Step 1: Understanding food hazards.
Food hazards are harmful agents that can contaminate food and cause illness. They are generally classified into three major categories: physical hazards, chemical hazards, and biological (microbiological) hazards. Biological hazards include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi.
Step 2: Understanding Rotavirus.
Rotavirus is a virus that causes severe diarrhea and gastrointestinal infection, particularly in infants and young children. Since viruses are microscopic organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye, contamination by such pathogens falls under microbiological hazards.
Step 3: Comparison with options.
- (A) Physical hazard: Incorrect. Physical hazards include foreign objects like glass, metal pieces, or stones in food.
- (B) Visible biological hazard: Incorrect. Viruses like rotavirus are not visible to the naked eye.
- (C) Invisible microbiological hazard: Correct. Rotavirus is a microorganism and causes an invisible microbiological food hazard.
- (D) Chemical hazard: Incorrect. Chemical hazards involve harmful chemicals such as pesticides or cleaning agents.
Step 4: Conclusion.
Therefore, if food is contaminated with rotavirus, it results in an invisible microbiological hazard.
Final Answer: Invisible microbiological hazard.