Free ServSafe Foodborne Illnesses and Allergens Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A customer eating a plate of grilled grouper begins experiencing tingling in their mouth, followed by a reversal of hot and cold sensations. Which foodborne illness are they most likely suffering from?
- Scombroid poisoning
- Anisakiasis
- Ciguatera fish poisoning (Correct answer)
- Neurotoxic shellfish poisoning
Correct answer: Ciguatera fish poisoning
Ciguatera fish poisoning is caused by consuming reef fish that have accumulated ciguatoxins. A key neurological symptom, and often a tell-tale sign of this illness, is the reversal of hot and cold sensations. Other symptoms include tingling, nausea, and vomiting.
Question 2: A food handler uses the same cutting board to cube raw chicken and then to dice tomatoes for a salad without cleaning and sanitizing it in between. Later, a customer who ate the salad develops a foodborne illness. This is a classic example of which risk factor?
- Time-temperature abuse
- Poor personal hygiene
- Cross-contamination (Correct answer)
- Purchasing from unapproved suppliers
Correct answer: Cross-contamination
Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful pathogens from one surface or food to another. In this scenario, bacteria from the raw chicken were likely transferred to the ready-to-eat tomatoes via the cutting board, leading to the illness.
Question 3: Which of the following foods is NOT one of the nine major food allergens identified by the FDA?
- Soybeans
- Tree nuts (e.g., walnuts, pecans)
- Beef (Correct answer)
- Sesame
Correct answer: Beef
The FDA has identified nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. While some individuals may have an allergy to beef, it is not classified as one of the nine major allergens requiring specific labeling under federal law.
Question 4: A chef prepares a shrimp and lobster bisque for a party. To prevent an allergic reaction in a guest with a known shellfish allergy, which of the following is the most critical action?
- Cooking the bisque to a high temperature to destroy the allergen.
- Ensuring the guest takes an antihistamine before eating.
- Preventing cross-contact by using separate, clean equipment. (Correct answer)
- Serving the guest a very small portion to see if they react.
Correct answer: Preventing cross-contact by using separate, clean equipment.
Cross-contact occurs when an allergen is transferred from one food to another. Unlike bacteria, allergens are proteins that are not destroyed by cooking. The only way to ensure the safety of a guest with a food allergy is to prevent their food from ever touching the allergen, which requires using completely separate and sanitized utensils, cutting boards, and cookware.
Question 5: A guest has just finished eating a meal and is now showing signs of an allergic reaction, including hives and difficulty breathing. What should the manager do first?
- Offer the guest a glass of water.
- Call the emergency number (e.g., 911) immediately. (Correct answer)
- Ask the kitchen staff what ingredients were in the dish.
- Document the incident in the manager's log.
Correct answer: Call the emergency number (e.g., 911) immediately.
Difficulty breathing is a sign of anaphylaxis, a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. The immediate priority is to get professional medical help for the guest by calling emergency services. Investigating the cause can happen after the guest's immediate medical needs have been addressed.
Question 6: Which of the 'Big Six' foodborne illnesses are viruses that are often linked to ready-to-eat food and contaminated water, and can be prevented by practicing excellent personal hygiene?
- Salmonella Typhi and Shigella spp.
- Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Nontyphoidal Salmonella
- Hepatitis A and Norovirus (Correct answer)
- Listeria and Clostridium botulinum
Correct answer: Hepatitis A and Norovirus
The 'Big Six' pathogens identified by the FDA are highly infectious. Hepatitis A and Norovirus are both viruses commonly transmitted by infected food handlers through ready-to-eat food or contaminated water. Therefore, strict handwashing and preventing bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods are critical prevention measures.
Free ServSafe Foodborne Illnesses and Allergens Questions and Answers 1
A customer eating a plate of grilled grouper begins experiencing tingling in their mouth, followed by a reversal of hot and cold sensations.
Which foodborne illness are they most likely suffering from?