FOOD MANAGER EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (100%
CORRECT ANSWERS) 2025|2026
GRADED TO SCORE A+
What is the time condition for bacterial growth? - ANSWER✔️Time to reproduce (at least 4
hours)
What is the oxygen condition for bacterial growth? - ANSWER✔️Aerobic (requires oxygen),
anaerobic (does not require oxygen)
What is the moisture condition for bacterial growth? - ANSWER✔️Foods with plenty of water
(Aw .85 or greater) Aw=Water activity
Some foods have a greater chance of foodborne contamination/potentially hazardous foods
(PHF) because of what three main characteristics? - ANSWER✔️They are foods high in protein,
low in acidity, and have high moisture content
What does PAM stand for? - ANSWER✔️Protein, Acidity, Moisture
What microorganism will cause illness, but does not reproduce on food? They only use food as a
means of transportation. - ANSWER✔️Viruses
What are 100x smaller than bacteria, and can only reproduce in living cells, human beings,
plants, or anything that is alive? - ANSWER✔️Viruses
,chemical contamination - ANSWER✔️is caused when substances such as cleaning compounds,
acids, detergents, soaps, chemicals, and pesticides get into food. it can occur in nature
how to check for seafood - ANSWER✔️fish should be delivered and stored in crushed ice. fresh
fish has bright skin, gills that are moist and red, and scales firmly attached. eyes must be clear
and bulging. flesh must be firm and elastic.
how to check for shellfish - ANSWER✔️fresh shellfish must be alive when delivered, and should
not have a strong odor. shell stock id tags must be saved for 90 days. it must be received at 45
degrees or below. do not eat shellfish during red tide.
how to check eggs - ANSWER✔️they have to be received at 45 degrees or less, however
receiving the eggs at a lower temperature is recommended. it must be pasteurized and required
for recipes that need none or little cooking
frozen foods - ANSWER✔️keep all foods between 0-and minus 10 degrees. do not thaw and
refreeze foods. only refreeze if the product is cooked
dairy - ANSWER✔️milks products that are served without being pasteurized should never be
consumed. milk and dairy products must be pasteurized, grad a, and must be received under 41
degrees.
dry foods - ANSWER✔️look for punctures, tears, holes, or slashing in the packages.
fruits and vegetables - ANSWER✔️the best indication of quality is taste. all produce must be
thoroughly washed in clean potable water before serving. juices of fruits and vegetables should
be pasteurized.
allergies - ANSWER✔️on January 1, 2006 the federal drug administration required food labels to
state if any ingredients contained protein from the eight major allergenic foods. this was a result
of the food allergen labeling and consumer act of 2004 or FALCPA. the 8 major allergenic foods
are: milk, eggs, fish shellfish, nuts derived from a tree, soybeans, wheat, and peanuts. one major
symptom is anaphylactic shock, which can includ hives, the tightness of throat, itching, swelling,
and even death
food sanitation 101 - ANSWER✔️the safety of the consumer should be your first concern. safety
includes the facility itself, the food you serve, and the employees who are under your
supervision. the most common reason for foodborne illness is inadequate cooling and poor
refrigeration
preparing foods - ANSWER✔️the employees health, personal hygiene, and hand washing is
important. prevention is the best way to avoid foodborne illnesses
,FIFO - ANSWER✔️the most important rule for storage is first in first out. this means that food
has to be used in the order in which it is received
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year how many people
become sick due to foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Over 76 million people
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year how many people
are hospitalized due to foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Over 325,000 people
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year how many people
die due to foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Over 5,000 people
What are the two types of foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne infection & foodborne
intoxication
What type of foodborne illness is produced by the ingestion of living, harmful organisms present
in food? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne infection
What type of foodborne illness is produced by ingestion of bacterial toxins or excrements that
are present in food before it is consumed? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne intoxication
What type of foodborne illness may occur from consuming foods that contain chemicals from
cleaning agents, pesticides, or certain metals? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne intoxication
What type of foodborne illness may occur when leaving potentially hazardous food products at
room temperature, exposing it to the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne
intoxication
Bacteria doubles every how many minutes? - ANSWER✔️20 minutes
Food contact surfaces should be cleaned every how many hours to prevent bacterial build-up on
the surfaces? - ANSWER✔️Every four hours
All packaging material should be how many inches off the ground? - ANSWER✔️6 inches
What are the four categories of food contaminants? - ANSWER✔️Biological, physical, chemical,
cross contamination
What type of food contaminant pertains to life and or living things? Some main examples are
bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. - ANSWER✔️Biological
What type of food contaminant are objects that can be seen with the human eye such as nails,
hair, and bandages? - ANSWER✔️Physical
, What type of food contaminant can occur if an employee prepares acidic foods (such as lemons)
using a copper pot? - ANSWER✔️Chemical
What type of food contaminant is the transfer of pathogens or disease-causing micro-organisms
from one food to another? Food handlers who do not properly wash their hands and immediately
prepare the restaurant food are one example. - ANSWER✔️Cross contamination
What are the four major biological hazards? - ANSWER✔️Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi
What is the Temperature Danger Zone? - ANSWER✔️41-135 degrees F
What is the maximum accumulated time that food can remain the Danger Zone? - ANSWER✔️4
hours
How are toxins killed? - ANSWER✔️They cannot be killed with heat or cold.
