FOOD HANDLERS LATEST 2026 TEST PAPER QUESTIONS
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Shigella - ✔✔Is a strain of bacteria found in the digestive tract of humans and is
transmitted by touching the feces of an infected person, swimming in a water where the
bacteria is present or drinking water that is contaminated by the bacteria. Symptoms of
a shigella infection usually develop within two to three days of exposure but can occur in
as little as a day or as late as a week after infection. While the infection may "go away
on its own" after a few days, diarrhea may persist for up to a week or more and may be
spread to others through contaminated stool up to four weeks after symptoms have
passed. Mild cases of Shigella may be confined to lose, watery stool. In severe cases,
the infected person may develop dysentery and need to be hospitalized. In very rare
cases, Shigella bacteria may impact other organs outside the digestive system leading
to rashes, arthritis, kidney failure, and even neurological problems.
-Many foods can transmit Shigella from person to person and many of them are
favorites on food buffets and backyard barbecues. Here are some examples of foods at
risk for Shigella contamination:
- Salads with mayonnaise-based like potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad and green
salad.
-Minced shrimp salad, tuna, chicken and turkey salad, raw oysters
- Rice balls, cooked beans and refried beans
- Banana or rice pudding, sliced strawberries
Shigella is easily transmitted from an infected person to others. The best defenses
against this food borne disease are: hand washing, change gloves frequently, sanitizing
work surfaces, sanitizing multiuser tools and flatware, do not work if you have been
exposed to shigella.
✔✔Norovirus - ✔✔is extremely contagious. A person with norovirus feels very sick
without warning because the illness comes on suddenly. An infected person is
contagious from when he or she first feels sick to a period from three days to two weeks
after she recovers. The illness is brief but it can keep most people from being able to go
to work or school. Since this is viral infection it cannot be treated with antibiotics, anti-
viral medications, or vaccination. Most people called the Norovirus the "stomach bug" or
the "stomach flu." Doctors often call it acute gastroenteritis or viral gastroenteritis. Most
people will recognize norovirus by following symptoms - nausea and vomiting, stomach
cramping, watery non-bloody diarrhea, headache and muscle aches, low grade fever
and chills.
- There are people who have the norovirus and do not have any symptoms. still
contagious
-This virus can be transmitted on surfaces like counter tops, drinking glasses, handrails,
and trays. The best ways to combat this virus are frequent hand washing, proper
cleaning and sanitizing, and staying away from the food establishment while ill. If
someone becomes ill and vomits or has a diarrheal incident, you must have a written
plan in place that includes instructions for the use of EPA registered disinfectants that
can destroy norovirus.
,✔✔Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) - ✔✔Is a viral infection of the liver; anyone that was not
immunized against Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is a risk of infection. Once a person is
exposed to HAV an incubation period of 15 to 50 days is needed before the viral load is
high enough for symptoms to be easily recognized as HVA. The symptoms are -
diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, fever, headache, nausea and abdominal pain, and loss of
appetite.
-HAV symptoms are usually prevent for less than two months, but in a small percentage
of cases, symptoms of the virus linger and lead to relapses for up ti six months. The
HAV can and does live outside of the human body for months. Since it is virus, it can be
killed.
-Transmitted through undercooked shellfish harvested from polluted waters.
-Ready to eat foods when handled by an infected individual
Cold cuts and sandwiches
-Fresh squeezed juices, raw vegetables and fruits, salads
-Water contaminated with sewage and the bodily fluids of a person infected with
Hepatitis A.
-As a waterborne disease, HAV that is present in the water supply can be killed by
sufficient chlorination. The virus also can be killed by heating it to 185F (85c) for one
minute, It is important for food handlers to know that virus still can be spread if cooked
food is contaminated after cooking.
The spread of HAV between people can be prevented with proper sanitation and good
personal hygiene, including washing hands. Remember, someone can carry the virus
for up to two weeks before any symptoms are noticed. In the event that an employee
has HAV or is suspected of having HAV that employee must not work until he has been
cleared to return to work by a medical professional.
