COSTCO FOOD SAFETY CORE EXAM TEST 2026 QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Bacteria - ✔✔greatest threat to food, grow quickly at favorable temperatures. Some
bacteria useful: cheese, buttermilk, sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt. OTHERs are infectious
disease-causing agents = pathogens Bacteria can double every 10-30 minutes. Two
become four, four become eight, etc.... A single cell can become billions in 10-12 hours.
✔✔Botulism - ✔✔improperly canned foods, temperature abused veg., meats, sausage,
fish
✔✔Escherichia Coli (E Coli) - ✔✔found in cattle intestines, raw & undercooked ground
beef, raw milk, alfalfa sprouts, unpasteurized fruit juices, lettuce, spinach
✔✔Listeriosis - ✔✔contaminated soil/manure, vegetables, unpasterized milk and dairy,
raw meat, ready to eat foods, deli meats
✔✔Salmonella Typhi - ✔✔lives only in human feces, found in meat, poultry, egg or dairy
products
✔✔Nontyphoidal Salmonella - ✔✔farm animals to humans, meat poultry, egg, dairy
✔✔Shigella SPP (pronounced FLI) - ✔✔human feces contaminated water, flies
✔✔Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) - ✔✔bacteria grow in warm, moist, protein rich
environment between 41F and 135F KEEP FOODS BELOW 41F AND ABOVE 135F
✔✔Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) - ✔✔critical points when foods are
susceptible to contamination from food borne pathogens. Purchasing, Storage,
Preparation, Cooking, Serving, Handling Left Overs
✔✔Good personal hygiene - ✔✔wash hands after restroom, sneeze, cough, touch hair,
etc..., clean clothes, no baggy sweatshirts, coats, closed toed shoes
✔✔Purchasing - ✔✔buy cold food last (meat, poultry, dairy), get it home fast, keep meat
away from fresh produce, put meat in bottom of the cart, do not buy canned goods that
are dented, cracks, bulging lids, buy fresh produce, check expiration date, keep cold
foods cold between store/home (cooler), keep foods out of temperature danger zone,
have enough storage in refrigerator for foods
✔✔Storing - ✔✔don't wait refrigerate, wash hands as soon as get home,
refrigerate/freeze meat, fish, poultry immediately, Freezers be at 0F, Refrigerator below
41F, store meat, eggs on plate lowest shelf of refrigerator, wash hands after handling
, raw meat, canned goods~dry, cool, clean area~new items in back of old items, fresh
produce refrigerate
✔✔Preparing - ✔✔keep it straight don't cross-contaminate, proper hand washing, clean
equipment, never thaw foods at room temperature, if use microwave to thaw~cook
immediately, wash surfaces~spray with disinfectant to sanitize, air dry, pets away from
food prep, wash dish clothes, towels after each meal
✔✔Cooking - ✔✔cook food to recommended internal temperature to destroy bacteria,
use thermometer, avoid interrupted cooking, use microwave safe containers, rotate &
stir microwave foods, check thickest part or center of food items with
thermometer~calibrated weekly~place in container of ice water check reading of 32F
✔✔Serving - ✔✔Keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold, never leave Potentially Hazardous
foods at room temperature longer than 2 hours, hot foods above 135F, cold foods below
41F, designated utensils for each item, keep batches of food items separate, put out
small amounts of product on buffet at a time, replenish as needed, products served to
guests should not be reused.
✔✔Handling Leftovers - ✔✔wash hands, divide hot leftovers into small units cool
quickly, refrigerate, reheat leftovers thoroughly to a temperature over 165F (soups,
sauces, gravies bring to rolling boil) don't keep leftovers more than 7 days
✔✔Thawing Meat - ✔✔ALWAYS thaw meat in refrigerator, microwave (cook completely
afterwards), in cold running water below 70F
✔✔Leading cause of food borne illness - ✔✔time & temperature abuse
✔✔Salmonella - ✔✔bacteria concern with poultry
✔✔Properly wash surfaces - ✔✔wash with warm soapy water, sanitize, and dry
✔✔F = Food - ✔✔nutrients available in the food often determines whether
microorganisms will grow; protein rich foods (meat, milk, eggs, fish ~ potentially
hazardous)
✔✔A = Acidity - ✔✔pH 7.0 = neutral
*foods with pH below 7.0 = acidic (bacteria will not grow at pH levels below 4.6 ~
environment too acidic
*foods with pH above 7.0 = alkaline (microorganisms thrive in a pH between 6.6 & 7.5)
*bacteria grow best in an environment that is neutral or slightly acidic
*most bacteria growth is inhibited in very acidic conditions ~ vinegar, fresh fruits (citrus)
AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Bacteria - ✔✔greatest threat to food, grow quickly at favorable temperatures. Some
bacteria useful: cheese, buttermilk, sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt. OTHERs are infectious
disease-causing agents = pathogens Bacteria can double every 10-30 minutes. Two
become four, four become eight, etc.... A single cell can become billions in 10-12 hours.
