Ontario Food Handler Mock Exam 1

All 50 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. You have a small cut on your finger. What does the guide require before you handle food?

   1. A bandage alone is enough
   2. Antiseptic cream and no covering
   3. Nothing if the cut is small
   4. A bandage covered by a glove

2. How do you check that a chemical sanitizing solution is strong enough?

   1. Taste a drop on your finger
   2. Smell it for a strong odour
   3. Check that it looks cloudy
   4. Use test strips or a test reagent

3. A plate comes out of the dishwasher with a chip on the rim. What should you do?

   1. Sand the chip smooth and reuse it
   2. Put it at the bottom of the stack
   3. Use it for takeout orders
   4. Throw it away

4. An inspector finds a case of spoiled meat that is a health hazard. What power lets them dispose of it on the spot?

   1. The power of licensing
   2. The power of destruction
   3. The power of entry
   4. The power of zoning

5. How should a dining table be cleaned between customers?

   1. Left until the end of the shift
   2. Wiped with the server's apron between tables
   3. Brushed off with a napkin
   4. Cleaned and sanitized with a clean cloth

6. Which of these is a physical hazard in food?

   1. Too much MSG
   2. A staple from a delivery box
   3. Salmonella bacteria on raw chicken
   4. Peanut protein

7. How deep should shallow pans be for cooling hot food?

   1. 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3 inches) or less
   2. Any depth if covered
   3. At least 30 cm (12 inches)
   4. 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches)

8. Why must you wash your hands after using the toilet even if you used plenty of toilet paper?

   1. It is only a customer courtesy
   2. Toilet paper is not sanitary
   3. Toilet paper contains chemicals
   4. Germs can pass through toilet paper

9. After a bout of vomiting and diarrhea, when can a food handler go back to work?

   1. The next morning, no matter what
   2. 24 hours after symptoms stop
   3. 2 hours after the last symptom
   4. As soon as they feel hungry

10. Why shouldn't cold soup be reheated in a steam table or soup urn?

    1. Steam tables use too much water when set to high heat
    2. It is against fire regulations
    3. Holding units don't heat food fast or hot enough
    4. Soup urns cook food unevenly fast

11. Which of these is a potentially hazardous food?

    1. White sugar
    2. Cut melon
    3. Plain crackers
    4. Unopened dry pasta

12. Monitoring shows a whole chicken has not reached 82 °C. What is the corrective action?

    1. Lower the oven temperature
    2. Keep cooking until it reaches 82 °C
    3. Serve it with a warning
    4. Record it and serve it anyway

13. Why do lights above food preparation areas need shields or covers?

    1. So the lights use less power and last longer
    2. So broken glass cannot fall into food
    3. So the kitchen stays cooler
    4. So pests cannot see the food

14. Which of these is a common symptom of foodborne illness?

    1. Blurred hearing
    2. Hair loss
    3. Diarrhea
    4. Sunburn

15. Why is preventing pests better than getting rid of them?

    1. It is easier and less expensive
    2. Inspectors only check prevention
    3. Chemicals are not allowed at all
    4. Pests can never be removed

16. Which meat may be used in a food premise?

    1. Government-inspected meat
    2. Meat bought from a neighbour
    3. Meat sold at a roadside stand
    4. Meat from a hunter friend

17. A kitchen garbage can is full. What should be done?

    1. Wait until the end of the shift
    2. Put a second bag on top
    3. Press the garbage down to fit more
    4. Empty it right away

18. Which sink should food handlers use to wash their hands?

    1. A sink used only for handwashing
    2. The three-compartment dish sink
    3. The food preparation sink
    4. The mop sink in the back room

19. Under Ontario's Food Premises Regulation, what is a food handler not allowed to do while handling food?

    1. Drink water on break
    2. Use tobacco
    3. Talk to customers
    4. Wear a wristwatch

20. A digital thermometer reads 2 °C in an ice slush and has no reset button. What should you try first?

    1. Tap it until it reads zero
    2. Run it through the dishwasher to reset the sensor
    3. Keep using it as it is
    4. Replace the battery or have it repaired

21. What must every mechanical dishwasher have?

    1. Gauges showing wash and rinse temperatures
    2. A separate handwash sink inside
    3. A timer that rings every hour to signal a refill
    4. A logbook signed by customers

22. You see cockroaches running across a brightly lit kitchen during the day. What does this usually mean?

    1. The cockroaches are just passing through
    2. The lights attract only a few roaches
    3. The pest control is working well
    4. There is a serious infestation

23. Which fresh fish should be rejected?

    1. Fish with cloudy, sunken eyes
    2. Fish with clear, bulging eyes
    3. Fish delivered on ice at 3 °C
    4. Fish with firm, springy flesh

24. Which factor is considered when a public health inspector sets a premise's risk level?

    1. The number of tables outside
    2. Whether certified food handlers are present
    3. The colour of the staff uniforms
    4. How long the owner has lived in the neighbourhood

25. Under Ontario's Food Premises Regulation, how long must records of pest control measures be kept?

    1. Only until the next visit
    2. At least one year
    3. At least one month
    4. At least one week

26. A new case of ketchup arrives. Where should it go on the shelf?

    1. On top of the opened bottles
    2. In front of the older ketchup
    3. Behind the older ketchup
    4. On the floor beside the shelf

