Question

Everyone shops for, prepares, or eats food. That's why it's so important to follow the basics of food safety. Harmful bacteria that may be present in food can cause foodborne illness when the food is eaten.
Foodborne illness can affect anyone at any time, but certain people are more likely to get sick from foodborne bacteria. And once they're sick, they face the risk of serious health problems, even death. Such at-risk people include: pregnant women, young children, people with chronic illnesses and weakened immune systems, and older adults. Also, underlying illnesses such as diabetes, some cancer treatments, and kidney disease may increase a person's risk of foodborne illness.
All along the food chain, food safety experts are working to keep our food safe on the farm, through the processing plant, during transportation, and at the supermarket and restaurant. Once you take food home from the supermarket and restaurant, you also have an important role to play.
To fight the bacteria that cause foodborne illness, follow four steps. Clean by washing hands and surfaces. Separate foods to avoid cross-contamination. Refrigerate foods promptly and cook foods to proper temperature.






Passage 2


Jorge A. Hernandez's View on Food Safety
excerpt from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration


In the following passage, Jorge A. Hernandez, R.S., Vice President of Safety and Quality Assurance for U.S. Foodservice, speaks about food safety:


Being from a third world country and having a degree in medical sciences, I became acutely aware of foodborne diseases and the suffering and death they cause—especially among the most vulnerable populations: children, the elderly and the immune-compromised. They are unnecessary diseases, as they are 100 percent preventable. When I came to the United States, I learned that no country is invulnerable to these diseases, and that 5,000 people die and millions are ravaged by these diseases in the United States every year. So, after college I decided to work in the environmental health field and to focus my career in improving the safety of food. Whether working for government or industry, that focus has been my guiding principle.

3Question 3
Select the correct note.
After reading the passages, students were asked to summarize the key ideas of each. Which student note shows the best comprehension?

Answer 1

Passage 1 (food-safety basics)
- Foodborne bacteria can make anyone sick, but pregnant women, young children, older adults, and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness or death.
- Food-safety work happens at every stage (farm → processing → transport → stores/restaurants), but consumers also have responsibility at home.
- Four key prevention steps: Clean (hands/surfaces), Separate (avoid cross-contamination), Cook to proper temperatures, Refrigerate promptly.

Passage 2 (Jorge A. Hernandez)
- Hernandez, from a developing country with a medical-science background, saw how preventable foodborne diseases cause suffering—especially for vulnerable groups.
- He stresses these diseases are 100% preventable, notes the US still has serious problems (about 5,000 deaths and millions ill yearly), and chose a career in environmental health/food safety (government and industry) to reduce this harm.