Question

A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect is known as

• A. Food-borne illness
• B. Suitability
• C. Contaminant
• D. Hazard

Hint:

In food safety language: A \textbf{Hazard} is the {thing} that can hurt you ({e.g., Salmonella} bacteria). The \textbf{Risk} is the {chance} it will hurt you. The \textbf{Illness} is what happens if it {does} hurt you.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Analyze the definition provided in the question. The question defines something as an "agent... with the potential to cause an adverse health effect". The key phrase here is "potential to cause harm".
Step 2: Compare this with the definitions of the options.

Food-borne illness: This is the {result} or sickness caused by consuming contaminated food, not the agent itself.
Suitability: This refers to whether a food is acceptable for consumption, a much broader term.
Contaminant: This is a substance that is not intentionally added to food. While many contaminants are hazards, the term "hazard" is more precise for something with the potential to cause harm. For example, a piece of plastic is a contaminant and a physical hazard.
Hazard: In food safety (specifically in the context of HACCP - Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), a hazard is defined precisely as a biological, chemical, or physical agent that is reasonably likely to cause illness or injury in the absence of its control. This perfectly matches the question's definition. \end{itemize}