ServSafe Exam

All of the stuff that will definitely be on the ServSafe exam

When is a foodborne illness considered an outbreak? (3 criteria)

1. Two or more people have the same symptoms after eating the same food

2. An investigation is conducted by state and local regulatory authorities

3. Outbreak is confirmed by laboratory analysis

3 Types of Contamination

Biological, physical, chemical

Examples of biological contamination

Bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi

Examples of chemical contaminants

Cleaners, sanitizers, polishes

Examples of physical contaminants

Metal shavings, staples, bandages, glass, dirt, fingernails, natural objects (fish bones, pits), hair

5 risk factors for foodborne illness

1. Purchasing food from unsafe sources

2. Failing to cook food correctly

3. Holding food at incorrect temperatures

4. Using contaminated equipment

5. Practicing poor personal hygiene

What is time-temperature abuse?

When food has stayed too long at temperatures good for pathogen growth

2 types of food most likely to become unsafe

TCS food and Ready-to-eat food

What is TCS food?

Food requiring time and temperature control to limit pathogen growth—time and temperature control for safety

TCS foods (More obvious)

Milk and dairy products, shell eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish and crustaceans

TCS foods (less obvious)

Baked potatoes, heat-treated plant foods, tofu/soy proteins, sprouts/sprout seeds, sliced melons+tomatoes+leafy greens, untreated garlic and oil mixtures

Populations at higher risk for foodborne illnesses

Preschool age children, elderly, people with compromised immune system

What is a microorganism?

Small, living organism that can be seen only with a microscope

What is a Pathogen?

Harmful microorganism, makes people sick when eaten or produces toxins that cause illness

What is a toxin?

Poison

Four types of pathogens that can contaminate food and cause foodborne illness

Bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi

Food handlers can contaminate food when:

They don’t wash hands properly, in contact with someone sick, sneeze or vomit onto food-contact surfaces, touch dirty food-contact surfaces and equipment and then touch food

Common foodborne illness symptoms

Diarrhea, vomiting, fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, jaundice

What are the onset times of a foodborne illness?

Depends on illness, ranges from 30 mins to 6 weeks

What does bacteria need to grow?

Food, acidity, temperature, time, oxygen, moisture (FATTOM)

Food for bacteria

Most bacteria need nutrients to survive, TCS food supports bacteria growth more than other foods

Acidity for bacteria

Bacteria grows best in food that contains little to no acid, pH of 7.5-4.6 is ideal

Temperature for bacteria growth

Bacteria grow rapidly between 41˚F to 135˚F (temperature danger zone), they grow even more rapidly from 70˚F to 125˚F

Time for bacteria

The more time bacteria spends in the temperature danger zone, the more opportunity they have to grow to unsafe levels

Oxygen for bacteria

Some bacteria need oxygen to grow, others grow when oxygen isn’t there

Moisture for bacteria

Bacteria grow well in food with high levels of moisture (food with water activity of 0.85 or higher is ideal for bacteria growth

What are spores?

Bacteria can change into spores, they’re often found in dirt, can survive cooking temperature, and the can change back into a form that grows

Deliberate contamination of food

Assure (make sure received are from safe sources) Look (monitor the security of products in the facility) Employees (know who is in your facility) Reports (Keep information related to food defense accessible) Threat (develop a plan for responding to suspicious activity or a threat to the operation)

What is a food allergen

A protein in a food or ingredient to which some people are sensitive

The “Big Eight” food allergens

Milk, soy, eggs, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts

How to avoid cross-contact

• check recipes and ingredient labels

• Wash, rinse, and sanitize cookware, utensils, and equipment

• Make sure the allergen doesn’t touch anything for costumers with food allergies

• Wash your hands and change gloves before prepping food

• Use separate fryers and cooking oils for guests with food allergies

• Label food packaged on-site for retail use

Where can you wash hands

Wash hands in a sink designated for handwashing

Where can you not wash hands

Never wash hands in sinks designated for food prep or dishwashing or sinks used for discarding waste water

5 Steps to wash hands

1. Wet hands and arms

2. Apply soap

3. Scrub hands and arms vigorously for 10-15 seconds

4. Rinse hands and arms thoroughly

5. Dry hands and arms

How long should it take to wash your hands

At least 20 seconds

How long should you scrub your hands for?

At least 10-15 seconds

Food handlers must wash hands before:

• Preparing food

• Working with clean equipment and utensils

• Putting on single-use gloves

• Anytime you switch tasks

Food handlers must wash their hands after:

• Using the restroom

• Touching the body or clothing

• Coughing, sneezing, blowing nose, or using a tissue

• Eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum or tobacco

• Handling soiled items

• Handling raw meat, seafood, or poultry

• Taking out garbage

Food handlers must wash their hands after (pt 2):

• Handling service or aquatic animals

• Handling chemicals that might affect food safety

• Changing tasks

• Leaving and returning to the kitchen/prep area

• Handling money

• Using electronic devices

• Touching anything that may contaminate hands

Hand care requirements for food handlers:

Keep fingernails short and clean, no false nails, no nail polish

When can you not handle ready-to-eat food with bare hands?