✔✔Esherichia coli - ✔✔Are bacterium normally found in the digestive tract of the human
body and most other animals. Many strains of E. Coli are harmless to human and
animals. The E. Coli bacterium that causes food food borne disease is scientifically
known as E. Coli O157:H7 and is a shiva toxin- producing type. This illness causing
bacterium is spread through poor processing and handling of food that has been
contaminated by infected animal or human feces and other unsanitary conditions. While
meat and ground meat are the primary ways that people get E. coli, there are other
sources that can transmit the illness, including: raw untreated milk, yogurt made with
intreated milk, fruits and vegetables that come in contact with animal manure,
contaminated water, petting zoos, other people.
-E. coli infection can be prevented by proper food handling, cooking meat correctly, and
holding meat at the correct temperature. The most important way to prevent the
transmission of E. coli is frequent hand washing especially after using the restroom and
touching raw meats. Food preparation is an important step in preventing the
transmission of the potentially deadly illness, so it is VERY important to completely
wash any fruits or vegetables that may be contaminated with manure-based fertilizers.
-Primary symptoms is diarrhea. Symptoms usually develop in three to four days,
although they can develop in as little as one or as many as 8 days after infection. Some
healthy adults develop only diarrhea and never know they were infected with E. coli.
However, serious conditions may develop in the elderly or very young. some strains of
,E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea and, in severe cases, blood problems, kidney failure,
seizures, and death.
✔✔Food spoilage - ✔✔All animals and plants upon death will begin to decay, but for the
purpose of preserving food, we can slow this decaying process down by taking simple
measures. Food spoilage can be caused by such things as rough handling,
exaggerated high/low keeping temperatures, bacteria, enzymes, mold, and pests.
Normally spoiled food can be detected by its appearance. Bad smell, texture, feel, and
taste may also be indicators of spoilage. If the food you are handling seems spoiled in
any way, and you are unsure or have a "hut feeling" about it, it is always better to be
safe and ask about it or not use it at all.
✔✔Clostridium botulinum - ✔✔Unlike salmonella and Hepatitis A, Clostridium
botulinum, more commonly called Botulism, is a neurotoxin that is produced by the
bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a life threatening disease. This neurotoxins
is one of the most toxic substances known; even microscopic amounts it can cause
illness or death. In the past, botulism was linked primarily to home-canned foods. Since
botulism is a naturally occurring neurotoxin, there are many ways that it can enter the
food establishment. Common ways - honey, home canned vegetables and fruits, and
corn syrup.
✔✔Biological contamination - ✔✔Involves contamination of foods by other living
organisms. When pathogens such as viruses, parasites, pathogenic bacteria, and
spoilage are present in foods, the food becomes biologically contaminated. Biological
contaminants are living contaminants and they need water, nutrients, and the right
temperature to survive. By reducing or eliminating the things that biological
contaminants need to live, it as far easier to reduce or eliminate them from food in your
establishment. Conditions such as dehydration and overheating that are deadly to other
living things can be used to reduce pathogenic contaminants.
-Biological contaminants can come from many places and can move between different
foods easily. The way that a biological contaminant moves from one place to another is
called a "vehicle of contamination." Although the food that we eat contains bacteria,
additional bacteria may be spread by these "vehicles." Your hands are vehicles of
contamination, which is why hand washing is mentioned so often as a preventative
measure. Another common vehicle of transmission that is easily preventable is cross-
contamination. Your role in stopping cross-contamination is to be mindful of how and
where raw meats are stored, how and where raw vegetables are stored, and how and
where meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables are prepared.
-Exposure to biological contamination doesn't happen just inside a food establishment.
Food can become contaminated at a number of different points in the food growing,
processing, and distribution chain. Here are some other places that food may be
exposed to biologic contamination: growing/raising, harvesting, catching, or
slaughtering, processing, packing, transporting, storing or holding, preparing, displaying,
selling, serving.
, ✔✔Sources of contamination - ✔✔The largest single factor in protecting food from
biological contamination is educating and training people. The people who work in the
fields, in the transportation terminal, in the processing plant, in the warehouse, in the
distribution process, and ultimately the people that work inside your establishment are
the cause of and solution to much of the biological contamination that happens to our
food. People contaminate food by touching it with unclean hands. Unwashed hands can
transfer such bacteria as Salmonella, E. Coli, and Staphylococci from open areas of the
body such as the nose, mouth, and skin sores. People subject food to time and
temperature abuse. People try to buy food at lower cost to save money. Alternatively,
people also play key role in protecting our food. When people wash their hands
frequently, follow time and temperature guidelines or purchase food from reputable
vendors, they are taking steps to ensure that our food is as safe as possible when it
reaches the customer.
