CMC Kitchen Management and Sanitation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A cook places raw chicken on a cutting board, then immediately uses the same board to slice tomatoes without washing it. Which foodborne pathogen is most likely to be transferred?
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Salmonella spp. (Correct answer)
- Clostridium botulinum
- Bacillus cereus
Correct answer: Salmonella spp.
Salmonella is commonly found in raw poultry and is a primary cross-contamination risk when the same surface is used for ready-to-eat foods.
Question 2: Under HACCP principles, what term describes a step in the process at which control measures can be applied to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard?
- Critical control point (CCP) (Correct answer)
- Prerequisite program
- Corrective action step
- Verification checkpoint
Correct answer: Critical control point (CCP)
A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a specific step where control measures are essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level.
Question 3: What is the minimum internal temperature for holding hot potentially hazardous foods (PHF) to prevent bacterial growth?
- 135°F (57°C) (Correct answer)
- 145°F (63°C)
- 165°F (74°C)
- 140°F (60°C)
Correct answer: 135°F (57°C)
Hot potentially hazardous foods must be held at 135°F (57°C) or above to prevent bacterial growth per FDA Food Code.
Question 4: A kitchen manager notices a pest control log showing rodent droppings near dry storage. What is the correct immediate action?
- Sweep droppings and continue operations
- Remove contaminated food, seal entry points, and contact a licensed pest control operator (Correct answer)
- Relocate food to refrigeration and ignore the droppings
- Post a sign and notify staff at next shift briefing
Correct answer: Remove contaminated food, seal entry points, and contact a licensed pest control operator
Finding rodent evidence requires immediate disposal of contaminated food, exclusion of entry points, and intervention by a licensed pest control professional.
Question 5: Which sanitizer concentration is correct for a chlorine-based (bleach) sanitizing solution used on food-contact surfaces?
- 10–25 ppm
- 50–100 ppm (Correct answer)
- 200–300 ppm
- 500–800 ppm
Correct answer: 50–100 ppm
The FDA Food Code specifies 50–100 ppm chlorine concentration for effective sanitizing of food-contact surfaces.
Question 6: When calibrating a bimetallic stemmed thermometer using the ice-point method, what must the reading be after 30 seconds in an ice slurry?
- 28°F (-2°C)
- 32°F (0°C) (Correct answer)
- 34°F (1°C)
- 36°F (2°C)
Correct answer: 32°F (0°C)
A correctly calibrated thermometer reads 32°F (0°C) in a properly made ice-water slurry during the ice-point calibration method.
Question 7: Which food storage practice best prevents cross-contamination in a walk-in cooler?
- Store all proteins together on the bottom shelf
- Store ready-to-eat foods above raw proteins, arranged by cooking temperature (Correct answer)
- Store produce above raw seafood
- Store cooked foods alongside raw foods on separate plates
Correct answer: Store ready-to-eat foods above raw proteins, arranged by cooking temperature
Ready-to-eat foods on top shelves and raw proteins below—organized by minimum internal cooking temperature (seafood lowest, then whole cuts, then ground meat, then poultry highest)—prevents drip contamination.
CMC Kitchen Management and Sanitation 2
A cook places raw chicken on a cutting board, then immediately uses the same board to slice tomatoes without washing it.
Which foodborne pathogen is most likely to be transferred?