ServSafe Book Questions

A thermometer must be used to measure the temperature of food must be accurate to what temperature?

+/- 2 dF or +/- 1 dC

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

+/- 3 dF

When washing hands, what is the minimum time you should scrub with soap?

10 seconds

At what minimum temperature should hot TCS food be held?

135 dF

What is the minimum internal cooking temperature for ground beef?

155 dF for 15 seconds

What temperature must TCS food be reheated to if it will be hot held?

165 dF for 15 seconds

how many hours can hot TCS food be displayed without temp control before the food must be sold, served, or thrown out?

4 hours

When installing tabletop equipment on legs, the space between the base of the equipment and the tabletop must be at least

4 inches

At what maximum internal temperature should cold TCS food be held?

41 dF

What is the correct temperature for receiving cold TCS food?

41 dF or lower

At what air temperature can you store shell eggs?

45 dF or lower

When partially cooking food for later service, what is the maximum amount of time that the food can be heated during the initial cooking step?

60 minutes

How long can ready to eat TCS food that was prepped in house be stored if it is held at 41 dF or lower?

7 days

What is the maximum water temperature allowed when thawing food under running water?

70 dF

An operation has a self service salad bar with 8 different items on it. How many serving utensils are needed to serve the items on the salad bar?

8

Who is most at risk of contaminating food?

A food handler whose young daughter has diarrhea

What does an operation that wants to smoke food as a method of preservation need to have before processing food this way?

A variance from the regulatory authority

How should food be stored in top to bottom order?

According to minimum internal cooking temperatures, with ready to eat food on the top shelf and poultry on the bottom

When should hand antiseptics be used?

After washing hands

What is the most reliable method for preventing back flow?

Air gap

What is the first task in training a large group of servers to prevent contamination of food?

Assess the training needs of the servers on this topic

Where in a cooler should dairy products be stored?

Away from the door, in the coldest part of the cooler

At what temperature do most food borne pathogens grow most quickly?

Between 70 & 125 degrees F

While getting ready to check the temp of a roast chicken, a chef dropped a bimetallic stemmed thermometer onto a prep table. What should the chef do next?

Calibrate the thermometer

What can be handled with bare hands?

Chopped tomatoes for soup

George is getting ready to wash dishes in a three-compartment sink. What should be his first task?

Clean and sanitize the sinks and drainboards

What item must guests take each time they return to a self service area for more food?

Clean plate

Food handlers must wash their hands after..

Clearing tables

What is the first step in developing a HACCP plan?

Conduct a hazard analysis

A broken water main has caused the water in an operation to appear brown. What should the manager do?

Contact the local regulatory authority before use

What is the most important way to prevent a food borne illness caused by bacteria?

Control time and temperature

What must food handlers do to food immediately after thawing it in the microwave oven?

Cook it

The temp of a pot of beef stew is checked during holding. The stew has not met the critical limit and is thrown out according to house policy. Throwing out the stew is an example of which HAACP principle?

Corrective action

A food handler drops the end of a house into a mop bucket and turns the water on to fill it. What has the food handler done wrong?

Created a cross contamination

What is the problem with storing raw ground turkey above raw ground pork?

Cross contamination

What must included on the label of TCS food that was prepped in house?

Date that the food should be thrown out

What are the most common symptoms of a food borne illness?

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

if food contact surfaces are in constant use, how often must they be cleaned and sanitized?

Every 4 hours

What are the 5 common risk factors that can lead to food borne illnesses?

Failing to cook food adequately, holding food at incorrect temperatures, using contaminated equipment, practicing poor personal hygiene, and purchasing food from unsafe sources

What is a TCS Food?

Food requiring time and temperature control for safety

Which feature is most important for a chemical storage area?

Good lighting

In which training method does a trainer ask a series of questions to draw on the knowledge and experience of the learners?

Guided discussion

Which pathogens are found in high numbers in an infected person's feces, are highly infectious, and can cause severe illness?

Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Salmonella Typhi, nontyphoidal salmonella, shigella spp, and shiga toxin-producing E Coli

If pesticides are stored in the operation, where should they be kept?

In a secure location, away from food and equipment

Which thermometer is limited to measuring surface temperature?

Infrared thermometer

What is the best method of checking temperature of a delivery of fresh fish?

Insert a thermometer probe into the thickest part of the fish

What is the most important factor in choosing a food supplier?

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

What is required when receiving fish that will be served raw or partially cooked?

It must be correctly frozen before you receive it

When must you discard tuna salad that was prepped on July 19?

July 25

Pete the buser poured some cleaner from its original container into a smaller, working container. What else does he need to do?

Label the working container with its contents

In top to bottom order, how should a fresh pork roast, fresh salmon, a container of lettuce, and a pan of fresh chicken breasts be stored in a cooler?

Lettuce, fresh salmon, fresh pork roast, fresh chicken breasts

The manager's responsibility for staff food safety training is to...

Make sure that staff have the knowledge and skills to keep food safe

Who is responsible for keeping food safe in an operation?

Manager/ operator

The temp of a roast is checked to see if it has met its critical limit of 145 dF for 4 mins. This is an example of which HACCP principle?

Monitoring

What organization creates national standards for foodservice equipment?

NSF

A guest called an operation and told the manager about getting sick after eating there. The guest complained of vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating the raw oysters. What pathogen probably caused the illness?

Norovirus

How should cartons of coleslaw be checked for the correct receiving temp?

Open a carton and insert a thermometer stem into the food

What probe should be used to check the temperature of a chicken breast?

Penetration probe

Who should apply pesticides?

Pest control operator

How should the temperature of vacuum packed meat be checked during receiving?

Place the thermometer stem or probe between two packages of product

A server cleans a dining table with a wiping cloth and then puts the wiping cloth in an apron pocket. What is the risk that could cause a food borne illness?

Poor cleaning and sanitizing

What is the most important way to prevent food borne illnesses by viruses?

Practice good personal hygiene

Which area of the operation is usually required to be the brightest?

Preparation

What is an important measure for preventing food borne illness?

Preventing cross contamination

What food should not be offered in a children's menu?

Rare hamburger

Shiga toxin-producing E. Coli is commonly linked with what type of food?

Raw ground beef

What is the correct way to clean and sanitize a prep table?

Remove food from the surface, wash, sanitize, air-dry, rinse

What should be done with an item that has been recalled?

Remove the item from inventory, put it in a secure location, and label it to keep it from being used or discarded

When a utensil is stored in water between uses, what are the requirements?

Running water at any temp or a container of water at 135 dF or higher

Parasites are commonly linked with what type of food?

Seafood

Which item can be received at 45 dF?

Shell eggs

Which pathogen can be controlled by washing hands and controlling flies inside and outside the operation?

Shigella spp

What are the most important food safety features to look for when selecting flooring, wall, and ceiling materials?

Smooth and durable

What is an acceptable sanitizing method and contact time for a food-contact surface?

Soak the item in a chlorine solution for 7 seconds

A food handler prepares and delivers meals to the elderly- what symptoms require this food handler to stay home from work?

Sore throat with fever

Which, out of bread, flour, sprouts, & strawberries, is a TCS food?

Sprouts

Which agency enforces food safety in a restaurant?

State or local regulatory authority

A deli serves cold sandwiches in a self serve display. Which step in the flow of food would be a critical control point?

Storage

A prep cook stores a bottle of sanitizer on a shelf above a prep table. To prevent chemical contamination, what should be done differently?

Store the sanitizer bottle away from the prep area

What type of smell may be a sign that cockroaches are present?

Strong, oily

What should food handlers do after prepping food and before using the restroom?

Take off their aprons

What should a manager of a hospital cafeteria do if a cook calls in with a headache, nausea, or diarrhea?