✔✔Transporting foods - ✔✔When transporting food off site to a satellite location of the
same business, off site catering events, or from a kitchen to patient rooms in a hospital,
it is important that TCS foods be thoroughly checked with an appropriate temperature
measuring device. TCS food packaged using cook-chill or sous vide must have a
verifiable electronic device to monitor time and temperature during transportation.
Similarly, there are rules safeguarding the transport of foods from animal sources, like
farm to table eggs. Eggs cartons must bear safe handling instructions and egg must be
transported and distributed under refrigeration at an ambient temperature of 45F or less
in order to reduce Salmonella infections.
✔✔Raw meats - ✔✔Touching various raw meats with the same unwashed hands can
spread contaminants to multiple places such as other foods, tables, door handles, and
equipment. When handling raw meats, raw poultry or raw fish, wash your hands
frequently and change gloves often. Keep raw meat separate from other foods as much
as possible. Raw material foods must also be separated from unwashed plant foods
(fruits and vegetables) during storage, preparation, holding, and display. Some food
establishments create different prep areas for vegetables to ensure the the potential for
cross contamination is kept to a minimum. Other food establishments use color coding
to ensure cross contamination is kept to a minimum. It is a good habit to clean and
sanitize any area that comes in contact with raw meat immediately after it is used. This
reduces the likelihood that the surface or tool is accidently used by another employee.
✔✔Soil and Dust - ✔✔Soil from unwashed vegetables can contaminate food. Soil is
often on vegetables upon delivery, and these items should be washed well without
allowing the soil to contact any other food items. Vegetables that are regularly covered
in soil, such as potatoes should be stored beneath other vegetables so that any loose
soil will not fall onto the clean vegetables. Remember that botulism grows naturally in
our soil and is very dangerous to humans.
The dust is simply the finer grains of first and soil that becomes airborne. When those
finer particles settle on work surfaces, multiuser tools, and ingredients it becomes a
potential contaminant as well. The best way to reduce the risk of dust becoming a
vehicle of transition is to practice good housekeeping. Areas that are prone to dust, like
AND SOLUTIONS RATED A+
✔✔Shigella - ✔✔Is a strain of bacteria found in the digestive tract of humans and is
transmitted by touching the feces of an infected person, swimming in a water where the
bacteria is present or drinking water that is contaminated by the bacteria. Symptoms of
a shigella infection usually develop within two to three days of exposure but can occur in
as little as a day or as late as a week after infection. While the infection may "go away
on its own" after a few days, diarrhea may persist for up to a week or more and may be
spread to others through contaminated stool up to four weeks after symptoms have
passed. Mild cases of Shigella may be confined to lose, watery stool. In severe cases,
the infected person may develop dysentery and need to be hospitalized. In very rare
cases, Shigella bacteria may impact other organs outside the digestive system leading
to rashes, arthritis, kidney failure, and even neurological problems.
-Many foods can transmit Shigella from person to person and many of them are
favorites on food buffets and backyard barbecues. Here are some examples of foods at
risk for Shigella contamination:
- Salads with mayonnaise-based like potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad and green
salad.
-Minced shrimp salad, tuna, chicken and turkey salad, raw oysters
- Rice balls, cooked beans and refried beans
- Banana or rice pudding, sliced strawberries
Shigella is easily transmitted from an infected person to others. The best defenses
against this food borne disease are: hand washing, change gloves frequently, sanitizing
work surfaces, sanitizing multiuser tools and flatware, do not work if you have been
exposed to shigella.
✔✔Norovirus - ✔✔is extremely contagious. A person with norovirus feels very sick
without warning because the illness comes on suddenly. An infected person is
contagious from when he or she first feels sick to a period from three days to two weeks
after she recovers. The illness is brief but it can keep most people from being able to go
to work or school. Since this is viral infection it cannot be treated with antibiotics, anti-
viral medications, or vaccination. Most people called the Norovirus the "stomach bug" or
the "stomach flu." Doctors often call it acute gastroenteritis or viral gastroenteritis. Most
people will recognize norovirus by following symptoms - nausea and vomiting, stomach
cramping, watery non-bloody diarrhea, headache and muscle aches, low grade fever
and chills.
