Pathogens

How can you prevent parasites from causing foodborne illnesses?

What can move quickly in your operation, spreading from contaminated food or unwashed hands to prep areas, equipment, utensils, and other food?

These food-handling mistakes can cause foodborne illness by allowing pathogens to grow in food to unsafe levels:

• NOT cooling hot food properly before storage
• Holding or storing food at the wrong temperature
• NOT cooking or reheating food to a high enough internal temperature

What risk factor is demonstrated by these examples?

What example does ServSafe give for meeting the FDA recommendation for “time and temperature parameters for controlling pathogens”?

Why is a smooth, plain band the only ring that can be worn when working with or near food?

What will happen if any part of frozen food is exposed to the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) while it’s being thawed?

Why is the range of temperatures between 41°F and 135°F called the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?

Which statements are true about pathogens?

Heat sanitizing can reduce pathogens to safe levels on a clean surface. How can this be achieved?

Why do older adults have a higher risk for foodborne illness?

What can produce be washed or treated with to control pathogens?

Which is an example of fungi?

Which of these poor personal hygiene practices by food handlers can lead to the contamination of food?

How does time affect a chemical sanitizers effectiveness?

Which describes cross-contamination?

Molds can grow in food that other pathogens can NOT grow in. Which is an example of this?

What type of food needs time and temperature control to limit pathogen growth?

Nonfood-contact surfaces should be cleaned regularly, but food-contact surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized after every use. What’s the difference between cleaning and sanitizing that makes this important?

Pathogens grow between 41°F and 135°F. But they grow fastest between 70°F and 125°F. When cooling food in two stages, which stage has the most potential for pathogen growth?

Why should spoiled food be thrown out quickly?

These are some ways that pathogens can spread from contaminated surfaces to food and cause foodborne illness:

• Equipment and utensils NOT washed, rinsed, and sanitized
• Food-contact surfaces wiped clean rather than being washed, rinsed, and sanitized
• Wiping cloths are NOT stored in a sanitizer solution between uses
• Sanitizing solutions are NOT at the required levels to sanitize objects

What risk factor is demonstrated by these examples?

How can an operation prevent parasites from causing foodborne illness when serving raw or undercooked fish?

Why does food need to be rotated when it’s in storage?

How do we use temperature control to prevent the growth of pathogens?

What is fungi?

What’s the difference between cleaning and sanitizing?

How can fungi cause foodborne illness?

Which of these foods do pathogens grow well in?

Norovirus is responsible for 58% of all reported foodborne illness cases and is the most contagious foodborne pathogen. How is Norovirus transmitted from person to person?

What type of food do pathogens grow well in?

What’s the difference between cleaning and sanitizing surfaces?

Why should you be aware of these conditions in your staff?

• Fever
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Chills/cold sweats
• Frequent bathroom use
• Yellowing of the skin or eyes

Surfaces that do NOT have contact with exposed food only need to be cleaned and rinsed to prevent the buildup of dirt. Why do surfaces that have contact with exposed food need to be cleaned, rinsed, and sanitized?

What form of biological contamination causes the most foodborne illnesses?

What happens if food spends too much time in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)?

What is contact time?

Nonfood-contact surfaces, like floors, walls, ceilings, and equipment exteriors, must be cleaned regularly to prevent dust, dirt, and food residue from building up. What else can be prevented?

Why must staff remove jewelry from their hands and arms before prepping food or when working in food prep areas?

To prevent the contamination of food, why is personal cleanliness essential for food handlers?

Which surfaces should food handlers avoid touching to prevent contaminating their hands with pathogens?

Why must infected cuts and burns be covered if they are open or draining?

What is the greatest threat to food safety?

Why do food handlers wearing false fingernails need to also wear gloves?

Why is it important to avoid bare-hand contact with the food-contact surfaces of flatware and utensils?

Which statements are true about fungi?

Which of these measures can prevent the growth of bacteria?

What pathogen requires a host to live and reproduce?

Why do operations need to have procedures for cleaning up vomit and diarrhea?

Which is an example of time-temperature abuse?

How can a food handler who appears to be healthy spread foodborne pathogens?

