Food Handler Practice Test (Australia) 2026: Practice test 2

Practice test 2 of 2 for the Food Handler Practice Test (Australia): 35 more questions with answers and explanations.

Food safety
Australia
60 questions
Checked October 11, 2026

Question 1 of 35
Under the 2-hour/4-hour rule, food has been between 5°C and 60°C for more than 4 hours. What should you do?
- Throw it out
- Put it in the fridge
- Sell it at a discount
- Reheat it and serve it
Show answer
Answer: A. Throw it out
After more than 4 hours between 5°C and 60°C, the food cannot be sold and must be thrown away.
Question 2 of 35
A tray of sandwiches was out of the fridge for 1 hour at lunch and 2 hours in the afternoon. How long has it been in the 5°C to 60°C range?
- 0 hours, because it went back in the fridge
- 1 hour, because only the first time counts
- 3 hours, because the times add up
- 2 hours, because only the longest time counts
Show answer
Answer: C. 3 hours, because the times add up
The time between 5°C and 60°C is cumulative. Add up every period the food has been out of the fridge.
Question 3 of 35
How accurate must a food business's thermometer be?
- Accurate to within 1°C
- Accuracy does not matter
- Accurate to within 5°C
- Accurate to within 10°C
Show answer
Answer: A. Accurate to within 1°C
Businesses that handle potentially hazardous food must have an easy-to-reach thermometer that is accurate to within 1°C.
Question 4 of 35
How should you check the temperature of a thick piece of cooked chicken?
- Put a clean probe thermometer into the thickest part and wait for the reading to settle
- Touch the surface with your hand
- Read the oven dial only
- Look at the colour of the skin
Show answer
Answer: A. Put a clean probe thermometer into the thickest part and wait for the reading to settle
Place the probe in the thickest part of the food and wait for the reading to settle before recording it.
Question 5 of 35
What is a limit of an infrared (gun) thermometer?
- It cannot be used in a kitchen
- It only reads the surface temperature
- It needs to be pushed into the food
- It only works on frozen food
Show answer
Answer: B. It only reads the surface temperature
Infrared thermometers are good for quick checks but read only the surface. Use a probe for the inside of food.
Question 6 of 35
When should a probe thermometer be cleaned and sanitised?
- Once a month
- Before and after each use
- Only when it looks dirty
- Never, because heat kills germs
Show answer
Answer: B. Before and after each use
Clean and sanitise the probe before and after each use, for example with warm soapy water and an alcohol wipe.
Question 7 of 35
A delivery of chilled meat arrives at 12°C. What is the problem?
- There is no problem
- Chilled food should arrive at 5°C or colder
- Chilled meat must arrive frozen hard
- Chilled food should arrive at 20°C or warmer
Show answer
Answer: B. Chilled food should arrive at 5°C or colder
Check that chilled food is delivered at 5°C or colder and only accept food you are sure is safe.
Question 8 of 35
How should frozen food arrive at a food business?
- Partly thawed
- At room temperature
- Frozen hard
- Fully thawed
Show answer
Answer: C. Frozen hard
FSANZ advises businesses to check frozen food is delivered frozen hard.
Question 9 of 35
What details should a business know about every food delivery?
- The truck's fuel type
- The supplier's name and address
- The driver's home phone number
- The supplier's favourite dish
Show answer
Answer: B. The supplier's name and address
Businesses should be able to identify all food delivered and know the supplier's name and address.
Question 10 of 35
When must a food handler wash their hands?
- After using the toilet
- Only at the start of the day
- Only when their hands look dirty
- Only after the lunch break
Show answer
Answer: A. After using the toilet
Wash hands after using the toilet, before handling food, between raw and ready-to-eat food, and after anything that could dirty them.
Question 11 of 35
For how long should you lather and scrub your hands when washing them?
- Until the water runs warm
- About 2 seconds
- At least 15 seconds
- Exactly 2 minutes
Show answer
Answer: C. At least 15 seconds
Lather with soap and scrub fingers, palms, wrists, backs of hands and under nails for at least 15 seconds.
Question 12 of 35
Which is the correct way for a food handler to dry their hands?
