Food Manager Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

Question 1

A prep cook is diagnosed with Hepatitis A after working three days while experiencing fatigue and nausea but no jaundice yet. Which action is MOST appropriate for the person in charge?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Exclude the employee from the operation and notify the regulatory authority. Hepatitis A is one of the Big 6 highly contagious pathogens requiring immediate exclusion from the operation (not merely restriction), and the regulatory authority must be notified because the illness is reportable under FDA Food Code 2-201.12.

Question 2

Which pathogen is uniquely hazardous among common foodborne organisms because it can grow and multiply at refrigeration temperatures as low as 32°F (0°C), making cold storage alone an insufficient control for contaminated ready-to-eat deli meats and soft cheeses?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes is psychrotrophic and can multiply at refrigeration temperatures (32°F/0°C and above), which is why time-temperature controls during cold storage are insufficient safeguards for Listeria-contaminated ready-to-eat products.

Question 3

A guest informs a server that they have a severe tree nut allergy. The kitchen uses shared fryers for items containing cashews and plain french fries. What is the BEST response?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Advise the guest that fries cannot be guaranteed allergen-free due to shared fryer cross-contact. Cooking does not destroy allergen proteins, and shared fryer oil transfers allergenic residues; the operation must honestly disclose the cross-contact risk so the guest can make an informed decision, consistent with FDA allergen communication standards.

Question 4

A foodborne illness cluster is traced to a restaurant where a server with no gastrointestinal symptoms handled bread rolls. Stool cultures confirm the server is an asymptomatic carrier of Salmonella Typhi. Under FDA Food Code, this employee must be:

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Excluded from the operation until cleared by a medical practitioner or health authority. Salmonella Typhi is one of the Big 6 pathogens; even asymptomatic carriers must be fully excluded from the operation (not merely restricted) under FDA Food Code 2-201.12 due to the high risk of fecal-oral transmission.

Question 5

Which of the following was added as the ninth major food allergen in the United States under the FASTER Act of 2021?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Sesame. The FASTER Act (2021) added sesame as the ninth major allergen, joining milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans as required label disclosures on packaged foods.

Question 6

A large pot of beef stew is placed into an ice-water bath after service. After 2 hours, a probe thermometer reads 75°F (24°C). What should the person in charge do?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Discard the stew because the 2-hour cooling milestone of 70°F was not met. FDA Food Code requires food to cool from 135°F to 70°F within the first 2 hours; if 70°F is not reached within that window, the food has failed the first stage of the two-stage cooling requirement and must be discarded.

Question 7

Norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S. Which characteristic makes it especially difficult to control compared to most bacterial pathogens?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

It requires fewer than 20 viral particles to cause infection and can persist on surfaces for weeks. Norovirus has an extremely low infectious dose (as few as 18 viral particles) and can persist on hard surfaces for days to weeks; unlike bacteria, it does not replicate in food, but infectious quantities are deposited during handling by ill workers.

Question 8

Which of the Big 6 pathogens is primarily spread via the fecal-oral route through infected food handlers and has such a low infectious dose (as few as 10 organisms) that poor hand hygiene is the critical control point?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Shigella spp.. Shigella spp. is one of the Big 6 pathogens with a very low infectious dose; outbreaks are overwhelmingly linked to infected food handlers failing to practice proper handwashing, making it a key reason for excluding ill workers.

Question 9

A caterer vacuum-seals cooked salmon and stores it at 38°F. After 12 days the fish appears and smells normal, but a guest develops descending paralysis. Which organism and mechanism BEST explains this outcome?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type E, which grows at near-refrigeration temperatures and produces toxin without spoilage signs. Non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum type E can grow and produce lethal neurotoxin at temperatures as low as 38°F in oxygen-reduced environments without producing off-odors or visible spoilage, which is why vacuum-packed fish is a regulated reduced-oxygen packaging concern under FDA Food Code.

Question 10

During an inspection, glass cleaner is stored on a shelf directly above commercially packaged dry pasta. This situation represents which type of contamination hazard?

TheoryPractice · Accepted Answer

Chemical contamination from improper storage of toxic compounds above food. Storing chemicals above food items risks chemical contamination through spills or drips; FDA Food Code requires toxic materials to be stored separately from and never above food, equipment, or single-use articles.

Food Manager Exam Questions & Answers 2026 (1–10)

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