What type of bacteria have the ability to change into forms that are very resistant to heat and dry
conditions? - ANSWER✔️Spores
What type of bacteria is formed in improperly processed home canned foods; therefore food
from home cannot be purchased by a food service establishment? - ANSWER✔️Spores
What type of bacteria is found in human intestines and other warm-blooded animals? -
ANSWER✔️E. Coli
What type of E.Coli can produce death in children and elderly people? - ANSWER✔️O157: H7
E.Coli is commonly found in what types of food? - ANSWER✔️Ground beef, raw fruits/veggies,
unpasteurized juices (i.e. apple cider)
What type of bacteria is especially found in poultry and eggs including their shells, in human
intestines, and in domestic and wild animals? - ANSWER✔️Salmonella
How is salmonella killed in poultry? - ANSWER✔️By cooking it to an internal temperature of
165 degrees F for 15 seconds
What type of bacteria can form spores and can grow without oxygen, making it a type of
anaerobic bacteria? - ANSWER✔️Chlostridium botulinum
What type of illness can affect the central nervous system? - ANSWER✔️Chlostridium
botulinum
Clostridium Botulinum is found in? - ANSWER✔️Soil, lakes, human intestines, fish, swollen
cans, vacuum packed foods, smoked meats
AND CORRECT ANSWERS (100%
CORRECT ANSWERS) 2025|2026
GRADED TO SCORE A+
What is the time condition for bacterial growth? - ANSWER✔️Time to reproduce (at least 4
hours)
What is the oxygen condition for bacterial growth? - ANSWER✔️Aerobic (requires oxygen),
anaerobic (does not require oxygen)
What is the moisture condition for bacterial growth? - ANSWER✔️Foods with plenty of water
(Aw .85 or greater) Aw=Water activity
Some foods have a greater chance of foodborne contamination/potentially hazardous foods
(PHF) because of what three main characteristics? - ANSWER✔️They are foods high in protein,
low in acidity, and have high moisture content
What does PAM stand for? - ANSWER✔️Protein, Acidity, Moisture
What microorganism will cause illness, but does not reproduce on food? They only use food as a
means of transportation. - ANSWER✔️Viruses
What are 100x smaller than bacteria, and can only reproduce in living cells, human beings,
plants, or anything that is alive? - ANSWER✔️Viruses
,chemical contamination - ANSWER✔️is caused when substances such as cleaning compounds,
acids, detergents, soaps, chemicals, and pesticides get into food. it can occur in nature
how to check for seafood - ANSWER✔️fish should be delivered and stored in crushed ice. fresh
fish has bright skin, gills that are moist and red, and scales firmly attached. eyes must be clear
and bulging. flesh must be firm and elastic.
how to check for shellfish - ANSWER✔️fresh shellfish must be alive when delivered, and should
not have a strong odor. shell stock id tags must be saved for 90 days. it must be received at 45
degrees or below. do not eat shellfish during red tide.
how to check eggs - ANSWER✔️they have to be received at 45 degrees or less, however
receiving the eggs at a lower temperature is recommended. it must be pasteurized and required
for recipes that need none or little cooking
frozen foods - ANSWER✔️keep all foods between 0-and minus 10 degrees. do not thaw and
refreeze foods. only refreeze if the product is cooked
dairy - ANSWER✔️milks products that are served without being pasteurized should never be
consumed. milk and dairy products must be pasteurized, grad a, and must be received under 41
degrees.
dry foods - ANSWER✔️look for punctures, tears, holes, or slashing in the packages.
