Food Allergens and Foodborne Illness for the Food Manager Exam
Updated October 27, 2026
Food protection manager exams test two related ideas: keeping customers safe from food allergens, and preventing foodborne illness, including by keeping sick employees away from food. Here’s what to know, followed by free practice questions.
The 9 major food allergens (U.S.)
- Milk
- Eggs
- Fish
- Crustacean shellfish (such as shrimp, crab and lobster)
- Tree nuts
- Peanuts
- Wheat
- Soybeans
- Sesame (added as a major allergen in 2023)
Preventing allergic reactions: know which menu items contain each allergen, tell customers accurately, and prevent cross-contact by using cleaned and sanitized equipment and utensils, separate fryer oil, and fresh gloves.
Pathogens behind serious foodborne illness
The FDA Food Code highlights a group of highly infectious pathogens, sometimes called the “Big 6”:
| Pathogen | Common source |
|---|---|
| Norovirus | Ready-to-eat food and shellfish, often from infected food handlers |
| Hepatitis A | Ready-to-eat food and shellfish, often from infected food handlers |
| Shigella | Food contaminated through the feces of infected people, flies |
| Salmonella Typhi | Ready-to-eat food and beverages, from infected people |
| Nontyphoidal Salmonella | Poultry, eggs, meat, produce |
| Shiga toxin-producing E. coli | Ground beef, contaminated produce |
Employees who are sick
- Food handlers must report illnesses and symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, a sore throat with fever, and infected cuts or wounds.
- A food handler with vomiting or diarrhea must be excluded from the operation.
- A food handler with jaundice, or diagnosed with one of the pathogens above, must be excluded, and some cases must be reported to the local regulatory authority.
Follow the FDA Food Code and your local health department’s rules on when an employee can return.
Free practice questions
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Which of these is one of the 9 major food allergens in the U.S.?Answer: BSesame became the 9th major food allergen in 2023. The others are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.
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A customer says they have a severe peanut allergy. What is the best way to prevent cross-contact?Answer: CPrevent cross-contact by using cleaned and sanitized equipment, fresh gloves and allergen-free ingredients. Removing the allergen from a finished dish doesn't make it safe.
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A food handler has diarrhea. What should the manager do?Answer: DFood handlers with vomiting or diarrhea must be excluded from the operation, because they can spread pathogens such as Norovirus.
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Which pathogen is most often spread by infected food handlers to ready-to-eat food and is highly contagious?Answer: ANorovirus is highly contagious and is often spread to ready-to-eat food by food handlers who don't wash their hands well.
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Shiga toxin-producing E. coli is most commonly linked to:Answer: BShiga toxin-producing E. coli is commonly linked to undercooked ground beef and contaminated produce. Cooking ground beef to 155°F for 17 seconds helps control it.
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A food handler has jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). What should happen?Answer: CJaundice can be a sign of Hepatitis A. The food handler must be excluded, and the case may need to be reported to the local regulatory authority.
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Which bacterium is commonly linked to cooked rice left at room temperature?Answer: DBacillus cereus forms spores that survive cooking and grows in cooked rice and other starches held at the wrong temperature. Cool rice quickly and hold it hot or cold.
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Large pots of gravy or meat that were cooled too slowly are commonly linked to which pathogen?Answer: AClostridium perfringens grows in large batches of cooked meat, poultry and gravy that cool slowly. Cool food from 135°F to 70°F within 2 hours and to 41°F within the next 4.
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Raw oysters from contaminated water are most commonly linked to:Answer: BRaw shellfish such as oysters can carry Vibrio and viruses such as Norovirus from contaminated water. Buy shellfish from approved sources and keep shellstock tags.
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Scombroid poisoning comes from a toxin that forms in fish such as tuna when they're time-temperature abused. Can cooking destroy the toxin?Answer: CHistamine (the scombroid toxin) isn't destroyed by cooking or freezing. The only prevention is buying from approved suppliers and keeping fish at the right temperature.
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Which is a sign of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)?Answer: DAnaphylaxis can cause wheezing, trouble breathing, swelling of the throat or tongue, hives and a drop in blood pressure. Call emergency services immediately.
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Which practice helps keep allergens out of a dish for a customer with a shellfish allergy?Answer: APrevent cross-contact with cleaned and sanitized equipment and utensils, fresh gloves and separate fryer oil, and check ingredient labels for hidden allergens.
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A food handler has a sore throat with fever. What does the FDA Food Code generally require?Answer: BA food handler with a sore throat and fever should be restricted from working with exposed food, utensils and equipment, and excluded if the operation mainly serves a highly susceptible population, such as a hospital or nursing home.
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Which group is considered a highly susceptible population for foodborne illness?Answer: COlder adults, preschool-age children, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious foodborne illness, so extra precautions apply where they're served.
Pass your food manager exam on the first try
- All 171 questions on foodborne illness, hygiene, storage, cooking and cooling, cleaning and HACCP
- An explanation for every answer, with its source, usually the FDA Food Code section
- Unlimited full 80-question practice exams across all six areas