When serving primarily high risk populations

Avoid bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food unless:

• The food is an ingredient in a dish that does not contain raw meat, seafood, or poultry and

  • dish will be cooked to at least 145˚F

• The food is an ingredient in a dish containing raw meat, seafood, or poultry and

  • dish will be cooked to the required minimum internal temperature of the raw items

When should you use single-use gloves

Should be used when handling ready-to-eat food

When should you not use single-use gloves

• NEVER to be used in place of handwashing

• When washing produce

• When handling ready-to-eat ingredients for a dish that will be cooked to the correct internal temperature

Which gloves should you buy?

• Approved gloves

• Disposable gloves

• Multiple sizes

• Latex alternatives

When should you change you gloves?

• As soon as they become dirty or torn

• Before beginning a different task

• After an interruption (ex. taking a phone call)

• After handling raw meat, seafood, or poultry and before handling ready-to-eat food

• After four hours of continuous use

Proper work attire regarding hair restraints

Wear clean hat/other hair restraint when in a food-prep area, and beard restraint to cover facial hair

What work attire regarding hair is not allowed

No hair accessories that could become physical contaminants, no false eyelashes

Jewelry requirements for food handlers

Remove all jewelry from hands and arms

Exceptions: plain ring band

Where are food handlers allowed to eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum or tobacco?

• Food handlers are only allowed to eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum or tobacco in designated areas

• Employees may drink from correctly covered container

• Food may be tasted during prep using approved utensil only once

When are food handlers not allowed to eat, drink, smoke, or chew gum or tobacco?

• Prepping or serving food

• Working in prep areas

• Working in areas used to clean utensils and equipment

Staff must report illnesses:

• Before they come to work

• If they get sick while working

• If they—or someone they live with—have been diagnosed with an illness from one of the big 6 pathogens

  • norovirus, hepatitis A, shigella spp., shiga-toxin producing E. coli, salmonella typhi, nontyphoidal salmonella

When food handlers are sick, you may need to:

• Restrict them from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment

• Exclude them from coming into the operation, especially if they have these symptoms:

  • vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat w/ fever, infected wound or boil that’s open or draining (unless properly covered)

IF food handler has infected wound or boil that’s not properly covered;

THEN restrict the food handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment

IF food handler has a sore throat with a fever

THEN restrict food handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment

Exclude them from operation if you serve a high-risk population

A written release from a medical practitioner required before returning to work

IF food handler has persistent sneezing, coughing, or runny nose, with discharges from eyes, nose, or mouth

THEN restrict food handler from working with exposed food, utensils, and equipment

IF food handler has any symptoms from an infectious condition (vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice)

THEN exclude food handler from operation

Vomiting and Diarrhea: before returning from work either; no symptoms for at least 24 hours OR written release from a medical practitioner

Jaundice: report food handlers to regulatory authority, exclude food handlers who’ve had jaundice for 7 days or less

before returning must have written release from medical practitioner AND approval from regulatory authority

IF food handler is vomiting or has diarrhea and has been diagnosed with illness caused by one of these pathogens (norovirus, shigella spp., nontyphoidal salmonella, shiga toxin-producing E. coli) Or food handler has been diagnosed with illness caused by one of these pathogens (hepatitis A, salmonella typhi)

THEN exclude them from operation, report situation to regulatory authority, work with medical practitioner and local regulatory authority

How to prevent cross-contamination

Separate equipment: use separate equipment for raw and ready-to-eat food

Clean and sanitize: clean and sanitize all work surfaces, equipment, and utensils before and after each task

How to prevent cross-contamination (pt 2)

Prep raw and ready-to-eat food at different times if using same equipment, when possible prep ready-to-eat food before raw food

But prepared food: buy food items that don’t require much prepping or handling

What is the temperature danger zone?

Food held in the range of 41˚F and 135˚F is in the temperature danger zone, and has been time-temperature abused.

When has food been temperature abused?

