Alberta Food Handler Practice Test 1

All 30 questions in this test

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

1. What must food handling areas be separated from in a commercial food establishment?

   1. Living quarters and incompatible activities
   2. The parking lot and the street
   3. The office where staff do payroll
   4. The dining room where the guests sit to eat

2. Which is a safe way to thaw frozen raw chicken under the Food Code?

   1. In the sun on the back step of the kitchen
   2. In the refrigerator at 4 °C or colder
   3. On the counter overnight at room temperature
   4. In a sink of warm, still water for the day

3. Under Alberta's Food Regulation, high-risk food kept cold must be at what temperature?

   1. 0 °C exactly
   2. 10 °C or colder
   3. 4 °C or colder
   4. 7 °C or colder

4. How must cleaning chemicals be stored in a food establishment?

   1. In labelled, non-food containers away from food
   2. In empty juice bottles kept on the prep counter
   3. In unlabelled spray bottles near the grill
   4. On the shelf above the open food bins

5. Which of these is a potentially hazardous food under Alberta's Food Code?

   1. Unopened canned soup
   2. Cooked chicken
   3. Peanut butter
   4. Dry crackers

6. A church holds a fundraising fall supper with food made by its members. Which rule applies?

   1. No notice is needed because it is a church event
   2. Only staff with certificates may cook any dish
   3. Attendees must be told some food was not made in an approved kitchen
   4. All of the food must be bought from a licensed caterer in town

7. When may uninspected wild game be served in Alberta?

   1. Whenever it has been frozen for at least one week
   2. When the health authority allows it, such as for wild game dinners
   3. Never, under any circumstances or for any group
   4. Any time, as long as the hunter holds a valid Alberta hunting licence

8. A restaurant stores boxes of holiday decorations. Where should they be kept?

   1. Separately from food and food areas
   2. Under the prep table next to the flour
   3. In the walk-in cooler with the produce
   4. On the shelf above the salad station

9. Which food is NOT on the Food Code's list of priority allergens?

   1. Soy
   2. Carrots
   3. Wheat
   4. Mustard

10. How does the Food Regulation define a low-risk food?

    1. One whose pH or water activity generally will not support germ growth
    2. One that is sold at a price below five dollars per item
    3. One that has been cooked at least once, no matter what its ingredients are
    4. One that is kept in the refrigerator for less than a week

11. A plastic cutting board has deep scratches that cannot be cleaned. What should be done?

    1. Cover the scratches with tape
    2. Resurface it, or throw it out if it cannot be resurfaced
    3. Wash it in cold water only
    4. Keep using it, but only for cutting raw meat and poultry

12. Why must stews and other mixtures with raw meat be stirred while cooking?

    1. So the meat stays in large, even pieces
    2. So every part reaches the required temperature
    3. So the sauce does not change its colour as it heats
    4. So the dish cooks in exactly ten minutes

13. Which supply must a commercial food establishment have before it opens?

    1. A backup supply of bottled water and nothing else
    2. Hot and cold running water that is safe to drink
    3. Water carried in from a nearby river
    4. Cold water only, for washing produce

14. How often must a deli slicer used all day at room temperature be cleaned and sanitized?

    1. At least every four hours
    2. Once at the end of the day
    3. Once a week on Mondays
    4. Only when it looks dirty

15. What must a handwashing station include, by definition in the Food Regulation?

    1. Running water and a single bar of soap shared by everyone
    2. Cold water only, plus a hand sanitizer pump
    3. Hot and cold running water, soap, and single-use towels or a dryer
    4. A bucket of water and a shared cloth towel

16. For how long should food handlers rub their lathered hands and arms when washing?

    1. At least 5 seconds
    2. At least 20 seconds
    3. At least 10 seconds
    4. About 2 seconds

17. What freezer temperature does the Food Code give to maintain the quality of frozen food?

    1. −18 °C or colder
    2. −8 °C or colder
    3. −2 °C or colder
    4. −40 °C or colder

18. Which wood may be used for a cutting board under the Food Code?

    1. Bamboo or any wood, as long as it is painted
    2. Hard maple or a similar hard, close-grained wood
    3. Any soft wood such as pine or spruce
    4. Plywood sealed with an ordinary coat of furniture varnish

19. A busy restaurant has 9 food handlers working. What does the Food Regulation require?

    1. Every cook certified, but not the servers
    2. One certificate posted, with nobody certified on site
    3. A certified person reachable by phone off site
    4. A certified manager or supervisor present at the time

20. Where must a restaurant's food handling permit be kept?

    1. Kept at the owner's home address
    2. Displayed where customers can easily see it
    3. Filed with the restaurant's accountant
    4. Locked away in the manager's office safe

21. Which home-canned foods may a bed and breakfast serve to guests?

    1. Home-canned meats, if heated thoroughly
    2. Any home-canned food made by the owner
    3. Only jam, jelly and pickles
    4. Home-canned soups, if labelled with a date

22. Who must the organizer of a community organization function notify?

    1. The local fire department only
    2. Every guest by registered mail
    3. The regional health authority
    4. The Canada Revenue Agency

23. Who is responsible for making sure food handlers follow the hygiene rules?

    1. The customers who eat the food
    2. Only each food handler, acting alone
    3. The supplier who delivers food
    4. The operator of the food establishment

24. Which customers does the Food Code describe as higher risk for foodborne illness?

    1. Healthy adults who eat out at restaurants several times a week
    2. Athletes who eat high-protein meals after training
    3. Customers who order takeout rather than dining in
    4. The elderly, young children and people with weak immune systems

25. Under the Food Code, what is every food establishment operator responsible for?

    1. Writing their own provincial food safety exam
    2. Inspecting the other restaurants in their own neighbourhood
    3. Making sure food handlers can handle food hygienically
    4. Setting the temperature rules for their kitchen

26. A cook tastes a sauce with a spoon. What must happen before the spoon is used again?

    1. It can be rinsed in the sauce pot
    2. It must be cleaned and sanitized
    3. It can be wiped on a clean apron
    4. It can be used again by the same cook

27. Food has been cooked, cooled, reheated and cooled again. What limit applies when reheating it once more?

    1. Reach 50 °C, since it has already been cooked twice
    2. It may be reheated only in a microwave set to high
    3. Reach 74 °C with no more than 2 hours between 4 °C and 74 °C
    4. Reach 60 °C with no time limit at all between temperatures

28. What must every refrigerator and hot-holding unit in a commercial kitchen have?

    1. A glass door
    2. A digital clock
    3. An accurate thermometer
    4. A lock and key

29. A prep cook finishes cutting raw chicken and moves to making salads. What should he do with his apron?

    1. Turn the apron around so the clean side faces out
    2. Remove the soiled apron before the ready-to-eat work
    3. Wipe the apron with a damp cloth and carry on
    4. Keep the apron on, since it protects his clothes

30. When must raw vegetables be washed in potable water?

    1. Never, because washing spreads germs on the counter
    2. Only if they look dirty when they first come in the back door
    3. Only after they have been cut and plated for service
    4. Before they are cut, combined, cooked or served ready to eat