FSC 342 HACCP EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026/2027
What is a food safety hazard? - Answers A biological, chemical, or physical agent that is likely to
cause illness or injury in the absence of control.
What are the three main types of food safety hazards? - Answers Biological, chemical, and
physical hazards.
Name three types of microorganisms that can be biological hazards. - Answers Bacteria, viruses,
and parasites.
What are 'the good' microorganisms? - Answers Microorganisms that are helpful, such as those
used in fermentation to preserve food and create flavors.
What are 'the bad' microorganisms? - Answers Microorganisms that cause spoilage, affecting
the quality of food but not necessarily safety.
What are 'the ugly' microorganisms? - Answers Pathogenic microorganisms that cause illnesses,
such as Norovirus and Salmonella.
What are pathogens? - Answers Microorganisms that cause foodborne illness.
Where do microbial pathogens commonly live? - Answers In soils and animal intestinal tracts.
What do pathogens need to grow and cause illness? - Answers A suitable environment,
including nutrients, moisture, and temperature.
How do viruses cause foodborne illness? - Answers They invade living cells and replicate, but do
not multiply in food.
What is a key control measure for preventing viral foodborne diseases? - Answers Ensuring
proper personal hygiene among food handlers.
What are common foodborne parasites? - Answers Protozoan and parasitic worms.
What is the primary prevention strategy for foodborne diseases? - Answers Prevent
contamination and multiplication of foodborne disease agents.
What are microbiological criteria? - Answers Standards for raw materials to ensure safety from
biological hazards.
What types of chemical hazards exist in food? - Answers Naturally-occurring, intentionally-
added, and unintentional or incidental chemical additives.
What are some examples of naturally occurring chemical hazards? - Answers Toxic plant
components and seafood toxins.
What are food additives? - Answers Chemicals intentionally added to food for preservation,
,nutrition, or color.
What are some common chemicals used in food production? - Answers Pesticides, hormones,
antibiotics, and food additives.
What are unintentional chemical hazards? - Answers Agricultural chemicals like pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers that may contaminate food.
What is the role of personal hygiene in food safety? - Answers It helps prevent the spread of
pathogens by ensuring that sick employees do not handle food.
What is the significance of packaging integrity in food safety? - Answers It prevents
contamination and maintains the safety of food during storage and distribution.
What is a food allergy? - Answers A reproducible adverse reaction to a particular food that
involves the immune system.
What can trigger a food allergy reaction? - Answers Less than 1 mg of allergen can trigger a
reaction and potentially cause death.
What is the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance? - Answers A food allergy
involves a hypersensitive immune response, while food intolerance occurs without such a
response.
What are some common food allergens? - Answers Celery, cereals (containing gluten),
crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, sesame seeds, and sulfites.
What is the role of cleaning chemicals in food safety? - Answers Cleaning chemicals can cause
chemical burns if present in food at high levels.
What are physical hazards in food safety? - Answers Any potentially harmful extraneous matter
not normally found in food, such as metal fragments or glass particles.
What is a preventative maintenance program? - Answers Routine inspection and maintenance of
equipment to prevent physical hazards.
What is the importance of employee practices in controlling physical hazards? - Answers
Education, prevention, and strong company policies are essential to minimize risks.
What is the significance of allergen lists? - Answers Allergen lists differ region to region and are
crucial for preventing allergic reactions.
What is the purpose of specifications in chemical hazard control? - Answers To ensure the use
of approved chemicals and avoid cross-contamination.
What are examples of control/detection equipment for physical hazards? - Answers Magnet,
metal detector, X-ray equipment, screen or sifter, aspirator, riffle board, and bone separator.
, What is the impact of undeclared allergens? - Answers They are a major cause of product
recalls and withdrawals.
What is the role of packaging in food safety? - Answers Correct packaging control is essential to
prevent contamination and mislabeling.
What is the importance of raw materials and ingredients in food safety? - Answers Known
status of ingredients and supplier audits help identify possible cross-contamination hazards.
What should be done prior to shipment to control chemical hazards? - Answers Conduct a pre-
shipment inspection.
What are the potential consequences of physical hazards? - Answers They can cause personal
injuries, such as broken teeth, cuts, or choking.
How can acidic foods affect food safety? - Answers They can cause leaching of heavy metals
from pipes and joints, such as copper and lead.
What is the significance of systematic layout in food production? - Answers It minimizes
movement of materials and helps in controlling cross-contamination.
What is the role of hand washing in food safety? - Answers It is essential for preventing cross-
contamination and ensuring staff awareness.
What does HACCP stand for? - Answers Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
What are the five preliminary steps of HACCP? - Answers Assemble HACCP Team, Define Scope,
Describe Food and Distribution, Describe Intended Use, Develop Flow Diagram
What is the first preliminary step in HACCP? - Answers Assemble the HACCP Team
What is the purpose of assembling the HACCP Team? - Answers To ensure appropriate
personnel with relevant expertise manage the HACCP program.
What should be included in the scope of the HACCP plan? - Answers Specific products,
processes, and types of hazards to be addressed.
What types of hazards should the HACCP plan consider? - Answers Biological, chemical,
physical, and radiological hazards.
What is the significance of documenting HACCP processes? - Answers Records must be
maintained to demonstrate compliance and effectiveness; 'If it isn't documented, it didn't
happen!'
What is the role of the HACCP Team Leader? - Answers To have overall responsibility for the
development, organization, and management of the HACCP program.
