ServSafe Practice Test and Answer Key 2022 Explanation

Explanation: Table-mounted equipment should have legs at least 6 inches (15 centimeters) high to ensure adequate cleaning access underneath, helping to maintain cleanliness and sanitation standards.

Explanation: If signs of pests are observed in a food delivery, the shipment should be refused immediately to prevent contaminated food from entering the kitchen and posing health risks.

Explanation: Only a licensed pest control operator should apply pesticides in a foodservice operation to ensure it is done safely and effectively, adhering to legal and health regulations.

Explanation: The water supplied to all fixtures, including handwashing sinks, must be potable (safe to drink) to ensure it is safe for cleaning hands and preventing the spread of contaminants.

Explanation: By dropping the end of a hose into a mop bucket, the food handler has created a cross-connection, potentially allowing contaminated water to siphon back into the potable water system.

Explanation: A garbage container is necessary at a handwashing station to properly dispose of paper towels or other waste, maintaining a clean and sanitary area.

Explanation: A master cleaning schedule should clearly state what should be cleaned, when it should be cleaned, by whom, and how it should be cleaned to ensure all staff members understand their responsibilities and the standards required.

Explanation: For food safety, surfaces such as floors, walls, and ceilings should be smooth and durable. Smooth surfaces are easier to clean and sanitize, and durable materials ensure that they can withstand the conditions of a commercial kitchen.

Explanation: An air gap is a physical separation between the water supply outlet and the flood level of a fixture. It prevents contaminated water from flowing back into the potable water system.

Explanation: Proper ventilation is key to avoiding grease and condensation buildup on surfaces in a kitchen. Effective ventilation systems remove excess heat and moisture, helping to maintain a cleaner and safer environment.

Explanation: Placing the full garbage bag on a prep table is incorrect because it risks contaminating the surface where food is prepared.

Explanation: Garbage cans should be cleaned away from food and utensils to prevent contamination of food-prep and storage areas.

Explanation: A food-contact surface must be cleaned and sanitized before working with a different type of food to prevent cross-contamination.

Explanation: The minimum temperature for the final rinse in a heat-sanitizing dishwasher is 180°F (82°C), which ensures effective sanitization.

Explanation: The first step in the cleaning process in a three-compartment sink is to rinse, scrape, or soak items to remove any food debris before washing them.

Explanation: Cutting boards must be both cleaned and sanitized regularly due to their direct contact with food and the risk of cross-contamination.

Explanation: While it's important to clean walls, they do not require sanitizing as frequently or stringently as food-contact surfaces like plates, knives, and tongs.

Explanation: The buser needs to label the working container with its contents. This is crucial to ensure chemical safety and prevent misuse or accidental contamination.

Explanation: The correct way to store mops between uses is to hang them on a hook. This allows the mop to air dry and prevents mold and bacteria growth.

Good lighting in a chemical storage area is essential to ensure that labels and safety data sheets are clearly visible and that employees can safely handle and identify chemicals, reducing the risk of accidents due to poor visibility. While emergency showers are crucial in areas with a risk of exposure to harmful chemicals that require immediate decontamination, good lighting is fundamental to preventing accidents in the first place, making it a critical feature for overall chemical safety management.

Explanation: A consumer advisory must be provided when TCS food is served raw or undercooked to inform customers of the potential risk of consuming such items.

Explanation: The cook should have washed hands and changed to new gloves before handling the hamburger buns to prevent cross-contamination between raw meat and ready-to-eat food.

Explanation: According to food safety standards, ready-to-eat foods should not be handled with bare hands to avoid contamination. However, of the options provided, chopped carrots for stew are the only items that may be handled with bare hands if they are to be cooked to a temperature sufficient to eliminate pathogens. This cooking process provides a critical control point that mitigates the risk of contamination from bare-hand contact. Other items listed, which are typically served ready-to-eat, should always be handled with gloves or utensils to prevent potential foodborne illness.

Explanation: Each item on a buffet should have its own serving utensil to prevent cross-contamination among different dishes.

Explanation: Cold food can be held without temperature control for up to 6 hours as long as it does not exceed 70°F (21°C). Given that the tuna salad was removed from the cooler at 9:00 am, it must be served or discarded by 3:00 pm, which is six hours later.

This guideline ensures the food remains safe to consume by limiting the time it spends in the "temperature danger zone," where pathogens can multiply rapidly.

Explanation: The chicken salad has been held above 41°F (5°C) for more than the allowed time, posing a risk of foodborne illness. It must be discarded.

Explanation: When cold food is held without temperature control, it should not exceed 70°F (21°C) during service.

Explanation: The minimum temperature for holding hot TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) food like soup is 135°F (57°C) to prevent the growth of pathogens.

Explanation: Wheat is one of the "Big Eight" food allergens identified by the FDA, which also include milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, and soybeans.

Explanation: Cleaning and sanitizing utensils before preparing food for customers with allergies is crucial to prevent cross-contact of allergens.

Explanation: Swollen lips can be a symptom of an allergic reaction to food, often occurring rapidly after exposure to an allergen.

Explanation: Bones in fish are an example of physical contamination, which involves the presence of foreign objects in food that can pose a physical hazard.

Explanation: Moisture is one of the six key factors (FAT TOM - Food, Acidity, Time, Temperature, Oxygen, Moisture) that bacteria need to grow, making it crucial to control moisture in food storage and preparation areas.

Explanation: Metal shavings are a chemical contaminant as they introduce a foreign, non-biological substance into food, potentially causing harm if ingested.

