AMSA: Latest Food Safety and
Foodborne Illnesses Exam with
Quality Answers 2026 Updated.
How? - Answer ". . . illnesses acquired by consumption of contaminated food. . ."
Frequently called food "poisoning"
Foodborne Outbreak - Answer "...the occurrence of a similar illness among two or more
people which an investigation has linked to consumption of a common meal or food items,
except for botulism (one case is an outbreak)."
Global Burden - Answer A major cause of morbidity (and sometimes mortality) in the USA
and other countries
Incidence of foodborne illnesses has increased in industrialized nations.
1.5 billion children under 5 suffer from diarrhea, and over 3 million die as a consequence
(worldwide)
Reasons for Prevalence - Answer Climate (warm vs. cold)
Population demographics (e.g., crowding; elderly and infants)
Nutritional status (and immunity)
Cultural aspects (e.g.,...)
Food choices (contaminated meat)
Food preparation (un- or under-cooked meat)
Contributing Factors - Answer *Explosive growth of cities after the Civil War and the
expansion of transportation led to an organized food industry
*Fresh meat and produce became available year-round via refrigerated railcars, trucks, and air
freight
A*dulteration of foodstuffs prevalent in 18th and 19th centuries to maximize profit
*Additives unregulated; colorings and flavorings sometimes poisonous
*Changes in agricultural and food processing methods
*Rearing cattle/poultry (high pop. density)
*Antibiotics
*Use of pesticides/fungicides
Increasing globalization in food distribution
*Human social and behavioral changes
,Fast foods
Longer shelf life
Packaging
Affects / Consequences / Costs - Answer Affects ~33-76 million persons each year
Estimated 9,000 deaths annually
Economic cost of $5 billion annually
Medical costs
Loss of wages/productivity
Product recall
Investigation
Source tracking
Litigation
Multistate outbreak - Answer Multistate Outbreak of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli
O26 Infections Linked to Raw Clover Sprouts at Jimmy John's Restaurants
Surveillance in US - Answer CDC maintains responsibility at the federal level.
FoodNet -CDC Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network
An active system whereby public health officials maintain frequent, direct contact with clinical
laboratory directors to identify new cases of foodborne illness.
Causes of Food Outbreaks - Answer Causes of illness in 1,565 single food commodity
outbreaks, 2003-2008
Agents of Foodborne Morbidity and Mortality - Answer The causative agents and modes of
transmission are known in less than 1% of the severe gastroenteritis cases.
Food Hazard (4 major Categories) - Answer Biological (pathogens, poisonous plant/animal
products)
Physical (e.g., stone, glass, metal, radiation)
Chemical (heavy metals, pesticides, additives)
Nutritional (presence of nutrients and other food constituents in excess or deficient amounts
that lead to disease)
Bacterial Agents - Answer Responsible for 80% of foodborne illness
, Unicellular organisms that have characteristic shapes, e.g., rod-shaped, spherical (cocci), or
spiral.
Salmonella - Answer The infection is called salmonellosis.
*Salmonella bacteria are:
Rod-shaped
Motile
Gram-negative
Non-spore forming
*Most common serotypes in U.S. are:
Salmonella serotype enteritidis
Salmonella serotype typhimurium
*Ranked among the most frequent types of foodborne illness in the U.S.
~2 to 4 million cases of salmonellosis (reported and non-reported) estimated each year in the
U.S.
Causes about 500 deaths each year*
Salmonella Sources - Answer *Endemic in wild and domestic animal reservoirs
*Animals for human consumption—poultry, swine, cattle—may harbor Salmonella.
*Pet animals such as cats, dogs, and turtles also reservoirs for Salmonella
*Some animals and birds are chronic carriers of the bacteria.
Salmonella Transmitted - Answer To environmental surfaces at work and at home (e.g., the
kitchen) from raw meats, poultry, and seafood
Also cross-contamination
From animal feces
From contaminated water and soil
Salmonella Symptoms and Treatment - Answer *Acute symptoms (onset time 6-48 hours)
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal cramps
Diarrhea
Fever
Headache
*Chronic symptoms
Foodborne Illnesses Exam with
Quality Answers 2026 Updated.
