Certified Dietary Manager (CDM) Practice Exam

What is foodborne intoxication?

1. An illness from active pathogens

2. An illness from surviving bacteria

3. An illness from toxins produced by dead bacteria

4. An illness from food waiting to be prepared

The correct answer is: An illness from toxins produced by dead bacteria

Foodborne intoxication refers specifically to illnesses caused by consuming food that contains toxins, which are often produced by certain bacteria. These toxins can be harmful or even deadly, and they can remain in food even after the bacteria that produced them have been killed. This is important to understand because the illness occurs not due to an infection from actively growing pathogenic bacteria, but rather from the ingestion of harmful substances that bacteria have already produced. In contrast, illnesses caused by active pathogens would fall under the category of foodborne infections, which occur when living bacteria are ingested and then multiply within the intestines. Surviving bacteria suggests their presence in food, but does not indicate the critical factor of toxin presence necessary for foodborne intoxication. The statement regarding food waiting to be prepared is unrelated to the definition of foodborne intoxication; it is more about food handling rather than the actual cause of illness. Thus, the most accurate definition of foodborne intoxication is indeed the presence of toxins from bacteria that have already died.