- There are people who have the norovirus and do not have any symptoms. still
contagious
-This virus can be transmitted on surfaces like counter tops, drinking glasses, handrails,
and trays. The best ways to combat this virus are frequent hand washing, proper
cleaning and sanitizing, and staying away from the food establishment while ill. If
someone becomes ill and vomits or has a diarrheal incident, you must have a written
plan in place that includes instructions for the use of EPA registered disinfectants that
can destroy norovirus.
,✔✔Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) - ✔✔Is a viral infection of the liver; anyone that was not
immunized against Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is a risk of infection. Once a person is
exposed to HAV an incubation period of 15 to 50 days is needed before the viral load is
high enough for symptoms to be easily recognized as HVA. The symptoms are -
diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, fever, headache, nausea and abdominal pain, and loss of
appetite.
-HAV symptoms are usually prevent for less than two months, but in a small percentage
of cases, symptoms of the virus linger and lead to relapses for up ti six months. The
HAV can and does live outside of the human body for months. Since it is virus, it can be
killed.
-Transmitted through undercooked shellfish harvested from polluted waters.
-Ready to eat foods when handled by an infected individual
Cold cuts and sandwiches
-Fresh squeezed juices, raw vegetables and fruits, salads
-Water contaminated with sewage and the bodily fluids of a person infected with
Hepatitis A.
-As a waterborne disease, HAV that is present in the water supply can be killed by
sufficient chlorination. The virus also can be killed by heating it to 185F (85c) for one
minute, It is important for food handlers to know that virus still can be spread if cooked
food is contaminated after cooking.
The spread of HAV between people can be prevented with proper sanitation and good
personal hygiene, including washing hands. Remember, someone can carry the virus
for up to two weeks before any symptoms are noticed. In the event that an employee
has HAV or is suspected of having HAV that employee must not work until he has been
cleared to return to work by a medical professional.
✔✔Esherichia coli - ✔✔Are bacterium normally found in the digestive tract of the human
body and most other animals. Many strains of E. Coli are harmless to human and
animals. The E. Coli bacterium that causes food food borne disease is scientifically
known as E. Coli O157:H7 and is a shiva toxin- producing type. This illness causing
bacterium is spread through poor processing and handling of food that has been
contaminated by infected animal or human feces and other unsanitary conditions. While
meat and ground meat are the primary ways that people get E. coli, there are other
sources that can transmit the illness, including: raw untreated milk, yogurt made with
intreated milk, fruits and vegetables that come in contact with animal manure,
contaminated water, petting zoos, other people.
-E. coli infection can be prevented by proper food handling, cooking meat correctly, and
holding meat at the correct temperature. The most important way to prevent the
transmission of E. coli is frequent hand washing especially after using the restroom and
touching raw meats. Food preparation is an important step in preventing the
transmission of the potentially deadly illness, so it is VERY important to completely
wash any fruits or vegetables that may be contaminated with manure-based fertilizers.
-Primary symptoms is diarrhea. Symptoms usually develop in three to four days,
although they can develop in as little as one or as many as 8 days after infection. Some
healthy adults develop only diarrhea and never know they were infected with E. coli.
However, serious conditions may develop in the elderly or very young. some strains of
,E. coli can cause bloody diarrhea and, in severe cases, blood problems, kidney failure,
seizures, and death.
✔✔Food spoilage - ✔✔All animals and plants upon death will begin to decay, but for the
purpose of preserving food, we can slow this decaying process down by taking simple
measures. Food spoilage can be caused by such things as rough handling,
exaggerated high/low keeping temperatures, bacteria, enzymes, mold, and pests.
Normally spoiled food can be detected by its appearance. Bad smell, texture, feel, and
taste may also be indicators of spoilage. If the food you are handling seems spoiled in
any way, and you are unsure or have a "hut feeling" about it, it is always better to be
safe and ask about it or not use it at all.
✔✔Clostridium botulinum - ✔✔Unlike salmonella and Hepatitis A, Clostridium
botulinum, more commonly called Botulism, is a neurotoxin that is produced by the
bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulism is a life threatening disease. This neurotoxins
is one of the most toxic substances known; even microscopic amounts it can cause
illness or death. In the past, botulism was linked primarily to home-canned foods. Since
botulism is a naturally occurring neurotoxin, there are many ways that it can enter the
food establishment. Common ways - honey, home canned vegetables and fruits, and
corn syrup.