✔✔Botulism - ✔✔improperly canned foods, temperature abused veg., meats, sausage,
fish
✔✔Escherichia Coli (E Coli) - ✔✔found in cattle intestines, raw & undercooked ground
beef, raw milk, alfalfa sprouts, unpasteurized fruit juices, lettuce, spinach
✔✔Listeriosis - ✔✔contaminated soil/manure, vegetables, unpasterized milk and dairy,
raw meat, ready to eat foods, deli meats
✔✔Salmonella Typhi - ✔✔lives only in human feces, found in meat, poultry, egg or dairy
products
✔✔Nontyphoidal Salmonella - ✔✔farm animals to humans, meat poultry, egg, dairy
✔✔Shigella SPP (pronounced FLI) - ✔✔human feces contaminated water, flies
✔✔Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ) - ✔✔bacteria grow in warm, moist, protein rich
environment between 41F and 135F KEEP FOODS BELOW 41F AND ABOVE 135F
✔✔Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) - ✔✔critical points when foods are
susceptible to contamination from food borne pathogens. Purchasing, Storage,
Preparation, Cooking, Serving, Handling Left Overs
✔✔Good personal hygiene - ✔✔wash hands after restroom, sneeze, cough, touch hair,
etc..., clean clothes, no baggy sweatshirts, coats, closed toed shoes
✔✔Purchasing - ✔✔buy cold food last (meat, poultry, dairy), get it home fast, keep meat
away from fresh produce, put meat in bottom of the cart, do not buy canned goods that
are dented, cracks, bulging lids, buy fresh produce, check expiration date, keep cold
foods cold between store/home (cooler), keep foods out of temperature danger zone,
have enough storage in refrigerator for foods
✔✔Storing - ✔✔don't wait refrigerate, wash hands as soon as get home,
refrigerate/freeze meat, fish, poultry immediately, Freezers be at 0F, Refrigerator below
41F, store meat, eggs on plate lowest shelf of refrigerator, wash hands after handling
, raw meat, canned goods~dry, cool, clean area~new items in back of old items, fresh
produce refrigerate
✔✔Preparing - ✔✔keep it straight don't cross-contaminate, proper hand washing, clean
equipment, never thaw foods at room temperature, if use microwave to thaw~cook
immediately, wash surfaces~spray with disinfectant to sanitize, air dry, pets away from
food prep, wash dish clothes, towels after each meal
✔✔Cooking - ✔✔cook food to recommended internal temperature to destroy bacteria,
use thermometer, avoid interrupted cooking, use microwave safe containers, rotate &
stir microwave foods, check thickest part or center of food items with
thermometer~calibrated weekly~place in container of ice water check reading of 32F
✔✔Serving - ✔✔Keep hot foods hot, cold foods cold, never leave Potentially Hazardous
foods at room temperature longer than 2 hours, hot foods above 135F, cold foods below
41F, designated utensils for each item, keep batches of food items separate, put out
small amounts of product on buffet at a time, replenish as needed, products served to
guests should not be reused.
✔✔Handling Leftovers - ✔✔wash hands, divide hot leftovers into small units cool
quickly, refrigerate, reheat leftovers thoroughly to a temperature over 165F (soups,
sauces, gravies bring to rolling boil) don't keep leftovers more than 7 days
✔✔Thawing Meat - ✔✔ALWAYS thaw meat in refrigerator, microwave (cook completely
afterwards), in cold running water below 70F
✔✔Leading cause of food borne illness - ✔✔time & temperature abuse
✔✔Salmonella - ✔✔bacteria concern with poultry
✔✔Properly wash surfaces - ✔✔wash with warm soapy water, sanitize, and dry
✔✔F = Food - ✔✔nutrients available in the food often determines whether
microorganisms will grow; protein rich foods (meat, milk, eggs, fish ~ potentially
hazardous)
✔✔A = Acidity - ✔✔pH 7.0 = neutral
*foods with pH below 7.0 = acidic (bacteria will not grow at pH levels below 4.6 ~
environment too acidic
*foods with pH above 7.0 = alkaline (microorganisms thrive in a pH between 6.6 & 7.5)
*bacteria grow best in an environment that is neutral or slightly acidic
*most bacteria growth is inhibited in very acidic conditions ~ vinegar, fresh fruits (citrus)
