Free CDM Exam Flashcards

41 degrees F to 135 degrees F. Pathogens multiply fastest in this range, so TCS foods must move through it quickly. CDMs design holding, cooling, and reheating procedures to keep food out of this zone.

4 hours total. Once a TCS food has been in the 41-135 degrees F range for a cumulative 4 hours, it must be thrown out - it cannot be re-cooled and reused, because toxins may already have formed.

Cool from 135 degrees F to 70 degrees F within 2 hours, then from 70 degrees F to 41 degrees F within an additional 4 hours - 6 hours total. If the first 2-hour stage is missed, the food must be reheated or discarded.

Poultry must reach 165 degrees F for 15 seconds because it commonly carries Salmonella and Campylobacter. Higher-risk products and the surface-to-interior contamination of poultry require this top minimum-cook standard.

165 degrees F for 15 seconds within 2 hours. Rapid reheating limits time in the danger zone; reheating only to holding temperature is not adequate to make leftovers safe.

Cleaning removes visible food, soil, and grease from a surface; sanitizing reduces pathogens on an already-clean surface to safe levels. A surface must be cleaned first - sanitizer cannot work through residue.

A step where a control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level - such as cooking or cooling. Not every step is a CCP; CCPs are the points where loss of control would create an unacceptable risk.

The maximum or minimum measurable value that a CCP must meet to control a hazard - for example, cooking chicken to 165 degrees F. Exceeding a critical limit triggers a corrective action.

The transfer of pathogens from one food, surface, or person to ready-to-eat food. Prevent it by using separate color-coded cutting boards and utensils, storing raw meats below ready-to-eat foods, and washing hands between tasks.

Storage order follows minimum cooking temperature: items needing the highest cook temperature go lowest. Raw poultry (165 degrees F) sits at the bottom so its drips cannot contaminate foods cooked to lower temperatures or eaten as-is.

First In, First Out - stock is rotated so older product is used before newer product. It minimizes spoilage and the risk of serving expired food by ensuring items are used before their use-by date.

Proper handwashing with soap and warm water for about 20 seconds. It is required after using the restroom, handling raw food, touching the face or hair, taking out trash, and before putting on gloves.

Certified Food Protection Professional - it recognizes that the holder has demonstrated food safety and sanitation competency. It is why Sanitation and Safety is the largest exam domain (24%) and why 9 of 45 recertification CE hours must be in that area.

A tested recipe that produces consistent quality, yield, and portion size every time when followed exactly. It controls food cost, supports accurate purchasing and nutrient analysis, and ensures consistency regardless of which cook prepares it.

Yield is the number and size of portions a recipe produces. To scale a recipe, multiply each ingredient by a conversion factor (desired yield divided by original yield) so portions and cost stay accurate at the new volume.

Serving a consistent, predetermined amount per resident or patient. It controls food cost, ensures each person receives the planned nutrients (important for therapeutic diets), and keeps service equitable and predictable.

A set of menus rotated over a fixed period (for example, 4 weeks) before repeating. It simplifies purchasing, forecasting, and production planning while still offering variety, which makes it common in long-term care.

AP weight is the weight when received, including trim and waste; EP weight is what remains after preparation. The yield percentage links them and is essential for accurate purchasing quantities and true food cost.

That items match the purchase order and invoice in quantity, price, and quality, and that TCS foods arrive at safe temperatures (cold at 41 degrees F or below). Out-of-spec or unsafe items should be rejected at the dock.

The minimum quantity of an item that should be on hand before reordering. Setting par levels prevents both stockouts and over-ordering, which ties up cash and increases spoilage.

Perpetual inventory is a running record updated as items move in and out; physical inventory is an actual hand count of stock on shelves. Physical counts verify and correct the perpetual record and feed food-cost calculations.

Cook-serve prepares food for immediate service; cook-chill cooks food, rapidly chills it, stores it, and reheats it later. Cook-chill improves planning and labor efficiency but demands strict cooling and reheating controls.

Estimating how much food to prepare to meet demand. It uses historical production records, census or headcount, menu popularity, and known events - reducing both shortages and costly overproduction.

Preparing food in smaller quantities throughout the service period instead of all at once. It keeps food fresher, preserves quality and nutrients, and limits time in the temperature danger zone.

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats (lipids), vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats provide energy (calories); vitamins, minerals, and water do not but are essential for body function.

Carbohydrate 4, protein 4, fat 9, and alcohol 7 calories per gram. Fat is the most energy-dense, which is why high-fat foods raise calorie totals quickly - useful for calorie calculation questions.