fruits and vegetables - ANSWER✔️the best indication of quality is taste. all produce must be
thoroughly washed in clean potable water before serving. juices of fruits and vegetables should
be pasteurized.
allergies - ANSWER✔️on January 1, 2006 the federal drug administration required food labels to
state if any ingredients contained protein from the eight major allergenic foods. this was a result
of the food allergen labeling and consumer act of 2004 or FALCPA. the 8 major allergenic foods
are: milk, eggs, fish shellfish, nuts derived from a tree, soybeans, wheat, and peanuts. one major
symptom is anaphylactic shock, which can includ hives, the tightness of throat, itching, swelling,
and even death
food sanitation 101 - ANSWER✔️the safety of the consumer should be your first concern. safety
includes the facility itself, the food you serve, and the employees who are under your
supervision. the most common reason for foodborne illness is inadequate cooling and poor
refrigeration
preparing foods - ANSWER✔️the employees health, personal hygiene, and hand washing is
important. prevention is the best way to avoid foodborne illnesses
,FIFO - ANSWER✔️the most important rule for storage is first in first out. this means that food
has to be used in the order in which it is received
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year how many people
become sick due to foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Over 76 million people
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year how many people
are hospitalized due to foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Over 325,000 people
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each year how many people
die due to foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Over 5,000 people
What are the two types of foodborne illnesses? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne infection & foodborne
intoxication
What type of foodborne illness is produced by the ingestion of living, harmful organisms present
in food? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne infection
What type of foodborne illness is produced by ingestion of bacterial toxins or excrements that
are present in food before it is consumed? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne intoxication
What type of foodborne illness may occur from consuming foods that contain chemicals from
cleaning agents, pesticides, or certain metals? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne intoxication
What type of foodborne illness may occur when leaving potentially hazardous food products at
room temperature, exposing it to the Temperature Danger Zone (TDZ)? - ANSWER✔️Foodborne
intoxication
Bacteria doubles every how many minutes? - ANSWER✔️20 minutes
Food contact surfaces should be cleaned every how many hours to prevent bacterial build-up on
the surfaces? - ANSWER✔️Every four hours
All packaging material should be how many inches off the ground? - ANSWER✔️6 inches
What are the four categories of food contaminants? - ANSWER✔️Biological, physical, chemical,
cross contamination
What type of food contaminant pertains to life and or living things? Some main examples are
bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. - ANSWER✔️Biological
What type of food contaminant are objects that can be seen with the human eye such as nails,
hair, and bandages? - ANSWER✔️Physical
, What type of food contaminant can occur if an employee prepares acidic foods (such as lemons)
using a copper pot? - ANSWER✔️Chemical
What type of food contaminant is the transfer of pathogens or disease-causing micro-organisms
from one food to another? Food handlers who do not properly wash their hands and immediately
prepare the restaurant food are one example. - ANSWER✔️Cross contamination
What are the four major biological hazards? - ANSWER✔️Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi
What is the Temperature Danger Zone? - ANSWER✔️41-135 degrees F
What is the maximum accumulated time that food can remain the Danger Zone? - ANSWER✔️4
hours
How are toxins killed? - ANSWER✔️They cannot be killed with heat or cold.
What type of bacteria have the ability to change into forms that are very resistant to heat and dry
conditions? - ANSWER✔️Spores
What type of bacteria is formed in improperly processed home canned foods; therefore food
from home cannot be purchased by a food service establishment? - ANSWER✔️Spores
What type of bacteria is found in human intestines and other warm-blooded animals? -
ANSWER✔️E. Coli
What type of E.Coli can produce death in children and elderly people? - ANSWER✔️O157: H7
E.Coli is commonly found in what types of food? - ANSWER✔️Ground beef, raw fruits/veggies,
unpasteurized juices (i.e. apple cider)
What type of bacteria is especially found in poultry and eggs including their shells, in human
intestines, and in domestic and wild animals? - ANSWER✔️Salmonella
How is salmonella killed in poultry? - ANSWER✔️By cooking it to an internal temperature of
165 degrees F for 15 seconds
What type of bacteria can form spores and can grow without oxygen, making it a type of
anaerobic bacteria? - ANSWER✔️Chlostridium botulinum
What type of illness can affect the central nervous system? - ANSWER✔️Chlostridium
botulinum
Clostridium Botulinum is found in? - ANSWER✔️Soil, lakes, human intestines, fish, swollen
cans, vacuum packed foods, smoked meats