What is a food safety hazard? - Answers A biological, chemical, or physical agent that is likely to
cause illness or injury in the absence of control.
What are the three main types of food safety hazards? - Answers Biological, chemical, and
physical hazards.
Name three types of microorganisms that can be biological hazards. - Answers Bacteria, viruses,
and parasites.
What are 'the good' microorganisms? - Answers Microorganisms that are helpful, such as those
used in fermentation to preserve food and create flavors.
What are 'the bad' microorganisms? - Answers Microorganisms that cause spoilage, affecting
the quality of food but not necessarily safety.
What are 'the ugly' microorganisms? - Answers Pathogenic microorganisms that cause illnesses,
such as Norovirus and Salmonella.
What are pathogens? - Answers Microorganisms that cause foodborne illness.
Where do microbial pathogens commonly live? - Answers In soils and animal intestinal tracts.
What do pathogens need to grow and cause illness? - Answers A suitable environment,
including nutrients, moisture, and temperature.
How do viruses cause foodborne illness? - Answers They invade living cells and replicate, but do
not multiply in food.
What is a key control measure for preventing viral foodborne diseases? - Answers Ensuring
proper personal hygiene among food handlers.
What are common foodborne parasites? - Answers Protozoan and parasitic worms.
What is the primary prevention strategy for foodborne diseases? - Answers Prevent
contamination and multiplication of foodborne disease agents.
What are microbiological criteria? - Answers Standards for raw materials to ensure safety from
biological hazards.
What types of chemical hazards exist in food? - Answers Naturally-occurring, intentionally-
added, and unintentional or incidental chemical additives.
What are some examples of naturally occurring chemical hazards? - Answers Toxic plant
components and seafood toxins.
What are food additives? - Answers Chemicals intentionally added to food for preservation,
,nutrition, or color.
What are some common chemicals used in food production? - Answers Pesticides, hormones,
antibiotics, and food additives.
What are unintentional chemical hazards? - Answers Agricultural chemicals like pesticides,
herbicides, and fertilizers that may contaminate food.
What is the role of personal hygiene in food safety? - Answers It helps prevent the spread of
pathogens by ensuring that sick employees do not handle food.
What is the significance of packaging integrity in food safety? - Answers It prevents
contamination and maintains the safety of food during storage and distribution.
What is a food allergy? - Answers A reproducible adverse reaction to a particular food that
involves the immune system.
What can trigger a food allergy reaction? - Answers Less than 1 mg of allergen can trigger a
reaction and potentially cause death.
What is the difference between a food allergy and food intolerance? - Answers A food allergy
involves a hypersensitive immune response, while food intolerance occurs without such a
response.
What are some common food allergens? - Answers Celery, cereals (containing gluten),
crustaceans, eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, soybeans, tree nuts, sesame seeds, and sulfites.
What is the role of cleaning chemicals in food safety? - Answers Cleaning chemicals can cause
chemical burns if present in food at high levels.
What are physical hazards in food safety? - Answers Any potentially harmful extraneous matter
not normally found in food, such as metal fragments or glass particles.
What is a preventative maintenance program? - Answers Routine inspection and maintenance of
equipment to prevent physical hazards.
What is the importance of employee practices in controlling physical hazards? - Answers
Education, prevention, and strong company policies are essential to minimize risks.
What is the significance of allergen lists? - Answers Allergen lists differ region to region and are
crucial for preventing allergic reactions.
What is the purpose of specifications in chemical hazard control? - Answers To ensure the use
of approved chemicals and avoid cross-contamination.
What are examples of control/detection equipment for physical hazards? - Answers Magnet,
metal detector, X-ray equipment, screen or sifter, aspirator, riffle board, and bone separator.
, What is the impact of undeclared allergens? - Answers They are a major cause of product
recalls and withdrawals.
What is the role of packaging in food safety? - Answers Correct packaging control is essential to
prevent contamination and mislabeling.
What is the importance of raw materials and ingredients in food safety? - Answers Known
status of ingredients and supplier audits help identify possible cross-contamination hazards.
What should be done prior to shipment to control chemical hazards? - Answers Conduct a pre-
shipment inspection.
What are the potential consequences of physical hazards? - Answers They can cause personal
injuries, such as broken teeth, cuts, or choking.
How can acidic foods affect food safety? - Answers They can cause leaching of heavy metals
from pipes and joints, such as copper and lead.
What is the significance of systematic layout in food production? - Answers It minimizes
movement of materials and helps in controlling cross-contamination.
What is the role of hand washing in food safety? - Answers It is essential for preventing cross-
contamination and ensuring staff awareness.
What does HACCP stand for? - Answers Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point
What are the five preliminary steps of HACCP? - Answers Assemble HACCP Team, Define Scope,
Describe Food and Distribution, Describe Intended Use, Develop Flow Diagram
What is the first preliminary step in HACCP? - Answers Assemble the HACCP Team
What is the purpose of assembling the HACCP Team? - Answers To ensure appropriate
personnel with relevant expertise manage the HACCP program.
What should be included in the scope of the HACCP plan? - Answers Specific products,
processes, and types of hazards to be addressed.
What types of hazards should the HACCP plan consider? - Answers Biological, chemical,
physical, and radiological hazards.
What is the significance of documenting HACCP processes? - Answers Records must be
maintained to demonstrate compliance and effectiveness; 'If it isn't documented, it didn't
happen!'
What is the role of the HACCP Team Leader? - Answers To have overall responsibility for the
development, organization, and management of the HACCP program.
