Question 1

Which of the following foods is most likely to cause norovirus gastroenteritis?

Accepted Answer

Shellfish is the most likely food to cause norovirus gastroenteritis. Norovirus has been linked to contaminated water and can transfer to shellfish raised in that water. To reduce risk, only purchase shellfish from reputable suppliers.

Question 2

Which group of people is most vulnerable to listeriosis?

Accepted Answer

Pregnant women are most vulnerable to listeriosis. Newborns are also highly susceptible. The bacteria that cause listeriosis can be found in soil, water and plants. It is most commonly found in raw meat, ready-to-eat foods and unpasteurized dairy products.

Question 3

The owner of Ye Olde Colonial Café purchased antique pewter pitchers for serving lemonade in her café. Should she use the pitchers?

Accepted Answer

The owner of Ye Olde Colonial Café should not use antique pewter pitchers to serve lemonade in her café because the lead in the pewter may cause toxic metal poisoning. Lead is a toxic metal that may contaminate acidic food or beverages like lemonade. To avoid toxic metal contamination, Ye Olde Colonial Café should only use containers made for handling food.

Question 4

What parasite are you at risk of ingesting if you eat undercooked fish such as halibut or mackerel?

Accepted Answer

You are at risk of ingesting Anisakis simplex if you eat undercooked fish such as halibut or mackerel. Anisakis simplex is the parasite that causes anisakiasis. As a preventative measure, cook fish to minimum internal temperature or purchase sushi-grade fish frozen to the correct temperature.

Question 5

The restaurant where Jorge works buys cleaning chemicals in bulk containers. After Jorge pours window cleaner into a smaller container, what should he do next?

Accepted Answer

After Jorge pours window cleaner into a small container, he should immediately label the new container with the common name of the chemical. Chemicals pose a risk of contaminating food if they are not used or stored according to the directions. If the bottle is not immediately labeled correctly, an employee may mistakenly use the wrong chemical. Additionally, all employees need to correctly identify chemicals in case of spills or accidents.

Question 6

The "secret ingredient" in a restaurant's famous barbecue sauce is peanut oil. Which employees should be aware of this ingredient?

Accepted Answer

All employees should be aware that the secret ingredient in the restaurant's famous barbecue sauce is peanut oil. Peanuts are a common and dangerous allergen. Waiters and/or counter staff need to be able to answer customers' questions regarding allergies. All kitchen staff should know to avoid cross-contact between the peanut oil and other foods.

Question 7

The acronym FAT TOM stands for Food, _________, Temperature, Time, _________ and Moisture.

Accepted Answer

The acronym FAT TOM stands for Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen and Moisture. FAT TOM is a reminder of the six conditions that allow pathogens to grow. Managing FAT TOM conditions helps keep food safe.

Question 8

The new manager of your restaurant wants to reduce costs by saving money on latex gloves. Which of the following solutions is considered safe?

Accepted Answer

If the new manager of your restaurant wants to reduce costs by saving money on latex gloves, the only safe way to do so is to find another vendor for gloves. Latex gloves create a barrier between skin and food to prevent the spread of pathogens. Gloves should only be used once and never re-used. Gloves should be available in multiple sizes to avoid slipping or tearing.

Question 9

After which activity should food handlers change gloves?

Accepted Answer

Food handlers should change gloves after handling raw meat or tearing a glove. Gloves should be changed between handling raw meat and any other food including other types of meat, and torn gloves are not an effective barrier between skin and food. Gloves should not be used for more than four hours of continuous use and should be changed more often if needed, but using gloves for two hours does not require them to be changed.

Question 10

Janet is a great employee who always takes food safety seriously. Recently, her husband was diagnosed with Hepatitis A. How soon can Janet work with food?

Accepted Answer

After Janet's husband was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, Janet needs to be cleared by the local health department before working with food. Hepatitis A is a virus that is extremely contagious. Janet may be infected but not show symptoms for several weeks. Hepatitis A cannot be destroyed by cooking.

Question 11

As a supervisor of a hospital cafeteria, how would you handle a line chef who presents to work with a sore throat and a fever?

Accepted Answer

As a supervisor of a hospital cafeteria, you should send your line chef home when they present to work with a sore throat and fever. As a hospital cafeteria, you are automatically serving a high risk population; therefore the employee should be sent home as the consumers involved may have lowered or compromised immune systems. As a sore throat and fever are possible signs of influenza, which is a highly contagious virus, you could risk spreading the virus to the hospital patients either through direct contact with the food products or the patients.

Question 12

If you notice symptoms of jaundice in a food handler at your restaurant, what should you do?

Accepted Answer

If you notice symptoms of jaundice, such as yellowed whites of the eyes, in a food handler at your restaurant, you should send them home and not allow them to return until they have a written release from a medical practitioner. Jaundice indicates inflammation of the liver which could be cause by numerous infectious diseases. Some diseases which cause jaundice, such as hepatitis, can have serious implications on the amount of time that the food handler will miss from work. As well as the written medical release, the food handler must be free of jaundice symptoms for a minimum of 24 hours before returning to work.

