Illinois Food Service License Practice Test

What are five common mistakes that can lead to foodborne illness?

1. Overheating food

2. Improper garnishing

3. Failure to refrigerate leftovers

4. Purchasing food from unsafe sources

The correct answer is: Purchasing food from unsafe sources

Identifying common mistakes that can lead to foodborne illness is crucial in ensuring food safety. The correct choice highlights one of the fundamental principles of food safety: source control. Purchasing food from unsafe sources can introduce contaminants or unsafe food handling practices before the food even arrives in your kitchen. This can include sourcing from vendors who do not adhere to proper health regulations, which increases the risk of foodborne illnesses significantly. While other options touch on important food safety practices, they pertain more to handling and storing food rather than sourcing. For example, failure to refrigerate leftovers is certainly a critical mistake as it can allow harmful bacteria to grow, but it occurs after the food has already been procured. Similarly, issues such as overheating food or improper garnishing are related to preparation and presentation, which, while important, do not directly address the initial safety of the ingredients themselves. Focusing on where and how food is purchased is the first line of defense against foodborne illness.