What do hand sanitizers and antiseptics do?

What is cross-contamination?

Why do salads containing TCS ingredients have a higher risk for foodborne illness?

These living microorganisms cause biological contamination when they get into food and can make people sick.

• Viruses
• Parasites
• Fungi
• Bacteria

What specific kind of biological contaminants are they?

Which is a part of the fecal-oral route of contamination?

Which seafood toxin is produced by pathogens in the fish during time-temperature abuse?

Dirty clothing can carry pathogens that cause foodborne illnesses. How can these pathogens be transferred to food?

What can happen if food is time-temperature abused?

Which can be considered a pathogen?

Biological contamination is more common than chemical or physical contamination. What are some examples of biological contaminants?

Dirty clothing may carry pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses. How can a food handler wearing dirty clothes contaminate food?

What can be transferred to food if equipment and utensils are NOT cleaned and sanitized between uses?

Which is an example of a food that has been time-temperature abused?

A dress code should be set up in your operation to prevent pathogens from being transferred from clothing to food. How can you make sure the dress code works?

Why is it unsafe to thaw frozen food at room temperature?

Fish do NOT produce Histamine, but these fish could be contaminated with pathogens that do:

• Tuna
• Bonito
• Mackerel
• Mahi Mahi

If a fish is contaminated with pathogens that produce Histamine, when will they produce it?

What does dirty clothing carry that can cause foodborne illness?

Every surface in your operation needs to be kept clean, but which surfaces must also be sanitized?

Pathogens can grow in the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ). What range of temperatures do most pathogens grow the fastest?

Why do we still need to avoid time-temperature abuse if cooking reduces the pathogens in food to a safe level?

How can you prevent pathogens from growing and spreading in your operation?

What range of temperatures is known as the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ), where pathogens can grow rapidly?

What chemicals are sometimes used to treat produce?

Parasites are often linked with these foods:

• Seafood
• Wild game
• Contaminated Produce

How can produce (fruits, vegetables) get contaminated with parasites?

TCS stands for Time and Temperature Control for Safety. What does this mean for TCS food?

Here are some examples of how pathogens can be transferred to food from a contaminated surface or from another food:

• RTE food touches a contaminated surface
• Contaminated wiping cloths are used on food-contact surfaces
• Contaminated food touches or drips onto RTE food
• Staff touch contaminated food and then touch RTE food
• Contaminated food is combined with another food and NOT cooked

What risk factor is demonstrated by these examples?

How can your operation meet the FDA’s recommendation to have time and temperature parameters for controlling pathogens?

Can healthy people spread pathogens?

Why should food handlers keep their fingernails clean?

How is cross-contact different from cross-contamination?

Which of these foods do pathogens grow well in?

What should be done with moldy food unless the mold is a natural part of the food?

When you cut up raw chicken, how can you prevent pathogens like nontyphoidal Salmonella from contaminating other food through cross-contamination?

Different kinds of food must reach different minimum internal temperatures for a specific amount of time to reduce pathogens to a safe level. What should be done if guests ask for their food to be cooked to a lower temperature?

What is the only way to reduce pathogens in food to safe levels?

What can be transferred to someone’s hands while eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum and tobacco?

How can food handlers be prevented from contaminating food by wearing dirty clothes that carry pathogens?

After working with raw meat, why is it dangerous to just rinse off the equipment instead of washing, rinsing, and sanitizing it?

What do some fungi (mold, mushrooms) naturally produce that can cause foodborne illness?

Why do guests need a clean plate and utensils each time they refill in a self-service area?

What can happen during a power failure or a refrigeration problem?

Parasites can get into fruits and vegetables irrigated or washed with contaminated water. What other kind of food is at risk for parasites?

Why does food need to be stored at the correct temperature?

What happens if NOT enough sanitizer is used and the concentration of a sanitizer solution is too low?

Why is it unsafe to thaw food at room temperature?

Which pathogen needs a host to live and grow?

What do our hands touch every day that we cannot see?

What is a person called who carries pathogens and infects others but never gets sick themselves?

What can saliva contain that causes foodborne illnesses?

Why are food handlers NOT allowed to wear jewelry when prepping food or in food prep areas?