Final answer:
A food handler should use a cool water bath to quickly and safely cool a stockpot of clam chowder, ensuring rapid temperature reduction to prevent bacterial growth and foodborne illnesses.
Step-by-step explanation:
A food handler can cool a stockpot of clam chowder by placing it into a cool water bath. The correct answer is c) Cool water bath. This method helps to bring down the temperature of the chowder quickly and safely. It is often recommended to rapidly cool a large quantity of soup or chowder before storing it in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of bacteria. By cooling in a water bath, the soup is brought down to a safe temperature range more quickly than it would be in the refrigerator or freezer. This rapid cooling process helps to ensure food safety and reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
The incubation period for a foodborne disease is typically shorter when the agent is a toxin compared to when it is a microorganism. Toxins act immediately, causing symptoms to appear quickly, while microorganisms like bacteria or viruses need time to reproduce within the host's system before causing noticeable effects.