Food Poisoning Prevention Quiz

How Much Do You REALLY Know about Food Poisoning Prevention?

People tend to believe that food poisoning is not all that common, and that when it happens it gets front-page headlines like the great "Spinach Scare" in the news recently. So you might be surprised to learn that food poisoning incidents are actually quite common.

Food poisoning occurs when people eat food that has been contaminated with bacteria (such as the E. Coli found on the fresh spinach in Sept 2006 across the U.S.) or other toxins. In most cases, the symptoms of food poisoning include severe gastrointestinal distress, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. In fact, sometimes when people believe that they are suffering from a "stomach bug" or "stomach flu," they are actually suffering from food poisoning. In some cases, the poisoning can even be fatal.

That's why it pays to be versed in how to recognize signs of food poisoning. This test -- with correct answers provided at the end -- will help. Please pass it on to others who can benefit as well.

1.

When you are cooking food, the cooking temperature (in Fahrenheit degrees) of the food should always be:

A



125 degrees or higher

B



200 degrees or higher

C



165 degrees or higher

D



220 degrees or higher

2.

It is perfectly fine to eat mushrooms that you find in the wild.

A



Strongly agree

B



Agree

C



Disagree

D



Strongly disagree

3.

It is never okay for food to be sitting out at room temperature for over:

A



Twenty minutes

B



45 minutes

C



One hour

D



Two hours

4.

If you want to cook something, but you have an open cut on your hand, you should:

A



Cover it up with rubber gloves or a clean bandage beforehand

B



Postpone preparing the food until the cut is fully healed, and ask someone else to do it

C



Don't worry about it at all; just cook without covering it up

D



Try to cook one-handed

5.

When it comes to eating seafood:

A



It's okay to collect and eat it at any time of year

B



It's not a problem to collect it from contaminated waters

C



It's okay to ignore seafood allergies

D



It should never be collected from contaminated waters, and it is not meant to be collected and then eaten out of season

6.

When it comes to caring for your dishrags and kitchen sponges, they ought to be washed:

A



Very frequently

B



Quite frequently

C



Somewhat frequently

D



Rarely

Previous Next

7.

The best way to clean your kitchen counters before and after food preparation is:

A



With a dry paper towel

B



With a damp paper towel

C



With hot, soapy water and perhaps even a very diluted bleach solution

D



With straight bleach

8.

The temperature of your refrigerator should always be below:

A



55 degrees

B



40 degrees

C



35 degrees

D



32 degrees

9.

It is particularly important to be very careful when handling the following types of food, as they may contain Salmonella bacteria:

A



Fruit

B



Raw poultry, raw meats, and eggs

C



Juice

D



Bread

10.

When you thaw frozen meat, it is best to do it:

A



In the fridge or the microwave

B



By laying it on the counter overnight

C



By laying it on the counter for a few hours

D



By resting it in the sink for about half a day

11.

You ought to wash your hands thoroughly before and after food preparation.

A



Strongly agree

B



Agree

C



Disagree

D



Strongly disagree

12.

The people who are most vulnerable to food poisoning are:

A



All of us

B



The very young, the elderly, and those who suffer from chronic illnesses

C



People in their twenties

D



People in their thirties