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Cheat sheet

Food Handler Cheat Sheet

Practice QuestionsStudy Guide

Food Safety Basics

20%of exam

HazardsBig SixFAT TOMHigh Risk

Personal Hygiene

20%of exam

HandwashingGlovesIllness ActionGrooming

Time Temperature

25%of exam

TCS FoodsDanger ZoneCooking TempsCooling

Contamination Allergens

20%of exam

Cross-ContamCross-ContactBig NineStorage Order

Cleaning Sanitation

15%of exam

Clean vs SanitizeThree SinkSanitizersPest Signs

Quick Facts

Exam
Food Handler
Level
Entry-level worker
Format
Usually online MCQ
ServSafe
40 questions
Pass
Often 70-75%
Time
Often untimed
Term
Often 2-3 years
Rule
Local rules vary

FAT TOM

Food, acidity, time, temp, oxygen, moisture

Food: nutrientsAcidity: pHTime: growthTemp: danger zoneOxygen: variesMoisture: water

Handler vs Manager

Handler

  • Employee-level basics
  • Usually non-proctored
  • Basic certificate

Manager

  • PIC-level knowledge
  • Proctored exam
  • Manager certification

Worker basics vs oversight

Exam Basics

ServSafe format
40 non-proctored questions
ServSafe pass
75 percent
ServSafe course
60-90 minutes
Attempts
Three per course
Certificate
Basic safe handling
Local rules
May override provider

Five Sections

Basics, hygiene, temp, allergens, sanitation

Basic food safetyPersonal hygieneTime temperatureCross-contam allergensCleaning sanitation

Hazards

Biological
Pathogens, parasites, toxins
Chemical
Cleaners, metals, pesticides
Physical
Glass, metal, hair
Allergen
Protein immune reaction
Contamination route
Hands, surfaces, food
High-risk guests
YOPI groups
Foodborne illness
Contaminated food sickness
Symptoms
Vomiting, diarrhea, cramps

Big Six

Norovirus
Vomiting/diarrhea leader
Hepatitis A
Jaundice trigger
Salmonella Typhi
Typhoid fever
Nontyphoidal Salmonella
Poultry, eggs risk
Shigella
Fecal-oral spread
STEC
Bloody diarrhea risk

Growth Factors

Food
Nutrients for growth
Acidity
Low acid favors growth
Time
Growth needs time
Temperature
Danger zone growth
Oxygen
Varies by organism
Moisture
Water supports growth

Handwash Flow

Wet, soap, scrub, rinse, dry

Hand sink onlyScrub 20 secondsSingle-use towelBefore gloves

Restrict vs Exclude

Restrict

  • May work
  • No exposed food
  • Lower-risk symptoms

Exclude

  • Leave operation
  • Vomiting/diarrhea
  • Big Six

Limit tasks vs send home

Illness Action

  1. Vomiting→Exclude(Report manager)
  2. Diarrhea→Exclude(Report manager)
  3. Jaundice→Exclude(Notify authority)
  4. Big Six diagnosis→Exclude(Medical clearance)
  5. Sore throat fever→Restrict(No exposed food)
  6. Covered hand wound→Bandage + glove

Handwashing

Where
Hand sink only
Water
Clean running water
Soap
Lather all surfaces
Scrub time
20 seconds minimum
Dry
Single-use towel
Before gloves
Always wash first
After restroom
Always wash hands
Sanitizer
Never replaces washing

Glove Action

  1. Before wearing gloves→Wash hands
  2. Raw to RTE task→Wash/change gloves
  3. Glove tears→Discard/change
  4. Touch face/hair→Wash/change gloves
  5. Continuous use 4h→Change gloves
  6. Ready-to-eat food→Use barrier

Employee Health

Vomiting
Report and exclude
Diarrhea
Report and exclude
Jaundice
Report immediately
Sore throat fever
Restrict from food
Hand wound
Cover, glove
Big Six
Exclude, notify manager
Apron
Remove before restroom
Jewelry
Plain band only

Gloves Grooming

Gloves
Single-use barrier
Change gloves
Between tasks
Torn gloves
Discard immediately
RTE foods
No bare hands
Fingernails
Short and clean
Nail polish
Usually prohibited
Hair restraint
Hat or net
Eating area
Designated only

Temp Ladder

165, 155, 145, 135

165: poultry/stuffed155: ground/injected145: fish/whole cuts135: hot plants

TCS vs Non-TCS

TCS

  • Supports rapid growth
  • Needs temp control
  • Track time

Non-TCS

  • Lower growth risk
  • Often shelf-stable
  • Still protect

Growth risk controls storage

Temperature Action

  1. Cold TCS above 41F→Reject(Receiving)
  2. Hot TCS below 135F→Correct/discard(Holding)
  3. Cooling misses 70F→Reheat/restart(Within 2h)
  4. Cooling misses 41F→Discard(After 6h)
  5. Reheat for holding→165F(Within 2h)
  6. Unlabeled time control→Discard
  7. Room-temp thawing→Stop/discard

TCS Foods

TCS
Needs temp control
Meat
Protein plus moisture
Poultry
High pathogen risk
Seafood
Keep cold
Dairy
Supports growth
Cooked rice
Bacillus risk
Cut melon
TCS after cutting
Cut tomatoes
TCS after cutting