- On a shared tea towel
- On their trousers
- On their apron
- With a single-use towel or a hand dryer
Show answer
Answer: D. With a single-use towel or a hand dryer
After rinsing under warm running water, dry hands thoroughly with a single-use towel or a hand dryer.
Question 13 of 35
Where should food handlers wash their hands?
- In a bucket of mop water
- Only at the sink provided for hand washing
- In the dishwashing sink
- In the sink used for washing vegetables
Show answer
Answer: B. Only at the sink provided for hand washing
Use only the basin provided for hand washing, so it stays clean and is always ready to use.
Question 14 of 35
A food handler sneezes into their hands. What should they do before touching food again?
- Wash and dry their hands
- Carry on, because sneezing is natural
- Wipe their hands on their apron
- Put on more perfume
Show answer
Answer: A. Wash and dry their hands
Hands must be washed after coughing, sneezing, using a tissue, eating, smoking or touching the hair, scalp or nose.
Question 15 of 35
How should ready-to-eat food be handled?
- With bare hands, so you can feel it
- With a used tea towel
- With tongs or gloves, not bare hands
- With the same tongs used for raw meat
Show answer
Answer: C. With tongs or gloves, not bare hands
Do not touch ready-to-eat food with bare hands. Use tongs or gloves.
Question 16 of 35
Why should food handlers tie back long hair and remove loose jewellery?
- So the hair dries faster
- Because it is a fire rule only
- To look good for customers
- So hair and jewellery cannot touch or fall into food
Show answer
Answer: D. So hair and jewellery cannot touch or fall into food
Keep hair, clothes, jewellery and phones from touching food or food surfaces.
Question 17 of 35
Which of these must food handlers NOT do over food or food surfaces?
- Wash their hands nearby at the hand basin
- Sneeze, cough, spit or smoke
- Use clean tongs
- Wear clean clothes
Show answer
Answer: B. Sneeze, cough, spit or smoke
Do not eat, spit, smoke, sneeze, blow or cough over food or surfaces that touch food.
Question 18 of 35
A food handler thinks they have gastro. What should they do?
- Wear a mask and keep cooking
- Only serve drinks
- Tell their supervisor and stop handling food
- Work as normal but wash hands more
Show answer
Answer: C. Tell their supervisor and stop handling food
Food handlers who know or think they have a foodborne illness must tell their supervisor and not handle food.
Question 19 of 35
After vomiting or diarrhoea, when can a food handler usually go back to handling food?
- One hour after the last symptom
- When a doctor says they are well enough, usually 48 hours after symptoms stop
- Straight away if they feel fine
- At the start of their next shift, whatever happens
Show answer
Answer: B. When a doctor says they are well enough, usually 48 hours after symptoms stop
FSANZ advises returning only when a doctor says you are well enough, usually 48 hours after symptoms stop.
Question 20 of 35
What are the three main types of food contamination?
- Biological, chemical and physical
- Hot, cold and warm
- Raw, cooked and frozen
- Sweet, salty and sour
Show answer
Answer: A. Biological, chemical and physical
Food can be contaminated by germs (biological), substances like cleaning products (chemical) or objects like glass or hair (physical).
Question 21 of 35
Which is an example of physical contamination?
- A piece of broken glass in a salad
- Mould on bread
- Detergent left on a plate
- Bacteria in undercooked chicken
Show answer
Answer: A. A piece of broken glass in a salad
Physical contamination is a foreign object in food, such as glass, metal, plastic, hair or a bandage.
Question 22 of 35
Which is an example of chemical contamination?
- Cleaning spray getting onto food
- A stone in a bag of rice
- Salmonella in raw egg
- A hair in soup
Show answer
Answer: A. Cleaning spray getting onto food
Chemical contamination comes from substances such as cleaning products or pesticides getting into food.
Question 23 of 35
In a fridge, where should raw meat be stored?
- Uncovered, next to salads
- On the top shelf with desserts
- Covered, below ready-to-eat food
- Above ready-to-eat food
Show answer
Answer: C. Covered, below ready-to-eat food
Storing raw meat covered and below ready-to-eat food stops juices dripping onto food that will not be cooked again.
Question 24 of 35
You cut raw chicken on a board. What must you do before cutting salad on it?
