ACF Food Safety and Sanitation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which pathogen is most commonly associated with undercooked poultry and is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the US?
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Campylobacter jejuni (Correct answer)
- Clostridium botulinum
- Bacillus cereus
Correct answer: Campylobacter jejuni
Campylobacter jejuni is the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the US and is strongly linked to undercooked poultry.
Question 2: What is the minimum internal temperature required to safely cook ground beef according to USDA and ACF standards?
- 145°F (63°C)
- 155°F (68°C)
- 160°F (71°C) (Correct answer)
- 165°F (74°C)
Correct answer: 160°F (71°C)
Ground beef must reach 160°F (71°C) because grinding distributes surface pathogens throughout the meat.
Question 3: A cook uses the same cutting board for raw chicken and then immediately slices ready-to-eat tomatoes without washing it. This is an example of:
- Direct contamination
- Cross-contamination (Correct answer)
- Time-temperature abuse
- Physical contamination
Correct answer: Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination occurs when pathogens are transferred from one food or surface to another, as in this scenario.
Question 4: Which of the following foods is considered a TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) food?
- Dry pasta
- Whole uncut melons
- Cooked rice (Correct answer)
- Saltine crackers
Correct answer: Cooked rice
Cooked rice is a TCS food because its moisture and neutral pH support bacterial growth when held in the temperature danger zone.
Question 5: A handwashing station must be stocked with all of the following EXCEPT:
- Hot and cold running water
- Soap
- Single-use paper towels or air dryer
- Sanitizing solution (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Sanitizing solution
Handwashing stations require soap, water, and drying means; sanitizing solution belongs at a separate sanitizing station.
Question 6: In a three-compartment sink, the correct order of operations is:
- Rinse, wash, sanitize, air dry
- Wash, sanitize, rinse, air dry
- Wash, rinse, sanitize, air dry (Correct answer)
- Sanitize, wash, rinse, air dry
Correct answer: Wash, rinse, sanitize, air dry
The correct sequence is wash to remove debris, rinse to remove soap, sanitize to kill pathogens, then air dry to prevent recontamination.
Question 7: Which organization sets the federal guidelines that state and local food safety regulations are typically modeled after in the US?
- USDA
- ACF
- FDA Food Code (Correct answer)
- CDC
Correct answer: FDA Food Code
The FDA Food Code is the federal reference document that most state and local jurisdictions use as a model for their food safety regulations.
ACF Food Safety and Sanitation 2
Which pathogen is most commonly associated with undercooked poultry and is a leading cause of foodborne illness in the US?