Ontario Food Handler Certification Practice Exam

What type of physical hazards in food can cause issues ranging from small cuts to choking?

1. Dirt, hair, nails, bits of metal

2. Insects, glass, plastic, wood

3. Molds, mildew, spoiled food, chemical residues

4. Burns, bruises, lacerations, fractures

The correct answer is: Dirt, hair, nails, bits of metal

The correct choice highlights physical hazards that are commonly found in food and can lead to injuries such as cuts or choking. Items like dirt, hair, nails, and bits of metal are examples of potentially dangerous contaminants that can inadvertently make their way into food products during preparation, processing, or serving. When these physical hazards are present in food, they pose a direct risk to consumers, from minor injuries, like cuts from sharp metal fragments, to severe situations such as choking on larger pieces. Other groups listed do not represent the same kind of hazards effectively. Insects, glass, plastic, and wood can also be dangerous, but they do not cover the same breadth of common physical contaminants typically encountered in food handling. Molds, mildew, spoiled food, and chemical residues relate more to biological and chemical hazards rather than physical hazards. Finally, burns, bruises, lacerations, and fractures describe types of injuries rather than hazards in food itself, further ensuring that they do not fit the question's criteria.