Which method is commonly used to control physical hazards in food processing?

• A. Use of acid wash only.
• B. Employee color-coded uniforms.
• C. Metal detection, sieving, sortation, and inspection.
• D. Temperature-only storage.

Answer: (C)

Controlling physical hazards in food processing relies on detecting and removing foreign materials from the product stream. This is why metal detection, sieving, sortation, and inspection are used—they directly intercept contaminants such as metal fragments, broken glass, stones, or plastic before the product is finished. Metal detectors catch metal pieces; sieving and sortation separate or reject materials by size or type; inspections provide an additional checkpoint to catch anything that slips through. Other options don’t address physical contaminants: an acid wash is a sanitation step, color-coded uniforms relate to hygiene and accountability rather than removing hazards, and temperature-only storage tackles microbial safety, not physical objects.