ServSafe CH 6-10

When checking a shipment of fresh salmon filets, a food handler notices that the flesh is soft and leaves an imprint when touched. What should be done with the flesh?

Reject the fish

Which item should be rejected?

Bags of organic cookies in torn packaging.

What must be done with live oysters received at an air temperature of 45F?

They must be cooled to 41F or lower.

A food handler notices that a shipment of fresh meat appears to be dry. What should be done with the meat?

Reject the meat

Where should a manager check to find recall notices?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

A can has a deep dent, but no product is leaking from it. What should be done with the can?

It should be rejected

Which agency subjects suppliers to food safety inspections?

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

What are Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as defined by the FDA?

Requirements for producing safe food

Meat must be purchased from plants inspected by what government agency?

US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

How long must shell stock tags be kept on file?

90 days after the last shellfish was sold or served from the container

At what minimum temperature must hot TCS food be received?

135F

What must be done after receiving a key drop delivery?

The delivery must be inspected.

A shipment of whole chickens has been received with dark wing tips and a purple color around the neck. What should be done with the chickens?

Reject the chickens

Where should a manager check to find recall notices?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

A recall has been issued for a specific brand of orange juice. The store manager has matched the information from the recall notice to the item, removed the item from inventory, and stored it in a secure location. What should the manager do next?

Label the item to prevent it from accidentally being placed back in inventory.

An approved supplier:

can show you their inspection report.

Documentation received with fish that will be eaten raw must state:

that the fish were correctly frozen.

Should employees be cross-trained so more people have the skills to receive deliveries?

No, specific staff should be responsible for receiving.

What is the meaning of large ice crystals on frozen food?

The product has thawed and been refrozen.

At what internal temperature should cold TCS food be received?

41F or lower

What is the most important factor in choosing an approved food supplier?

It has been inspected and complies with local, state, and federal laws.

An inspection stamp on meat indicates that:

the product has met standards.

Fish that will be farm-raised must meet the standards of what agency?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Beef that has been received is bright cherry red and has flesh that springs back when touched. What should be done with the beef?

Accept the beef

What should be done with a shipment of fresh clams that have a slight seaweed smell?

Accept the clams

How should the temperature of a shipment of sour cream be taken when it arrives at an operation?

Remove the lid of a container and put the thermometer stem into the sour cream.

What must a manager do with a recalled food item in the operation?

Store the recalled item separately from other food.

What should an employee do if two food deliveries arrive at the same time?

Inspect and store one delivery before accepting another.

A food item that is received with an expired use-by date should be:

rejected.

At what maximum temperature can shell eggs be received?

45F

A product’s “best by” date states when it should be:

eaten for peak quality.

At what maximum temperature can milk be received?

45F

When receiving a delivery of food for an operation, it is important to:

inspect all food immediately before storing it.

A chef purchases fresh fish from a local fisherman. Is this an approved supplier?

No, the fisherman is not inspected.

Ready-to-eat TCS food must be date marked if it will be stored for longer than:

24 hours

A chef is preparing a dish that includes beef and pork. If the beef has a use-by date of September 4 and the pork has a use-by date of September 6, what is the discard date of the dish?

September 4

Any item not stored in its original container must be:

labeled.

What should be done to help keep frozen food safe in a freezer?

Defrost the freezer on a regular basis.

What items are stored correctly in a cooler?

Raw shrimp stored above raw steak

Where should dirty linens be stored?

In nonabsorbent containers

Which is a best practice for storing flour?

Check packaging for pest damage before using.

What should be done to keep fresh produce safe when storing it?

Store cut produce at 41F or lower

A manager asks a food handler to put away a shipment of whole potatoes. What should the food handler do?

Move the potatoes to a cool dry storage area.

A chef wants to package and sell their signature barbeque sauce on-site. What information must they include on their labels to make the sauce acceptable for retail sale?

Chemical preservatives

Why should overloading coolers be avoided?

It reduces airflow.

What is the storage order in a cooler based on?

The internal cooking temperature for each food.

What must be done with food before storing it?

It must be wrapped or covered.

How should food be rotated in storage?

Items with the earliest use-by dates are used before items with later dates.

Which is a best practice for handling canned food in storage?

Wipe the tops of cans with a sanitized cloth before opening.

Where should food that doesn’t require refrigeration be stored?

In a dry location

What is the discard date for tuna salad that was prepared and stored on October 1?

October 7

What should be done to keep single-use items safe in storage?

Keep them in original packaging.

What must be included on the label of food that has not been stored in its original container?

The food’s common name

What is the maximum amount of time that read-to-eat TCS food can be stored in a cooler at 41F before it must be sold, served, or thrown out?

