FAT TOM Conditions May 9, 2024 by Brian Klein /16 0 votes, 0 avg 0 FAT TOM Conditions 1 / 16 FAT TOM is an acronym that represents the conditions that bacteria need in order to grow. What do the letters in FAT TOM represent? F – stands for Food (bacteria need nutrients to grow) A – stands for Acid (bacteria grow in food with low levels of acid) T – stands for Time (bacteria need time to grow) T – stands for Temperature (bacteria grows between 41°F to 135°F) O – stands for Oxygen (most bacteria need oxygen to grow) M – stands for Moisture (bacteria need moisture to grow) All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 2 / 16 The F in FAT TOM stands for Food. What kind of food does bacteria need to live and grow? Carbohydrates Proteins Neither Both Wrong! Thats right! Most bacteria need nutrients like carbohydrates or protein to survive and grow. TCS food has more of the nutrients that bacteria need than other types of food 3 / 16 What are some examples of foods with a pH that is ideal for bacterial growth? Milk Bread Cantaloupe Raw chicken Cooked corn All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 4 / 16 Which foods have a level of acidity that is ideal for the growth of bacteria? Bread (5.5 to 6.5) Raw chicken (5.3 to 6.5) Cantaloupe (6.0 to 6.5) Milk (6.7 to 6.9) Cooked corn (5.9 to 7.0) All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 5 / 16 Bacteria need moisture to grow. The amount of moisture available in food for bacteria growth is called water activity (aw). Which of these examples of water activity (aw) levels are true? Pure water is exactly aw 1.00 Bacteria growth requires at least aw 0.85 Most foods are higher than aw 0.95 Fresh bread is around aw 0.85 Dry pasta can be as low as aw 0.35 Fresh raw meat is close to aw 1.00 All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 6 / 16 What are some examples of the kind of conditions in that bacteria do NOT grow well in? Dry food Highly acidic food Cold temperatures All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 7 / 16 What level of acidity does bacteria grow in? Neutral Slightly acidic Neither Both Wrong! Thats right! Bacteria grow in food with little or no acid, and a pH between 4.6 and 7.0. Most food is within this range. 8 / 16 At what temperatures do bacteria grow? Bacteria grow fastest between 70°F and 125°F Bacteria grow between 41°F and 135°F Neither Both Wrong! Thats right! The temperatures between 41°F and 135°F is kown as the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) temperatures. becteria grow fastest between 70°F and 125°F (Extreme Temperature Danger Zone) 9 / 16 Bacteria need moisture to grow. The amount of moisture available in food for bacteria growth is called water activity (aw). What are some examples of the water activity (aw)? Bacteria growth requires a water activity of at least aw 0.85 Pure water has a water activity of exactly aw 1.00 Most foods have a water activity higher than aw 0.95 Fresh bread’s water activity is close to aw 0.85 Dry pasta’s water activity can be as low as aw 0.35 Fresh raw meat water activity is close to aw 1.00 All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 10 / 16 Which of these conditions are present in Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) that make it ideal for the growth of bacteria? It’s moist It’s high in protein Its pH is neutral or mildly acidic All are correct Wrong! Thats right! Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) is also TCS food which means that it requires time and temperature control to prevent the growth of pathogens and the toxins they produce. 11 / 16 The letters in FAT TOM represent the conditions that bacteria need to grow. They stand for Food, Acidity, Temperature, Time, Oxygen, and Moisture. Which of these conditions can you control? Temperature Time Neither Both Wrong! Thats right! 12 / 16 Which statement about Water Activity (aw) is false? Bacteria require a water activity of aw 0.85 or higher to grow Most foods have a water activity of aw 0.95 or higher Pure water has a water activity of exactly aw 1.00 Fresh bread has a water activity close to aw 0.85 Fresh raw meat has a water activity close to aw 1.00 All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 13 / 16 Which statement is true about the growth of bacteria? Bacterial growth has four phases: the lag phase, log phase, stationary phase, and death phase Bacteria can double in numbers, every twenty minutes, in FAT TOM conditions Bacteria grow by splitting in half: one becomes two, two becomes four, four becomes eight, etc All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 14 / 16 In what kind of food can bacteria grow to unsafe levels if allowed enough time? Food that is between 41°F and 135°F Food with a high level of moisture Food containing protein and carbohydrates Food containing little or no acid All are correct Wrong! Thats right! 15 / 16 What type of food do pathogens grow well in? Potentially Hazardous Food (PHF) Time-temperature controlled (TCS) Neither Both Wrong! Thats right! 16 / 16 What does ideal mean? Suitable A perfect match Neither Both Wrong! Thats right! ServSafe uses the word “ideal” when discussing spores, bacteria, and FAT TOM conditions. The FAT TOM conditions are ideal for the growth of bacteria. Your score is LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Restart quiz Try another practice test
