California eFoodHandlers Practice Exam

Keeping food safe is the most important responsibility of a food worker. Which of these is NOT an example of keeping food safe?

1. Cooking food to the right temperature

2. When you are sick, wear gloves to make sure you do not contaminate the food

3. Avoiding cross-contamination

4. Regularly washing your hands

The correct answer is: When you are sick, wear gloves to make sure you do not contaminate the food

One way to understand why the other options are incorrect is to think about the main goal of keeping food safe, which is to prevent foodborne illnesses. Cooking food to the right temperature ensures that any harmful bacteria is killed off. Avoiding cross-contamination prevents bacteria from spreading to other foods. Regularly washing your hands reduces the likelihood of introducing contaminants to the food. However, wearing gloves while sick does not eliminate the risk of contamination, as the germs can still transfer from the gloves to the food. In fact, in some cases, wearing gloves can actually increase the risk of cross-contamination if proper glove-changing and hand-washing protocols are not followed. Therefore, B is the correct answer as it is not an effective way to keep food safe.