Screening is a quick process to identify residents at nutritional risk; assessment is the in-depth evaluation that follows for those flagged. A CDM typically performs screening and refers at-risk individuals to the dietitian.

Nutrition assessment, nutrition diagnosis, nutrition intervention, and nutrition monitoring and evaluation. It is a standardized framework that gives dietetics professionals a consistent way to deliver and document care.

A diet altered in texture, consistency, or nutrient content to treat a medical condition - for example, a 2-gram sodium diet for heart failure. It must be ordered by a physician or authorized provider.

It modifies food texture for people with chewing or swallowing difficulty (dysphagia) or poor dentition, reducing choking and aspiration risk while still meeting nutrient needs. The level is matched to the person's swallowing ability.

Enteral nutrition delivers formula into a functioning GI tract via a feeding tube; parenteral nutrition delivers nutrients directly into the bloodstream (IV) when the gut cannot be used. "If the gut works, use it" favors enteral feeding.

It provides fluids and some energy from transparent liquids (broth, gelatin, clear juice) before procedures or to rest the GI tract. It lacks adequate protein, calories, and most nutrients, so it is meant only for short-term use.

Older adults have a blunted thirst response and may limit fluids, raising the risk of confusion, UTIs, and falls. Signs include dark urine, dry mouth, decreased intake, and sudden weakness - CDMs help monitor and encourage fluids.

Weight loss not planned by the resident, often signaling poor intake, illness, or dysphagia. Significant unintended loss (such as 5% in one month) triggers nutrition intervention and is a focus of regulatory survey scrutiny.

Nutrient-dense foods supply many nutrients relative to calories (for example, vegetables, lean protein); energy-dense foods are high in calories per gram, often from added fat or sugar. Nutrient density matters most for at-risk eaters with small appetites.

Adding nutrients or calories to ordinary foods - such as adding protein powder or extra fat to mashed potatoes - to boost intake for residents who eat small volumes. It increases nutrition without increasing serving size.

Recruitment is attracting a pool of qualified applicants; selection is choosing the best candidate from that pool through screening, interviewing, and reference checks. Strong recruitment makes effective selection possible.

Orientation introduces a new employee to the organization, job, and policies in the first days; ongoing training builds and refreshes skills over time. Both are required, but they serve different points in the employee's tenure.

A job description lists the duties and responsibilities of a position; a job specification lists the qualifications (skills, education, experience) a person needs to perform it. Together they guide hiring, training, and evaluation.

A stepwise corrective approach that escalates - typically verbal warning, written warning, suspension, then termination - giving the employee a chance to improve. It promotes fairness and documents the process if termination becomes necessary.

Training teaches new knowledge or skills, usually in a structured group setting; coaching is individualized, ongoing feedback to improve a specific employee's performance. Coaching reinforces and personalizes what training introduced.

The master schedule sets a recurring staffing pattern that ensures shifts are covered consistently; the daily schedule adjusts for absences, census changes, and special needs. The master schedule provides stability; the daily schedule provides flexibility.

Formal communication follows official channels (memos, policies, the chain of command); informal communication is the unofficial "grapevine" among staff. Effective managers use formal channels for decisions while staying aware of the informal network.

A short, on-site education session (for example, on handwashing or new equipment) that updates staff skills and reinforces compliance. In-services document ongoing training and are commonly reviewed during regulatory surveys.

An operating budget covers day-to-day recurring costs (food, labor, supplies); a capital budget covers major long-term purchases such as a new oven or walk-in cooler. They are planned and approved separately.

The share of revenue spent on food: cost of food sold divided by food sales, times 100. It is a core control metric - a rising percentage signals waste, theft, over-portioning, or pricing problems.

Fixed costs stay the same regardless of meals served (rent, salaried staff); variable costs rise and fall with volume (food, disposables, hourly labor). Distinguishing them is essential for budgeting and break-even analysis.

Requesting quoted prices from multiple approved vendors for the same specifications, then selecting the best value. Bidding controls cost, ensures fair vendor treatment, and is often required for large or public-sector purchases.

A detailed, written description of an item's required quality, size, grade, and packaging. Specs ensure vendors quote on identical products so bids are comparable and deliveries meet the operation's standards.

Federally certified facilities must meet CMS Conditions of Participation; surveyors review records such as temperature logs, sanitation checks, therapeutic diet orders, and training. Continuous, accurate documentation - not last-minute cramming - keeps the department compliant and avoids citations.