Tell the cook to stay away from work and see a doctor

What must food handlers do to make sure sanitizing solution for use on food contact surfaces has been made correctly?

Test the solution with a sanitizer kit

A person arrives at a restaurant claiming to be a health inspector. What should the manager ask for?

The inspector's identification

Which is a requirement for key drop deliveries?

The items are placed in the correct storage location

An operation has a buildup of grease and condensation on the walls and ceiling. What is the most likely problem?

The ventilation system is not working correctly

Why are preschool aged children at a higher risk for food borne illnesses?

They have not built up strong immune systems

Aside from temperature, which other Fat Tom condition will a foodservice operation be most able to control?

Time

A food handler pulled a hotel pan of tuna salad from the cooler and used it to prepare six tuna salad sandwiches. What is the potential problem with this situation?

Time temp abuse

A food handler thaws several frozen turkeys on a prep table. What is the danger that this poses to the food?

Time temp abuse

What causes large ice crystals to form on frozen food and its packaging?

Time temp abuse

Raw chicken breasts are left out at room temperature on a prep table. What is the main risk that could cause a food borne illness?

Time-temperature abuse

What device can be used to record time-temp abuse during the delivery of food?

Time-temperature indicator

What is the purpose of a food safety management system?

To identify and control possible hazards throughout the flow of food

Why must prep tables be cleaned and sanitized between uses?

To prevent cross contamination

What part of the plate should a food handler avoid touching when serving a guest?

Top

A guest had a reversal of hot and cold sensations after eating seafood. What most likely caused the illness?

Toxin

How far must a bimetallic stemmed thermometer be inserted into food to give an accurate reading?

Up to the dimple in the thermometer stem

What should food handlers do to prevent food allergens from being transferred to food?

Use cleaned and sanitized utensils when prepping the order

A pan of lasagna at 165 dF was packed in a heated cabinet for off site delivery. What is the minimum info that should be on the pan label?

Use-by date and time and reheating and service instructions

Reviewing temp logs and other records to make sure that the HACCP plan is working as intended is an example of which HACCP principle?

Verification

In what type of places are cockroaches typically found?

Warm, moist, and dark

Besides info on chemical concentration and water temp, what other machine setting info should be posted on dishwashing machines?

Water pressure

What info should a master cleaning schedule contain?

What should be cleaned, when, by whom, and how

When should staff receive food safety training?

When hired, and then periodically after that

When is it acceptable to eat at an operation?

When sitting in a break area

What is a food borne illness outbreak?

When two or more people report the same illness from eating the same food

How should flatware and utensils that have been cleaned and sanitized be stored?

With handles facing up

Wheezing and shortness of breath are symptoms of what?

an allergic reaction

How far above the floor should food be stored?

at least 6 inches

How often must you check the temp of food that is being held with temperature control?

at least every 4 hours

A backup of raw sewage and significant lack of refrigeration can result in...

closure of the operation by the regulatory authority

All new staff should receive training on...

general food safety

What is required for measuring the sanitizing rinse temp in a high temp dishwashing machine?

maximum registering thermometer

To deny pests food and shelter outside dining areas and around your operation, it is important to..

mow the grass

Can medical bracelet be worn on a food handler's hand or arm?

no

New staff must be trained in the critical areas of...

personal hygiene, cleaning and sanitizing, controlling time and temperature, and preventing cross contamination

A safe way to cool a stockpot of meat sauce is to put it into a

sink of ice water

Pesticides should be disposed of by

the PCO

Signage posted at a hand washing station must include a reminder to staff to

wash hands before returning to work

After pesticides have been applied, food contact surfaces should be...

washed, rinsed, and sanitized

To prevent the deliberate contamination of food, what should a food manager know?

who is in the facility, monitor the security of products, keep information related to food security on file, and know whom to contact about suspicious activity

The three basic rules of an integrated pest management program are?

work with a PCO, deny pests access, and deny pests food, water, and a nesting/hiding place