How? - Answer ". . . illnesses acquired by consumption of contaminated food. . ."
Frequently called food "poisoning"
Foodborne Outbreak - Answer "...the occurrence of a similar illness among two or more
people which an investigation has linked to consumption of a common meal or food items,
except for botulism (one case is an outbreak)."
Global Burden - Answer A major cause of morbidity (and sometimes mortality) in the USA
and other countries
Incidence of foodborne illnesses has increased in industrialized nations.
1.5 billion children under 5 suffer from diarrhea, and over 3 million die as a consequence
(worldwide)
Reasons for Prevalence - Answer Climate (warm vs. cold)
Population demographics (e.g., crowding; elderly and infants)
Nutritional status (and immunity)
Cultural aspects (e.g.,...)
Food choices (contaminated meat)
Food preparation (un- or under-cooked meat)
Contributing Factors - Answer *Explosive growth of cities after the Civil War and the
expansion of transportation led to an organized food industry
*Fresh meat and produce became available year-round via refrigerated railcars, trucks, and air
freight
A*dulteration of foodstuffs prevalent in 18th and 19th centuries to maximize profit
*Additives unregulated; colorings and flavorings sometimes poisonous
*Changes in agricultural and food processing methods
*Rearing cattle/poultry (high pop. density)
*Antibiotics
*Use of pesticides/fungicides
Increasing globalization in food distribution
*Human social and behavioral changes
,Fast foods
Longer shelf life
Packaging
Affects / Consequences / Costs - Answer Affects ~33-76 million persons each year
Estimated 9,000 deaths annually
Economic cost of $5 billion annually
Medical costs
Loss of wages/productivity
Product recall
Investigation
Source tracking
Litigation
Multistate outbreak - Answer Multistate Outbreak of Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli
O26 Infections Linked to Raw Clover Sprouts at Jimmy John's Restaurants
Surveillance in US - Answer CDC maintains responsibility at the federal level.
FoodNet -CDC Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network
An active system whereby public health officials maintain frequent, direct contact with clinical
laboratory directors to identify new cases of foodborne illness.
Causes of Food Outbreaks - Answer Causes of illness in 1,565 single food commodity
outbreaks, 2003-2008
Agents of Foodborne Morbidity and Mortality - Answer The causative agents and modes of
transmission are known in less than 1% of the severe gastroenteritis cases.
Food Hazard (4 major Categories) - Answer Biological (pathogens, poisonous plant/animal
products)
Physical (e.g., stone, glass, metal, radiation)
Chemical (heavy metals, pesticides, additives)
Nutritional (presence of nutrients and other food constituents in excess or deficient amounts
that lead to disease)
Bacterial Agents - Answer Responsible for 80% of foodborne illness
, Unicellular organisms that have characteristic shapes, e.g., rod-shaped, spherical (cocci), or
spiral.
Salmonella - Answer The infection is called salmonellosis.
*Salmonella bacteria are:
Rod-shaped
Motile
Gram-negative
Non-spore forming
*Most common serotypes in U.S. are:
Salmonella serotype enteritidis
Salmonella serotype typhimurium
*Ranked among the most frequent types of foodborne illness in the U.S.
~2 to 4 million cases of salmonellosis (reported and non-reported) estimated each year in the
U.S.
Causes about 500 deaths each year*
Salmonella Sources - Answer *Endemic in wild and domestic animal reservoirs
*Animals for human consumption—poultry, swine, cattle—may harbor Salmonella.
*Pet animals such as cats, dogs, and turtles also reservoirs for Salmonella
*Some animals and birds are chronic carriers of the bacteria.
Salmonella Transmitted - Answer To environmental surfaces at work and at home (e.g., the
kitchen) from raw meats, poultry, and seafood
Also cross-contamination
From animal feces
From contaminated water and soil
Salmonella Symptoms and Treatment - Answer *Acute symptoms (onset time 6-48 hours)
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal cramps
Diarrhea
Fever
Headache
*Chronic symptoms