27. How often must washroom fixtures in a food premise be cleaned and sanitized?

    1. Only after inspections
    2. Once a week, plus after any inspection
    3. At least once a day, and as needed
    4. Once a month

28. A meat slicer is used many times a day. How should it be cleaned?

    1. Wiped with a dry towel after each use, washed weekly
    2. Only when it looks dirty
    3. Through the day, and fully taken apart at day's end
    4. Once a week by a technician

29. When sanitizing with hot water alone, how hot must the water be?

    1. At least 77 °C (170 °F)
    2. At least 43 °C (110 °F)
    3. At least 60 °C (140 °F)
    4. At least 50 °C (122 °F)

30. When should a probe thermometer be recalibrated?

    1. Only when the inspector asks
    2. Only once it stops working
    3. After it has been dropped
    4. Whenever the battery is new

31. Stuffing cooked inside a turkey must reach what temperature?

    1. 60 °C (140 °F)
    2. 63 °C (145 °F)
    3. 74 °C (165 °F)
    4. 65 °C (149 °F)

32. Which recipe change lowers the allergen risk for customers?

    1. Adding sesame to a salad dressing
    2. Using peanut oil instead of canola
    3. Using vegetable oil instead of peanut oil
    4. Adding shrimp to a vegetable dish

33. A baked salmon fillet must reach what internal temperature?

    1. 70 °C (158 °F)
    2. 60 °C (140 °F)
    3. 50 °C (122 °F)
    4. 82 °C (180 °F)

34. The HACCP system was originally developed for whom?

    1. Fast-food chains in the 1990s
    2. Ontario school cafeterias
    3. The Canadian army
    4. NASA, for food for astronauts

35. Where should the thermometer be placed inside a freezer or fridge?

    1. At the very back, right next to the cooling fan
    2. Inside a box of frozen food
    3. On the bottom shelf, at the back
    4. In the warmest spot, near the door and top

36. A box of frozen chicken has large ice crystals and dried-out spots. What should you do?

    1. Accept it if the driver agrees
    2. Accept it and cook it first
    3. Put it straight in the freezer
    4. Reject it as thawed and refrozen

37. You must leave your prep station for a while in the middle of cutting deli meat. What should you do with the meat?

    1. Leave it, since you'll return soon
    2. Move it next to the oven
    3. Put it back in the refrigerator
    4. Cover it with a towel on the counter

38. According to the guide, what is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, including foodborne illness?

    1. Washing hands correctly
    2. Using bottled water
    3. Wearing a hairnet
    4. Taking vitamins daily

39. A pest control company will spray in your kitchen. What must be done before spraying starts?

    1. Cover all food and dishes in the area
    2. Turn up the heat in the kitchen
    3. Open the walk-in door
    4. Leave food out as bait

40. Why is rinsing between the wash and sanitize sinks so important?

    1. It adds shine to the glasses
    2. It saves on sanitizer costs
    3. Leftover detergent weakens the sanitizer
    4. It cools dishes before sanitizing

41. Which practice is one of the leading causes of foodborne illness?

    1. Using a probe thermometer
    2. Cooking food in small batches
    3. Freezing food too quickly
    4. Cooling food too slowly

42. What does HACCP stand for?

    1. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
    2. Hygiene Act for Canadian Cooks
    3. Hot and Cold Cooking Procedure
    4. Health and Cleaning Control Plan

43. How should a server carry a plate of food?

    1. With fingers on the eating surface
    2. From underneath, thumb on the rim
    3. Several plates stacked together
    4. With a thumb on top of the plate

44. While handling an illness complaint, which step does the guide say to avoid?

    1. Saving samples of the food served
    2. Giving the customer medical advice
    3. Reviewing how the food was prepared
    4. Asking staff if they have been ill

45. At about what temperature do bacteria grow best?

    1. 4 °C, fridge temperature
    2. 37 °C, body temperature
    3. 60 °C, hot holding
    4. -18 °C, freezer temperature

46. You find mould on soft bread. Why should the whole loaf be thrown out?

    1. Mould only grows on the crust
    2. Mould roots and toxins spread under the surface
    3. Mould is harmless once toasted
    4. Freezing the loaf first would have killed the mould

47. Who usually carries out HACCP verification?

    1. Someone not involved in the monitoring
    2. The delivery driver
    3. The same person who does the daily monitoring
    4. A customer chosen at random

48. Juice from raw chicken drips onto a bowl of salad. What is this called?

    1. Temperature abuse
    2. Food-to-food cross-contamination
    3. Chemical contamination of the salad
    4. Food adulteration

49. Which animal may be in the dining area of an Ontario restaurant that prepares food?

    1. A customer's pet cat
    2. A service animal
    3. A pet parrot in a cage
    4. A lap dog that is well behaved

50. A receiving door must be opened often during deliveries. What helps keep pests out?

    1. A doorstop to keep it open
    2. Bright lights over the door left on all night
    3. Heavy plastic strips or an air curtain
    4. A garbage bin beside the door