogenic bacteria grow best at neutral pH levels (6.6–7.5). Foods with a pH below 4.6 are generally considered too acidic for pathogenic bacterial growth, which is why acidic foods like pickles are shelf-stable.