- Turn it over and use the other side
- Rinse it in cold water for a second
- Clean and sanitise the board, or use a separate board
- Wipe it with a dry cloth
Show answer
Answer: C. Clean and sanitise the board, or use a separate board
Raw meat can spread bacteria to ready-to-eat food. Clean and sanitise equipment, or use separate boards and knives.
Question 25 of 35
Where should cleaning chemicals be stored?
- Away from food, in labelled containers
- In the fridge with the food
- On the shelf above the food
- In empty drink bottles
Show answer
Answer: A. Away from food, in labelled containers
Keeping chemicals labelled and away from food prevents chemical contamination.
Question 26 of 35
What is the difference between cleaning and sanitising?
- Cleaning is only needed once a week
- They mean exactly the same thing
- Cleaning removes dirt and grease; sanitising destroys germs
- Sanitising removes grease; cleaning kills germs
Show answer
Answer: C. Cleaning removes dirt and grease; sanitising destroys germs
Cleaning removes dirt, grease and food waste. Sanitising destroys microorganisms.
Question 27 of 35
In what order should you clean and sanitise a food contact surface?
- Clean first, then sanitise
- Sanitise first, then clean
- Clean only
- Sanitise only
Show answer
Answer: A. Clean first, then sanitise
FSANZ says you need to clean items before you sanitise them.
Question 28 of 35
Which method can sanitise utensils using heat?
- Drying them with a tea towel
- Rinsing them in warm tap water for 1 second
- Soaking them in very hot water at 77°C for 30 seconds
- Leaving them in the sun
Show answer
Answer: C. Soaking them in very hot water at 77°C for 30 seconds
Heat sanitising can be done by soaking items in water at 77°C for 30 seconds, or in a dishwasher that can sanitise.
Question 29 of 35
After washing and sanitising dishes, what is the best way to dry them?
- Wipe them with an apron
- Shake them and stack them wet
- Dry them with a used tea towel
- Let them air-dry
Show answer
Answer: D. Let them air-dry
FSANZ says air-drying is best after washing and sanitising.
Question 30 of 35
Why must a food business keep pests out?
- Pests make the kitchen too noisy
- It is only a rule for restaurants with gardens
- Pests can carry germs and contaminate food
- Pests only eat rubbish
Show answer
Answer: C. Pests can carry germs and contaminate food
Rats, mice, cockroaches and flies can spread germs to food and surfaces. Report any signs of pests.
Question 31 of 35
Which of these allergens must be declared on food in Australia?
- Sesame
- Rice
- Carrot
- Apple
Show answer
Answer: A. Sesame
Required allergen declarations include peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, sesame, fish, crustacea, mollusc, soy, wheat, lupin and gluten-containing cereals.
Question 32 of 35
Which of these must also be declared as an allergen in Australia?
- Cucumber
- Lupin
- Olive oil
- Potato
Show answer
Answer: B. Lupin
Lupin is one of the allergens that must be declared using its required name.
Question 33 of 35
A customer at a cafe asks if a dish contains peanut. What do the rules say about unpackaged food?
- Staff should guess to save time
- Only packaged food can contain allergens
- There are no allergen rules for unpackaged food
- Allergen information must be shown with the food or given to the customer on request
Show answer
Answer: D. Allergen information must be shown with the food or given to the customer on request
For unpackaged and food service food, allergens must be declared with the food or provided to the customer on request. Check with the cook and never guess.
Question 34 of 35
What does a 'use by' date mean?
- The date the food was made
- The food tastes best before this date but is still fine to sell after it
- The food must be eaten before this date for health or safety reasons and cannot legally be sold after it
- The date the shop received the food
Show answer
Answer: C. The food must be eaten before this date for health or safety reasons and cannot legally be sold after it
Use-by dates are about safety. Food cannot legally be sold after its use-by date.
Question 35 of 35
Can food be sold after its 'best before' date?
- No, never
- Only to food businesses
- Only if it is frozen first
- Yes, if it is still fit for people to eat
Show answer
Answer: D. Yes, if it is still fit for people to eat
Food can legally be sold after its best-before date if it is still fit for human consumption, though quality may be lower.

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