Ontario Food Handler: Foodborne illness and hazards

All 36 questions in this test

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

1. 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

2. A co-worker says a customer only had a "24-hour flu" after eating at your restaurant. What does the guide warn about this?

   1. It is always caused by a virus from travel
   2. It only matters if a doctor confirms it
   3. It can never be caused by food
   4. It is often really a foodborne illness

3. 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

4. Clostridium botulinum in a badly sealed jar is an example of which kind of bacteria?

   1. Cold-only, grows below 0 °C
   2. Aerobic, needs oxygen
   3. Acid-loving, needs pH 2
   4. Anaerobic, grows without oxygen

5. Dry rice is stored at room temperature. When can it become hazardous?

   1. Only after one year in storage
   2. Once water is added and it is cooked
   3. As soon as the bag is opened
   4. Only if it is kept in the fridge

6. What does freezing do to mould already on a food?

   1. Turns the mould into yeast
   2. Kills all of the mould cells
   3. Removes its toxins completely from the food
   4. Stops it growing but does not kill it

7. Which statement about bacterial spores is correct?

   1. They are killed by most sanitizers
   2. They die in a fridge at 4 °C
   3. Cooking temperatures do not destroy them
   4. They only form in fresh fruit

8. Raw marine fish served as sushi or sashimi can spread which parasite?

   1. Botulism
   2. Trichinosis (pork tapeworm)
   3. Giardiasis (beaver fever)
   4. Anisakiasis (roundworm)

9. What is the best way to control parasites in meat and fish?

   1. Thorough cooking
   2. Storing on the top shelf
   3. Rinsing in cold water
   4. Adding lemon juice

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

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

11. What is the best way to control the spread of viruses in a food premise?

    1. Handwashing
    2. Adding more salt
    3. Freezing the food
    4. Using a larger fridge

12. Staphylococcal intoxication usually starts how soon after eating the food?

    1. 2 to 4 hours
    2. 25 days
    3. 9 days
    4. 2 to 6 weeks

13. 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

14. A customer feels sick about 30 minutes after a meal. Which kind of contamination usually causes symptoms this quickly?

    1. Hepatitis A virus
    2. A Listeria infection
    3. Chemical contamination
    4. A parasite infection

15. Which statement explains why bacteria are so dangerous in food?

    1. They die once food is cut
    2. They can only survive and multiply on raw meat
    3. They need sunlight to grow
    4. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill them

16. Why can't you tell by looking whether food contains harmful microorganisms?

    1. Germs only grow on frozen food
    2. Germs always change food to green
    3. Contaminated food can look, smell and taste normal
    4. Unsafe food always gives off a sour smell you can notice

17. Hepatitis A from an infected food worker typically shows symptoms after about how long?

    1. 2 hours
    2. 18 hours
    3. 3 days
    4. 25 days

18. Why might reheating food contaminated with a bacterial toxin still leave it unsafe?

    1. Toxins only form after reheating
    2. Heat turns the toxins back into living spores
    3. Cooking makes toxins taste bad
    4. Some toxins are not destroyed by cooking

19. Food is considered potentially hazardous when it is moist and has a pH above what value?

    1. 2.0
    2. 4.5
    3. 9.5
    4. 12.0

20. What should you use to scoop ice for drinks?

    1. A coffee mug
    2. Your gloved hand
    3. A food-grade scoop with a handle
    4. A clean drinking glass from the rack

21. Which group of customers is at higher risk of serious harm from a foodborne illness?

    1. Healthy adults under 40
    2. Teenage athletes
    3. Regular restaurant customers
    4. Pregnant women

22. You pour a cleaner into a smaller spray bottle. What must you do with the bottle?

    1. Rinse it out with juice first
    2. Store it on the shelf above food
    3. Label it with the product name and contents
    4. Leave it unlabelled if the liquid inside is clear

23. A customer calls to say they got sick after eating at your restaurant. What should be done?

    1. Tell them to take an antacid
    2. Throw out all food from that day and say nothing
    3. Record the details and call the health unit
    4. Wait to see if others complain

24. A bar runs its drinks through copper lines. Which drink can safely run through copper?

    1. Orange juice
    2. Lemonade
    3. Carbonated soft drinks
    4. Plain water

25. Which additive is used to keep colour and lengthen shelf life, and can cause reactions in sensitive people?

    1. Corn starch
    2. Baking soda
    3. Table salt
    4. Sulphites

26. Why is the term "foodborne illness" used instead of "food poisoning" for most cases?

    1. Food poisoning only affects children
    2. Most cases come from cleaning chemicals
    3. Poisoning is now a criminal term
    4. Most cases are caused by infection, not poison

27. What are microorganisms that make people sick called?

    1. Pathogens
    2. Enzymes
    3. Additives
    4. Probiotics

28. Why should tomato sauce or fruit juice not be stored in a metal container?

    1. Metal blocks the fridge's cold air
    2. The acid can dissolve metal into the food
    3. Metal makes the food freeze too fast
    4. The food will lose its vitamins

29. Under ideal conditions, how often can bacteria double in number?

    1. Once a week
    2. About every 12 hours
    3. Every 2 to 3 days
    4. Every 10–20 minutes

30. 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

31. Which bacterium can make a healthy person sick from as few as 10 organisms?

    1. Lactobacillus
    2. Shigella
    3. Campylobacter
    4. Salmonella

32. In Ontario, which type of foodborne illness is the most common?

    1. Illness caused by glass
    2. Illness caused by metal
    3. Illness caused by additives
    4. Illness caused by bacteria

33. Which of these is a potentially hazardous food?

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

34. Why don't viruses multiply in food left on the counter?

    1. They need temperatures above 60 °C
    2. They only grow in frozen food
    3. Room air kills them in minutes
    4. They can only grow inside living cells

35. Which list names the four causes of foodborne illness?

    1. Smoke, dust, water, air and mould
    2. Heat, cold, light, noise and dust
    3. Salt, sugar, fat, protein and water
    4. Chemical, physical, allergens, microbes

36. A food handler with an infected cut on her hand made a cream pie. Which kind of illness is most likely?

    1. A mould allergy
    2. A parasitic infection from the cream filling
    3. Intoxication from a bacterial toxin
    4. A metal poisoning