• Cooked to the wrong internal temperature

• Held at the wrong temperature

• Cooked or reheated incorrectly

Bimetallic stemmed thermometer

Best for large/thick food because of sensing area from tip to dimple, can check temperatures from 0˚F to 220˚F

Thermocouples and thermistors

Good for thick and thin foods, immersion probes for liquids, surface probes for flat cooking equipment, penetration probe for internal temperature, air probes for temperature inside coolers and ovens

Infrared (laser) thermometers

Surface temperature for food and equipment, no touching, less risk of cross-contamination

Maximum registering thermometer

Indicates highest temperature reached during use, used where temperature readings can’t be continuously observed (ex. final rinse temperature of dishwasher)

Time-temperature indicators (TTI)

Monitors time and temperature, attached to packages by supplier, color change when time-temperature abuse has occurred

Ice-point method

For calibrating thermometers; fill large container with ice and water, submerge sensing area and wait 30 seconds, adjust thermometer to 32ºF

When using thermometers:

Wash, rinse, sanitize, and air-dry thermometers before and after using them

When should you calibrate thermometers?

• After they’ve been bumped or dropped

• After they’ve been exposed to extreme temperature changes

• Before deliveries arrive

• Before each shift

Purchasing food from approved, reputable supplies:

Make sure they have been inspected and meet all applicable local, state, and federal laws

What to do in case of a recall:

• Identify recalled food items

• Remove item from inventory

• Store item separately

• Label item to prevent it from being placed back in inventory

• Inform staff not to use product

• Refer to vendor’s notification or recall notice for what to do with item

Checking temperature of reduced-oxygen packaging (ROP) food

Insert thermometer stem/probe between two packages or fold packaging around stem/probe

Cold TCS food temperature criteria for deliveries

Receive at 41ºF or lower, unless otherwise specified

Temperature criteria for deliveries of live shellfish

Receive at air temperature of 45ºF and internal temperature no greater than 50ºF (once received, must be cooled to 41ºF or lower in 4 hours)

Temperature criteria for deliveries of shucked shellfish

Receive at 45˚F or lower (cool to 41˚F or lower in 4 hours)

Temperature criteria for deliveries for milk

Receive at 45˚F or lower (cool to 41˚F or lower in 4 hours)

Temperature criteria for deliveries for shell eggs

Receive at air temperature of 45˚F or lower

Temperature criteria for deliveries for hot TCS food

Receive at 135˚F or higher

Temperature criteria for deliveries for frozen foods

Receive frozen solid, reject if there’s evidence of thawing and refreezing (fluids or water stains incase bottoms or on packaging, ice crystals or frozen liquids on the food or packaging)

Reject packaged items with:

Tears, holes, punctures, broken cartons or seals

Reject cans with:

Severe dents in seam or body, missing labels, swollen or bulging ends, holes, leaks, rust

Reject ROP food with:

Bloating or leaking

Reject when packaging has:

• Dirty/discolored packaging

• Leaks, dampness or water stains

• Signs of pests or pest damage

• Signs of tampering

• Missing or incorrect labels

• Expired use-by dates

Required documents for shellfish

Shellfish must be received with shellstock identification tags which indicate when and where shellfish were harvested, must store in original container

How long must you keep shellstock tags?

Keep shellstock tag on file for 90 days after the last shellfish was used

Required documents for fish

Fish that will be eaten raw or partially cooked: documentation must show fish was correctly frozen before being received, keep documents for 90 days from sale of fish

Farm raised fish: must have documentation stating the fish was raised to FDA standards, keep documents for 90 days from the sale of the fish

Assessing food quality: appearance

Reject food that is moldy or has an abnormal color

Assessing food quality: texture

Reject meat, fish, or poultry if it’s slimy, sticky, or dry, or has soft flesh that leaves an imprint when touched

Assessing food quality: odor

Reject food with an abnormal or unpleasant odor

How do you know if shellfish is alive upon arrival?

If shellfish is fresh, must be received alive; if they are dead, open shells won’t close when tapped

Date marking for commercially processed food

If a commercially processed food has a use-by date that is less than 7 days from the date the container was opened then the container should be marked with this use-by date as long as the date is based on food safety

How to date mark dishes with multiple use-by dates

When combining food with different use-by dates in a dish, base the discard date of the dish on the earliest use-by date of ingredients

How far off the ground do supplies need to be stored

Store all items at least 6 inches off the floor

When using food color additives:

• Only use additives approved by local regulatory authority

• Never use more additives than allowed by law

• Never use additives to alter the appearance of food

• Do not sell produce treated with sulfites before it was received in the operation

• Do not add sulfites to produce that will be eaten raw

Which things cannot be used to misrepresent the appearance of food?

Food additives, color additives, colored overwraps, lights

What does it mean to present food honestly?

Food must be presented in the way it was described (cannot substitute one item for another)

What happens when food is not presented honestly?

Food not presented honestly must be thrown out.

In what situations would food need to be thrown out?

• When it is handled by staff who have been restricted or excluded from the operation due to illness

• When it is contaminated by hands or bodily fluids from nose or mouth

• When it has exceeded the time and temperature requirements designed to keep food safe

How can you thaw TCS foods in coolers?

Thaw in a cooler, keeping its temperature at 41˚F or lower