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MAPAQ Food Handler overview

MAPAQ Food Handler: Food safety, hazards and the 5 M

Potentially hazardous foods, biological, chemical and physical hazards, micro-organisms, foodborne illness, discarding unsafe food, first in first out and the MAPAQ 5 M method.

  • 13 questions
  • Topic drill
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Food safety, hazards and the 5 M · Question 1Score 0/0

In the 5 M method used by MAPAQ inspectors, what does Manpower cover?

Study reference: MAPAQ Guide to good hygiene and food safety practices and quebec.ca (Oct 2026), Ch. 2 Food safety and hazards — Guide, Glossary; Food safety; The 5 M

All 13 questions in this test

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

  1. In the 5 M method used by MAPAQ inspectors, what does Manpower cover?

    1. Cleanliness of equipment and utensils
    2. Premises and drinking water
    3. Cooking and cooling
    4. Dress, handwashing and health

  2. What is the maximum time a mix of oil and fresh garlic can be kept at 4 °C?

    1. 30 days
    2. 24 hours
    3. 6 months
    4. 7 days

  3. Is a non-potentially hazardous food completely risk-free?

    1. No, once contaminated it can carry pathogens
    2. Yes, as long as it stays at room temperature
    3. Yes, it can never make anyone sick
    4. No, it always becomes a PHF once opened

  4. What should you do with a bulging can received from a supplier?

    1. Sell it at a discount and tell the customer
    2. Discard it, since it may be contaminated
    3. Use it quickly before it gets worse
    4. Refrigerate it to stabilize it

  5. A food looks and smells normal. Can you conclude it is safe?

    1. Yes, contaminated food always smells bad or sour
    2. Yes, as long as its colour looks normal and fresh
    3. No, pathogens do not always change smell or appearance
    4. No, but only when the food is meat or poultry

  6. A piece of glass found in a salad is which type of hazard?

    1. A chemical hazard
    2. A biological hazard
    3. A physical hazard
    4. An allergen hazard

  7. Sanitizer residue left on a cutting board is which type of hazard?

    1. A negligible hazard
    2. A chemical hazard
    3. A biological hazard
    4. A physical hazard

  8. Which of these is a potentially hazardous food (PHF)?

    1. Bottled water
    2. Dry pasta
    3. Cooked rice
    4. Plain bread with no filling

  9. Why do potentially hazardous foods need temperature control?

    1. They easily absorb the odours of other foods in the fridge
    2. They lose their colour as soon as they start to warm up
    3. They become far too salty when left at room temperature
    4. They allow pathogens to grow or toxins to form

  10. According to the guide, what almost always causes foodborne illness?

    1. Food bought on sale close to its best-before date
    2. Food imported from another country without inspection
    3. An undiagnosed allergy in the customer who ate it
    4. An improper preparation or storage method

  11. Who is most at risk of serious complications from foodborne illness?

    1. People who often eat in restaurants
    2. Healthy adults aged 25 to 40
    3. Employees who have taken the training
    4. Pregnant women and older adults

  12. If the guide and the Food Products Act differ, which prevails?

    1. The manufacturer's instructions
    2. The guide, because it is newer
    3. The establishment's internal policy
    4. The Act and its regulations

  13. Which stock rotation principle does the guide recommend?

    1. First in, first out
    2. Use the largest container first
    3. Use the most expensive first
    4. Last in, first out

Food safety, hazards and the 5 M: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Glossary

  • Potentially hazardous foods (PHF) need temperature (and sometimes time) control because they allow pathogen growth or toxin formation; usually high in protein and water and low in acid.
  • PHF examples: raw and cooked meats, deli meats, eggs, milk and dairy, fish and seafood, soups and sauces, raw sprouts, fresh juices, packaged fresh mushrooms, untreated fresh-garlic or fresh-herb oils, cut fruit and vegetables (melons), cooked rice and pasta, fresh pasta, prepared dishes.
  • Non-PHF examples: dry pasta, unfilled bakery products, bottled water, vegetable oil or dried-garlic oil.
  • A non-PHF is not risk-free: once contaminated it can carry pathogens.
  • Oil mixed with fresh garlic, herbs or peppers keeps at most 7 days at 4 °C.
  • Biological hazards: pathogenic bacteria, toxins, moulds, parasites, viruses.
  • Chemical hazards: packaging components, cleaning products and sanitizers, pesticide or drug residues, undeclared allergens.
  • Physical hazards: metal, plastic, glass, wood, stones, bone, hair, dust, jewellery.
  • Food safety ("innocuité") means food that is not harmful or toxic.
  • Micro-organisms (viruses, bacteria, yeasts, moulds, parasites) grow depending on water, nutrients, acidity, oxygen, preservatives, temperature and time.
  • Some are useful (yogurt, cheese), some spoil food, some are pathogenic.
  • Foodborne illness: illness after eating contaminated food or water; usually mild, but can be fatal for at-risk people (children, pregnant women, older adults, immunocompromised).
  • Foodborne illnesses almost always result from improper preparation or storage.

Food safety (Matter)

  • Discard spoiled food (smell, colour, texture) or possibly contaminated food: opened or damaged packaging, leaking containers, broken seals, cracked or dirty eggs, rotten or split produce, meat or fish with unusual colour or smell, green-fleshed potatoes, bulging or split cans.
  • Rotate stock: first in, first out.
  • Pathogens do not necessarily change the smell or look of food.

The 5 M method

  • MAPAQ inspectors assess establishments with a risk-based method; the 5 M are Matter, Method, Manpower, Material and Milieu (environment).
  • Matter: safety, storage, labelling, origin. Method: handling, cooking, thawing, cooling, reheating, cleaning. Manpower: dress, handwashing, health. Material: equipment cleanliness and condition. Milieu: premises, storage, transport, drinking water.
  • The Food Products Act (CQLR, c. P-29) and its regulations prevail over the guide.

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