✔✔Biological contamination - ✔✔Involves contamination of foods by other living
organisms. When pathogens such as viruses, parasites, pathogenic bacteria, and
spoilage are present in foods, the food becomes biologically contaminated. Biological
contaminants are living contaminants and they need water, nutrients, and the right
temperature to survive. By reducing or eliminating the things that biological
contaminants need to live, it as far easier to reduce or eliminate them from food in your
establishment. Conditions such as dehydration and overheating that are deadly to other
living things can be used to reduce pathogenic contaminants.
-Biological contaminants can come from many places and can move between different
foods easily. The way that a biological contaminant moves from one place to another is
called a "vehicle of contamination." Although the food that we eat contains bacteria,
additional bacteria may be spread by these "vehicles." Your hands are vehicles of
contamination, which is why hand washing is mentioned so often as a preventative
measure. Another common vehicle of transmission that is easily preventable is cross-
contamination. Your role in stopping cross-contamination is to be mindful of how and
where raw meats are stored, how and where raw vegetables are stored, and how and
where meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables are prepared.
-Exposure to biological contamination doesn't happen just inside a food establishment.
Food can become contaminated at a number of different points in the food growing,
processing, and distribution chain. Here are some other places that food may be
exposed to biologic contamination: growing/raising, harvesting, catching, or
slaughtering, processing, packing, transporting, storing or holding, preparing, displaying,
selling, serving.
, ✔✔Sources of contamination - ✔✔The largest single factor in protecting food from
biological contamination is educating and training people. The people who work in the
fields, in the transportation terminal, in the processing plant, in the warehouse, in the
distribution process, and ultimately the people that work inside your establishment are
the cause of and solution to much of the biological contamination that happens to our
food. People contaminate food by touching it with unclean hands. Unwashed hands can
transfer such bacteria as Salmonella, E. Coli, and Staphylococci from open areas of the
body such as the nose, mouth, and skin sores. People subject food to time and
temperature abuse. People try to buy food at lower cost to save money. Alternatively,
people also play key role in protecting our food. When people wash their hands
frequently, follow time and temperature guidelines or purchase food from reputable
vendors, they are taking steps to ensure that our food is as safe as possible when it
reaches the customer.
✔✔Transporting foods - ✔✔When transporting food off site to a satellite location of the
same business, off site catering events, or from a kitchen to patient rooms in a hospital,
it is important that TCS foods be thoroughly checked with an appropriate temperature
measuring device. TCS food packaged using cook-chill or sous vide must have a
verifiable electronic device to monitor time and temperature during transportation.
Similarly, there are rules safeguarding the transport of foods from animal sources, like
farm to table eggs. Eggs cartons must bear safe handling instructions and egg must be
transported and distributed under refrigeration at an ambient temperature of 45F or less
in order to reduce Salmonella infections.
✔✔Raw meats - ✔✔Touching various raw meats with the same unwashed hands can
spread contaminants to multiple places such as other foods, tables, door handles, and
equipment. When handling raw meats, raw poultry or raw fish, wash your hands
frequently and change gloves often. Keep raw meat separate from other foods as much
as possible. Raw material foods must also be separated from unwashed plant foods
(fruits and vegetables) during storage, preparation, holding, and display. Some food
establishments create different prep areas for vegetables to ensure the the potential for
cross contamination is kept to a minimum. Other food establishments use color coding
to ensure cross contamination is kept to a minimum. It is a good habit to clean and
sanitize any area that comes in contact with raw meat immediately after it is used. This
reduces the likelihood that the surface or tool is accidently used by another employee.
✔✔Soil and Dust - ✔✔Soil from unwashed vegetables can contaminate food. Soil is
often on vegetables upon delivery, and these items should be washed well without
allowing the soil to contact any other food items. Vegetables that are regularly covered
in soil, such as potatoes should be stored beneath other vegetables so that any loose
soil will not fall onto the clean vegetables. Remember that botulism grows naturally in
our soil and is very dangerous to humans.
The dust is simply the finer grains of first and soil that becomes airborne. When those
finer particles settle on work surfaces, multiuser tools, and ingredients it becomes a
potential contaminant as well. The best way to reduce the risk of dust becoming a
vehicle of transition is to practice good housekeeping. Areas that are prone to dust, like
