Servsafe Chapter 5

Fresh tuna with a seaweed smell. Accept or reject?

Accept. Fish often has a fresh ocean or seaweed smell. Reject food with an abnormal or unpleasant odor.

Live oysters received at an internal temperature of 50ºF (10ºC). Accept or Reject?

Accept. Live oysters, mussels, clams, and scallops must be received at an air temperature of 45ºF (7ºC) and an internal temperature no greater than 50ºF (10ºC). Once received, the shellfish must be cooled to 41ºF (5ºC) or lower in four hours. Shucked shellfish must be received at 45ºF (7ºC) or lower. The shellfish must then be cooled to 41ºF (5ºC) or lower in four hours.

Milk received at 45ºF (7ºC) Accept or Reject?

Accept. Milk must be received at 45ºF (7ºC) or lower. Cool the milk to 41ºF (5ºC) or lower in four hours.

Meat received at 40ºF (4ºC). Accept or reject?

Cold TCS food, such as meat, must be received at 41ºF (5ºC) or lower, unless otherwise specified.

Storage of evaporated milk by expiration. Correct or incorrect?

Correct. The cans are being rotated according to FIFO. Store items with the earliest use-by or expiration dates in front of items with later dates.

Clear and labeled potato salad. Correct or incorrect?

Correct. The potato salad is clearly and accurately labeled. It contains the name of the food as well as a date mark. The date mark indicates that the food must be used within two days. This is a best practice, most likely dictated by company policy. All items that are not in their original containers must be labeled. Food labels should include the common name of the food or a statement that clearly and accurately identifies it. It is not necessary to label food if it clearly will not be mistaken for another item. The food must be easily identified by sight. Ready-to-eat TCS food must be date marked if held for longer than 24 hours. It must indicate when the food must be sold, eaten, or thrown out. Ready-to-eat TCS food can be stored for only seven days if it is held at 41ºF (5ºC) or lower. The count begins on the day that the food was prepared or a commercial container was opened. Operations have a variety of systems for date marking. Some write the day or date the food was prepped on the label. Others write the use-by day or date on the label.

Chicken salad storage practice. Correct or incorrect?

Incorrect. The chicken salad is 68ºC (20ºC), which is in the temperature danger zone. Store cold TCS food at an internal temperature of 41ºF (5ºC) or lower. Monitor food temperatures regularly. Randomly sample the temperature of stored food to verify that the cooler is working.

Hanging thermometer in the back of a cooler. Correct or incorrect?

Incorrect. The hanging thermometer should be placed in the warmest part of the cooler. That would be in a location closest to the door rather than in the back of the unit where the temperatures would be coldest. Storage units must have at least one air temperature measuring device. It must be accurate to +/- 3ºF or +/- 1.5ºC.

Storage of onions underneath chemicals. Correct or Incorrect?

Incorrect. The onions are being stored with chemicals. Store all items in designated storage areas.

Items stored on floor of walk-in cooler. Correct or Incorrect?

Incorrect. These items are stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler. Store items away from walls and at least six inches (15 centimeters) off the floor.

Storage of raw meat above ready-to-eat food. Correct or incorrect?

Raw meat is being stored above ready-to-eat food. Some of the meat has also not been covered properly. Wrap or cover food. Store raw meat, poultry, and seafood separately from ready-to-eat food. If raw and ready-to-eat food cannot be stored separately, store ready-to-eat food above raw meat, poultry, and seafood. This will prevent juices from raw food from dripping onto ready-to-eat food.

ROP meat in bloated or leaking container. Accept or Reject?

Reject. All food packaged in a reduced-oxygen environment, such as vacuum-packed meat, must be rejected if the packaging is bloated or leaking. Items with broken cartons or seals, or items with dirty and discolored packaging should also be rejected. Do not accept cases or packages that appear to have been tampered with.

Hot TCS food received at 120ºF (49ºC) Accept or Reject?

Reject. Hot TCS food must be received at 135ºF (57ºC) or higher.

Fresh pork chops that are sticky

Reject. Reject meat, fish, or poultry that is slimy, sticky, or dry. Also reject it if it has soft flesh that leaves an imprint when you touch it.

Eggs received at an air temperature of 50ºF (10ºC). Accept or Reject?

Reject. Shell eggs must be received at an air temperature of 45ºF (7ºC) or lower.

Box of Danish with damage by rodents. Accept or Reject?

Reject. The answer is B. The box of Danish has been damaged by rodents, and droppings can be seen inside the box. Reject items with signs of pests or pest damage.

Broken flour bag. Accept or Reject?

Reject. The flour bag has a tear or puncture, which may have been made by pests. These pests may have contaminated the product. Reject items with tears, holes, or punctures in their packaging. Likewise, reject cans with labels that are not intact or have bulging or swollen ends, rust, or dents.

Frozen shrimp (with evidence of thawing and refreezing) Accept or Reject?

Reject. The shrimp shows evidence of thawing and refreezing. There are ice crystals and frozen liquids on the food and the packaging. This may be evidence of thawing and refreezing, which shows the food has been time-temperature abused.

Flour with water stain on bags. Accept or Reject?

Reject. The water stain on the flour bag shows that the flour had become wet at some point. Reject items with leaks, dampness, or water stains (which means the item was wet at some point).