Certified Professional Food Manager (CPFM) Practice Test

The correct response is identified because preservatives do not fall into the category of biological contaminants. Biological contaminants include living organisms that can cause foodborne illnesses, which is the classification that viruses, parasites, and fungi belong to. Viruses are microscopic infectious agents that can only replicate inside the living cells of an organism and are a major concern in food safety. Parasites are organisms that live on or in a host and can cause harm while deriving nourishment, and they can be transmitted through contaminated food or water. Fungi, which includes molds and yeasts, can spoil food and produce toxins that are harmful to human health. In contrast, preservatives are substances added to food to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life, acting primarily as chemical agents rather than biological entities. Thus, they do not represent a type of biological contamination, clarifying why this choice is the correct answer to the question.