Food Spoilage & Contamination is one of 9 topics in the Grade 11 Consumer Studies CAPS syllabus, covered across 3 lessons on Study Vault. Below are real practice questions from this topic with full worked answers.
Sample practice questions
Easy
1. Which type of micro-organism typically appears as a fuzzy growth on the surface of food?
Mould
Bacteria
Yeast
Enzymes
Answer: Mould — Mould is a type of fungus that typically appears as a fuzzy growth on the surface of food, and can be visually identified more easily than bacteria.
Easy
2. Which micro-organism is essential for bread-making and brewing through fermentation, producing carbon dioxide and alcohol?
Yeast
Bacteria
Mould
Viruses
Answer: Yeast — Yeast, a type of fungus, is essential for fermentation processes like bread-making and brewing, producing carbon dioxide (making bread rise) and alcohol.
Medium
3. Name the approximate temperature range (in degrees Celsius) often called the "danger zone", in which most micro-organisms grow fastest in food.
Answer: 5 to 60 degrees Celsius — Most micro-organisms grow fastest in the "danger zone" of roughly 5 to 60 degrees Celsius, which is why food safety practices emphasise keeping food outside this range.