Four-Hour vs Six-Hour

4-hour

  • Hot or cold
  • Mark discard time
  • Discard at 4h

6-hour

  • Cold food only
  • Starts 41F
  • Never above 70F

Six-hour rule is colder

Temperature Limits

Danger zone
41F-135F
Cold holding
41F or below
Hot holding
135F or above
Freezer
Frozen solid
Shell eggs
Receive at 45F
Live shellfish
Receive at 45F
Thermometer
Check thickest part
Calibration
Ice point 32F
Time abuse
Too long unsafe

Cooking Temps

Poultry
165F instant
Stuffed foods
165F instant
Ground meat
155F/17 sec
Injected meat
155F/17 sec
Eggs for holding
155F/17 sec
Fish
145F/15 sec
Whole cuts
145F/15 sec
Hot plants
135F minimum

Cooling Reheating

Cooling stage 1
135F->70F in 2h
Cooling stage 2
70F->41F in 4h
Total cooling
6 hours maximum
Reheat holding
165F within 2h
Shallow pans
Speed cooling
Ice bath
Rapid cooling aid
Room-temp thaw
Never approved

Storage Order

RTE, seafood, beef, pork, poultry

Ready-to-eat topFish above meatsWhole cuts middlePoultry bottom

Cross-Contam vs Cross-Contact

Cross-contam

  • Pathogen transfer
  • Raw to RTE
  • Cooking may help

Cross-contact

  • Allergen transfer
  • Tiny amount matters
  • Cooking cannot fix

Pathogen vs allergen

Contamination Action

  1. Raw poultry storage→Bottom shelf
  2. Allergen order→Separate tools(Prevent cross-contact)
  3. Chemical near food→Move chemical
  4. Dirty food surface→Clean/sanitize
  5. Damaged package→Reject
  6. Pest evidence→Tell manager

Cross-Control

Raw poultry
Separate from RTE
Cutting boards
Separate by food
Utensils
Clean between tasks
Storage order
Lowest cook bottom
Chemicals
Away from food
Food-contact surface
Clean and sanitize
RTE
Ready to eat
Raw drips
Control below foods

FIFO vs Date Marking

FIFO

  • Use oldest first
  • Quality rotation
  • Stock control

Date marking

  • RTE TCS foods
  • Safety discard date
  • Listeria control

Rotation vs discard limit

Big Nine Allergens

Milk
Major allergen
Eggs
Major allergen
Fish
Major allergen
Shellfish
Crustacean allergen
Tree nuts
Major allergen
Peanuts
Major allergen
Wheat
Major allergen
Soybeans
Major allergen
Sesame
Major allergen
Cross-contact
Allergen transfer

Raw vs RTE

Raw

  • Needs cooking
  • Can drip pathogens
  • Store lower

RTE

  • No kill step
  • Protect from hands
  • Store higher

RTE needs extra protection

Receiving Storage

Approved source
Licensed supplier
Reject cans
Dented, swollen, leaking
Reject packaging
Torn or dirty
FIFO
Oldest used first
Date marking
RTE TCS limit
Off floor
6 inches minimum
Dry storage
Cool, dry, clean
Labels
Name, date, discard

Clean vs Sanitize

Clean

  • Removes soil
  • Uses detergent
  • Comes first

Sanitize

  • Reduces pathogens
  • Uses heat/chemical
  • After rinsing

Visible soil before germs

Clean Sanitize

Clean
Remove visible soil
Sanitize
Reduce pathogens
Order
Wash, rinse, sanitize
Air-dry
Never towel-dry
Wash sink
110F minimum
Chlorine
50-99 ppm
Iodine
12.5-25 ppm
Quats
Follow label
Test strips
Match sanitizer type
Contact time
Follow product label

Dish Pest Garbage

Three sink
Wash, rinse, sanitize
High-temp machine
180F final rinse
Garbage
Covered, leakproof, removed
Pest sign
Droppings, gnaw marks
Pest control
Deny food, shelter
PCO
Licensed pest operator

Common Traps

Gloves vs washing

Wash before gloves ≠ Change when contaminated

Allergen vs pathogen

Cooking cannot remove allergen ≠ Cooking may kill pathogens

Color vs thermometer

Color is unreliable ≠ Thermometer proves safety

FIFO vs safe

FIFO improves rotation ≠ Date marks set limits

Clean vs sanitized

Clean may still contaminate ≠ Sanitize after rinse

Restrict vs exclude

Restrict avoids food ≠ Exclude leaves operation

Cooling vs holding

Cooling has two stages ≠ Holding uses one limit

Sanitizer too strong

Too weak fails ≠ Too strong contaminates

Last Minute

  1. 1.ServSafe: 40 questions; 75%
  2. 2.Food Code: 41F-135F
  3. 3.Cold 41F; hot 135F
  4. 4.Cook ladder: 165/155/145/135
  5. 5.Cool: 135->70->41
  6. 6.Reheat holding: 165F within 2h
  7. 7.Wash hands for 20 seconds
  8. 8.No bare-hand RTE food
  9. 9.Allergens need separate controls
  10. 10.Clean, rinse, sanitize, air-dry
  11. 11.FIFO is not discard date
  12. 12.When in doubt, discard

Food Handler

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ServSafe Food Handler Study Guide 2025 Edition

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