ServSafe Food Contamination and Allergens 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A food handler accidentally drops a sanitized knife on the floor, picks it up, and continues prepping lettuce. What type of contamination has occurred?
- Chemical contamination from floor cleaners
- Physical contamination from floor debris
- Biological contamination from floor pathogens (Correct answer)
- Radiological contamination from fluorescent lighting
Correct answer: Biological contamination from floor pathogens
The floor harbors pathogens that transfer to the knife and then to the ready-to-eat lettuce, causing biological contamination.
Question 2: Under the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), how many major allergens must be declared on packaged food labels in the US?
- 6
- 8
- 9 (Correct answer)
- 11
Correct answer: 9
FALCPA originally identified 8 major allergens, but FASTER Act (2023) added sesame, bringing the total to 9.
Question 3: Which of the following scenarios represents deliberate contamination of food?
- A cook forgets to wash hands before handling produce
- A disgruntled employee adds a foreign substance to a dish out of revenge (Correct answer)
- Raw meat juice drips onto a shelf below in the walk-in cooler
- A broken thermometer leaks mercury near a food prep area
Correct answer: A disgruntled employee adds a foreign substance to a dish out of revenge
Deliberate contamination (food defense) refers to intentional adulteration of food by a person with harmful intent.
Question 4: A guest with a milk allergy is served a dish made with clarified butter (ghee). Why is this still a problem?
- Ghee contains lactose which is the milk allergen protein
- Ghee is derived from milk and still contains milk proteins that trigger allergies (Correct answer)
- Ghee is shelf-stable so its allergen content is higher than regular butter
- Ghee only affects guests with a lactose intolerance, not a true milk allergy
Correct answer: Ghee is derived from milk and still contains milk proteins that trigger allergies
Ghee is made from butter, and even though most lactose is removed, it can still contain milk proteins (casein/whey) that trigger allergic reactions.
Question 5: What does the term 'upcycling' risk introduce in the context of allergen management?
- Hidden allergens in repurposed food items passed off as allergen-free (Correct answer)
- Increased biological contamination from longer food storage
- Chemical contamination from industrial recycling processes
- Physical contamination from machinery used in repurposing
Correct answer: Hidden allergens in repurposed food items passed off as allergen-free
Repurposed or upcycled ingredients may carry hidden allergens from their original processing, creating undeclared allergen risks.
Question 6: A food handler is prepping fish on a cutting board, then uses the same board without washing it to slice strawberries for a fruit plate. This BEST illustrates:
- Time-temperature abuse
- Cross-contact of a major allergen (Correct answer)
- Cross-contamination by a biological pathogen
- Physical contamination from fish bones
Correct answer: Cross-contact of a major allergen
Fish proteins transferring from the cutting board to strawberries is allergen cross-contact, a distinct risk from microbial cross-contamination.
Question 7: When a restaurant runs out of the allergen-free oil specified in a recipe and substitutes peanut oil without updating the menu, this creates which type of hazard?
- A documented substitution that is acceptable under ServSafe guidelines
- An undeclared allergen hazard that could cause a severe reaction (Correct answer)
- A chemical hazard from mixing different oil compositions
- A physical hazard from differences in oil viscosity
Correct answer: An undeclared allergen hazard that could cause a severe reaction
Substituting peanut oil without disclosing it introduces an undeclared major allergen, violating food safety and labeling standards.
ServSafe Food Contamination and Allergens 5
A food handler accidentally drops a sanitized knife on the floor, picks it up, and continues prepping lettuce.
What type of contamination has occurred?