Which statement about foodborne viruses is true?

Which statement about foodborne viruses is true?

• A. They are larger than bacteria
• B. They don't grow on food
• C. They multiply on food to high numbers
• D. They are visible on food

Answer: (B)

Viruses can’t reproduce on their own—they need living host cells to replicate. On food, there aren’t host cells for a virus to infect, so the number of viruses does not increase; they may be present but don’t grow or multiply there. Additionally, viruses are much smaller than bacteria and are not visible to the naked eye. So the true statement is that viruses don’t grow on food.

Viruses can’t reproduce on their own—they need living host cells to replicate. On food, there aren’t host cells for a virus to infect, so the number of viruses does not increase; they may be present but don’t grow or multiply there. Additionally, viruses are much smaller than bacteria and are not visible to the naked eye. So the true statement is that viruses don’t grow on food.