Michigan Food Safety Management Practice Test

True or False: Cooking can be used to destroy pathogenic organisms.

1. True

2. False

3. Not applicable

4. Partly true

The correct answer is: True

Cooking is an essential method for ensuring food safety, as it effectively destroys pathogenic organisms that can cause foodborne illnesses. When food is cooked to the appropriate temperature for the required amount of time, it denatures proteins and disrupts cell structures of bacteria and viruses, reducing their viability. Many pathogens, including bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, are killed at specific temperatures; for instance, cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 165°F is sufficient to eliminate these harmful organisms. Using cooking as a method for food safety is grounded in the principles of thermal lethality, which refers to the ability of heat to kill microorganisms. This is why it is critical for food handlers to be knowledgeable about proper cooking temperatures and techniques to ensure that all food served is safe for consumption.