7 days

Where should the air-temperature measuring device be placed in a cooler?

Near the door

Which is an example of reduced-oxygen packaged (ROP) food?

Vacuum-packed deli meat

Which items are stored correctly in a cooler?

Macaroni salad stored above raw salmon.

A food handler needs to combine a new shipment of canned tomatoes with the cans already on the self. If thee new cans have expiration dates of June 2025 and the old cans have expiration dates of January 2026, how should they rotate the cans?

The new cans should go in front of the old cans.

How far off the floor should food be stored?

6 inches (15 centimeters)

What should be done to keep shell eggs safe when storing them?

Keep them in storage until the time they are used.

What should be done to help keep food safe in a walk-in cooler?

Randomly sample food temperature daily.

A food handler took out a hotel pan of tuna salad to make two dozen tuna sandwiches. What error was made?

Too much tuna salad was taken out at one time.

Which practice requires a variance?

Packaging food using a reduced oxygen method.

When slacking food during preparation, the food should never go above what temperature?

41F

What is the required internal temperature for rice that will be hot-held for service?

135F

Which item would be safe to offer on a children’s menu?

Grilled cheese

When partially cooking food, the initial cooking phase should not last longer than:

60 minutes

What temperature must TCS food for immediate service be reheated to?

Any temperature

What is the first step in cooling a large pot of hot meat sauce?

Pour the meat sauce into several smaller containers.

What temperature must partially cooked food reach when it is reheated?

Up to 165F

What guidelines should be followed when handling ice to keep it safe?

Never use ice as an ingredient if it was used to cool food.

Food that has become unsafe should be thrown out unless:

it can be safely reconditioned.

What is the required minimum internal cooking temperature for poultry?

165F or higher for

What should be done if the menu includes TCS items that are raw or undercooked?

It must be noted on the menu.

Eggs were placed in a covered dish and cooked in a microwave oven. Half-way through cooking, the eggs were stirred, and once finished were left to stand for 30 seconds before being checked with a thermometer in two places. What was the mistake?

They were left to stand for 30 seconds after cooking.

How does the density of food affect cooling?

The denser the food, the more slowly it will cook.

When reheating turkey chili for hot holding, what is the minimum temperature that the chili must reach? 

165F for 15 seconds

What temperature must commercially processed and packaged ready-to-eat food be reheated to?

135F

What guidelines should be followed when using additives during food preparation?

Additives must be approved by the regulatory authority.

The two biggest hazards when prepping food are cross-contamination and:

time-temperature abuse.

Which method is a safe way to thaw food?

As a part of the cooking proccess.

What is the required minimum internal cooking temperature for ground beef?

155F or higher for 17 seconds

Food being cooled must pass quickly through which temperature range to reduce pathogen growth?

125F to 70F

A food handler is cooling chicken soup for dinner service. After two hours, the soup’s temperature has decreased from 135F to 80F. What should the food handler do next?

Reheat the soup and cool it again.

If an operation uses a reduced oxygen packaging method for fish, the fish must be:

frozen before, during, or after packaging.

What is the maximum cooling time for TCS food?

6 hours

A food handler removes a frozen lasagna from the freezer and leaves it on a prep table to thaw overnight. Why is this method of thawing unsafe?

The dish is exposed to the temperature danger zone so pathogens can grow.

When must a consumer advisory be provided for menu items containing TCS food?

When the item is raw or undercooked.

What must be immediately done to food after it is thawed in a microwave?

Cook it.

What do some regulatory authorities require food service operations to submit when applying for a variance?

A HACCP plan

Why are overloading fryer baskets a food safety risk?

It reduces oil temperatures resulting in undercooked food.

What is the required minimum cooking temperature for rice that will be hot-held for service?

135F

What temperature must meat be cooked to if it will be cooked in a microwave?

165F

What is the required minimum internal cooking temperature for a pork roast?

145F or higher for 4 minutes

What temperature must partially cooked food reach when it is reheated?

Its required minimum internal temperature.

An air-temperature measuring device used to measure the temperature in a cooler must be how accurate?

\+/- 3F

Trays of lasagna were removed from hot-holding at 135F at 4 pm and labeled with a discard time of 10 pm. The lasagna was served to guests without temperature control and discarded at 8 pm. What mistake was made?

The discard time on the label was wrong.

A tray of sliced watermelon is removed from the cooler at 10 am. If the watermelon is served without temperature control but never exceeds 70F, what discard time should appear on the label?

2 pm

Why should food be covered when it is being held?

Covers help maintain a food’s internal temperature.

Which food does not need additional packaging or other protection from contamination when placed on display?

Whole raw fruit