Explanation: Children are considered a high-risk population for foodborne illnesses due to their immature immune systems, and a food handler with symptoms like a sore throat and fever poses a risk of transmitting illness.

Explanation: The FDA advises against offering rare or undercooked animal products like rare cheeseburgers on a children’s menu due to the higher risk of foodborne illness from undercooked meats in vulnerable populations such as children.

Explanation: Food being cooled should pass quickly through the temperature range of 125°F to 70°F (52°C to 21°C) within the first two hours of cooling to reduce pathogen growth, followed by further cooling to 41°F (5°C) or lower within a total of six hours.

Explanation: Safely thawing food as part of the cooking process is a valid method, especially for small items that cook relatively quickly. Other methods, such as under running water, must use cold water (not higher than 70°F), and food should never be thawed at room temperature or in standing water that is not cold.

Explanation: When cooling food, it must first be reduced from 135°F (57°C) to 70°F (21°C) within two hours, then cooled down to 41°F (5°C) or lower within the next four hours.

Explanation: Seafood must be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 145°F (63°C) for 15 seconds to ensure it is safe for consumption.

Explanation: Raw poultry must be stored separately from ready-to-eat food to prevent cross-contamination. It's crucial to keep raw meats away from prepared or ready-to-eat foods during transportation.

Explanation: Cold food can be held without temperature control for up to 6 hours as long as it does not exceed 70°F (21°C) at any time during service. Food must start at 41°F (5°C) or lower.

Explanation: Any food item received with an expired use-by date should be rejected to ensure food safety and quality.

Explanation: Recalled food items must be stored separately from other food to prevent them from being inadvertently used or sold.

Explanation: Ready-to-eat TCS food that is prepped on-site and held for longer than 24 hours must be date-marked to ensure it is used or discarded within food safety guidelines.

Explanation: It's important for buffet items to be labeled with the name of the food to inform customers about what they are selecting.

Explanation: Bags of organic cookies in torn packaging should be rejected because damaged packaging can lead to contamination and product spoilage.

Explanation: The most important factor when choosing a food supplier is ensuring they have been inspected and comply with local, state, and federal laws, which indicates they adhere to safety and quality standards.

Explanation: The best way to accurately check the temperature of a shipment like sour cream is by inserting a thermometer directly into the product.

Explanation: Food handlers should take off their aprons before using the restroom to prevent contamination of the apron from restroom germs.

Explanation: Personal items like coats should be stored in a designated area away from food to prevent any risk of contamination.

Explanation: Food handlers should wash their hands and change their gloves after handling raw meat and before handling produce to prevent cross-contamination.

Explanation: Viruses require a living host to multiply and do not grow in food. They can survive on food surfaces and in food but need a host to replicate.

Explanation: Food handlers with a sore throat and fever should be excluded from operations especially when serving high-risk populations, such as the elderly, children, or those with compromised immune systems, to prevent potential transmission of illness.

Explanation: Only a plain-band ring is allowed because it does not easily trap food particles or bacteria, unlike other types of jewelry that can be more intricate and difficult to clean.

Explanation: A food handler with an infected cut must cover the wound with an impermeable bandage or finger cot and a glove to ensure no bacteria or other pathogens can contaminate the food.

Explanation: Food handlers may wear plain-band rings at any time as they are generally considered safe and unlikely to harbor pathogens, unlike rings with stones or intricate designs.

Explanation: Scratching the scalp can transfer pathogens from the body to the hands, and subsequently to the food, thereby increasing the risk of foodborne illness.

Explanation: Food handlers must wash their hands after clearing tables, as they may come into contact with food residues or used utensils, which could contain pathogens.

Explanation: Food handlers are recommended to scrub their hands and arms with soap for at least 10 seconds to effectively remove dirt and pathogens.

Explanation: Food handlers must wash their hands after touching their body or clothing to prevent cross-contamination of food with pathogens or other contaminants.

Explanation: Food handlers must wash their hands at a designated handwashing sink. These sinks are specifically intended for handwashing and are equipped with soap and hand drying materials, and are not used for food preparation or utensil washing, preventing cross-contamination.

Explanation: Knowing who is in the facility at all times is essential for security. This includes monitoring visitor access, employee entry, and exit points, and understanding who is present during all operating hours to prevent unauthorized access and potential tampering.

Explanation: Making it difficult for anyone to tamper with food involves strategies such as securing storage areas, using tamper-evident packaging, and monitoring food preparation areas, which collectively help prevent deliberate contamination.

Explanation: Imminent health hazards like a water supply interruption necessitate immediate action to protect public health, which could include temporary closure of the operation until the hazard can be addressed and resolved safely.

Explanation: According to food safety guidelines, TCS (Time/Temperature Control for Safety) food that has been out of temperature control for more than four hours should be discarded to prevent the risk of foodborne illness.

Explanation: Becoming certified in food safety is a formal way for managers to demonstrate their knowledge and commitment to maintaining food safety standards and showcase their expertise in the field.

Explanation: This activity is an example of 'Management oversight,' where the manager actively oversees the ongoing activities in the kitchen to ensure compliance with food safety procedures and standards.

Explanation: This is an example of 'Corrective action.' When a manager notices that the chicken breasts are not cooked to the correct temperature and takes action to correct it, this directly involves implementing a corrective step to ensure food safety.

Explanation: Active managerial control refers to a manager’s proactive responsibility to control risk factors associated with foodborne illnesses. It involves overseeing and ensuring that all processes are followed correctly to minimize risks.

Explanation: The primary purpose of a food safety management system is to prevent foodborne illness by identifying, controlling, and monitoring risks and hazards associated with food handling and preparation.