⚠️ Common Exam Mistake
A lot of candidates fall for the trap in this question. Don't be one of them.
An auditor at a fresh-cut melon processor finds elevated positive Listeria results from the environmental monitoring program clustered in the packaging room. During the walkthrough, the auditor also notes that a hand-washing sink near the packaging room entrance has been out of service for over a week, hairnet use is inconsistently enforced among packaging staff, and a single unrelated refrigeration temperature excursion occurred earlier that month in a different room. Which finding is MOST directly responsible for the Listeria results, given the evidence presented?
1️⃣ The unrelated refrigeration temperature excursion that occurred in a different room earlier that month
2️⃣ The out-of-service hand-washing sink and inconsistent hairnet enforcement, reflecting a GMP personal hygiene program lapse in the affected room
3️⃣ A gap in the plant's calibration program, since an inaccurate thermometer could mask the true extent of the contamination
4️⃣ A gap in the plant's waste management program, since improperly stored waste can harbor and spread Listeria within a facility
👀 Think about it before you scroll for the answer...
✅ Correct answer: 2) The out-of-service hand-washing sink and inconsistent hairnet enforcement, reflecting a GMP personal hygiene program lapse in the affected room
The hygiene-specific evidence located in the same room as the positives \(a nonfunctional hand-washing sink, inconsistent hairnet use\) directly points to a GMP personal hygiene lapse as the most likely contributor, while the refrigeration excursion occurred in a different room and is a distractor unrelated to the finding's location. Waste management and equipment calibration are real prerequisite programs but nothing in the scenario ties them to the Listeria results. BoK Topic: C.1 Foundations for a Food Safety and HACCP System. Cognitive Level: Analyze.
💡 Exam tip: In root-cause Analyze questions, match the evidence's physical location and nature to the deficiency — don't default to whichever prerequisite program sounds most serious.
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August 27, 2026 30