Question 13

Your food service employee tested positive for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The local regulatory authority has been notified. How long before she is able to return to work?

Accepted Answer

Your food service employee may return to work after her doctor as well as the local regulatory authority clears her after testing positive for Shiga toxin producing E. coli. Due to the infectious nature of this type of bacteria, the local regulatory authority must be notified to help identify any potential source of a possible outbreak. The local regulatory authority must also clear the food handler in conjunction with their medical doctor to ensure any and all public safety concerns are addressed and that the food handler no longer presents a risk to public safety.

Question 14

Jen is restocking the buffet line. She notices after stocking the beef and broccoli that the spoon that she is using is pitted. What should she do with the food she has stocked and the spoon?

Accepted Answer

Jen should throw the spoon and food away after noticing the pitting. Pitting on a spoon is an ideal area for bacteria to grow and contaminants to linger. Pitted, rusted, cracked and chipped utensils pose a health concern even when properly washed and sanitized.

Question 15

While in the process of being inspected by the health inspector, a chef is nervous and forgets to take off her ring. While working with the rice pilaf she notices that a diamond from her wedding band is missing. Is this an example of an imminent health hazard or more of a personal issue?

Accepted Answer

Losing a diamond in ready to eat food stocks is an example of an imminent health hazard because of the presence of a foreign contaminant in the food, which causes concerns of choking, cleaning, sanitizing, employee training, and public health. Anytime there is the possibility of such a contaminant in food ready to be served, the production must be shut down until the contaminant can be removed, the food discarded, and the area be cleaned and sanitized. Production cannot resume until any concern for public health and safety has been addressed and mitigated.

Question 16

As manager on duty, Alex is notified by one of his servers that a child has vomited on his table and it has spread onto the floor. The child's mother has used napkins to absorb some of the vomit. How should Alex handle this type of situation?

Accepted Answer

Alex should direct his server to clean and sanitize the affected surfaces and to reseat any guests who are in the immediate area of the incident anytime a customer vomits or has diarrhea in his facility. While the child's mother means well by attempting to clean the vomit, she is not properly equipped to fully clean and sanitize the area and may risk contaminating other surfaces in the process. The substances should be contained, cleaned, and surfaces sanitized well before any other customers be allowed to use the area to prevent contamination or spreading diseases such as Norovirus. Also any customers in the area of the incident should be moved as soon as possible, both as a courtesy to their dining experience as well as for their protection.

Question 17

After Alex has initially been notified that a customer has vomited in his facility and directed a server to initiate cleaning the vomit, Alex checks on the server's progress. He notices that the server has put up a wet floor sign, is using a mop and bucket, and wiping cloths. She has wiped the vomit into a clean trash bag. What type of cleaning solution should she use on the table and floor?

Accepted Answer

The server should clean with a disinfectant soap and sanitize with a chemical cleaner such as bleach for both the table and floor. As vomit can contain many bacteria and viruses, it requires a disinfectant cleaner rated to kill such organisms. The same cleaners may be applied to both the floor and table as both surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized to the same standard.

Question 18

After a child has vomited in Alex's facilities, a customer reports that he feels that his food may have been contaminated due to splatter from the vomit. How should Alex handle this customer?

Accepted Answer

Alex should assure the customer who feels his food may have been contaminated due to splatter from the vomit that new food will be provided for him and discard the contaminated food. Regardless of how far the customer was from the incident when it occurred, he was in a better position to know if his food may have been contaminated by the vomit. It is always better to err on the side of safety when faced with a situation that could possibly endanger the customer's health. Any contaminated or possibly contaminated food should be immediately discarded.

Question 19

During the busy lunch hour, a businessman vomits at his table. His server is busy cleaning the table, and the customer feels that he may be sick again while trying to gather his laptop. As the manager approaches, how should he escort the customer out of the restaurant?

Accepted Answer

The manager should escort the customer through the least densely seated area of the restaurant and allow the customer to use the restroom if he feels as though he will be sick again after vomiting on his table. The customer should always be escorted out of the restaurant as the staff will be able to direct them through the least densely seated areas most efficiently to contain the scope of the incident. It is important to handle this type of situation as efficiently as possible to cause as little interruption to the restaurant's functioning as needed.

Question 20

What are the three most common instances in which a food handler must wear protective equipment when dealing with a customer?

Accepted Answer

The three most common instances in which a food handler must wear protective equipment when dealing with a customer are vomit, diarrhea, and bleeding. Food handlers must always wear protective equipment when dealing with any type of bodily fluids. Bodily fluids contain bacteria and viruses which could infect the food handler and thereby affect food safety and public health. In order to contain such risks, food handlers should wear gloves, an apron, and a mask if available.

Quiz 9: Contamination